Y12 Parents’ Information

UCAS & Futures Planning

27 March 2024

Speakers

Ms Rebecca Gates - Coombe & UCAS Process

Mr Giles Jameson - BTEC Progression

Mark Alger - Kingston University - Student Finance Talk

Karen Bentley, Progression Manager - Alternatives to University

Year 12

​

​

Spring term

• Explore your options (Unifrog)
• Complete CVs/cover letters
• Parent/Carer Talks
• Find WEX /volunteering
• 1 to 1s: Independent careers guidance Mrs Bentley
• Super-curricular: Lectures, independent reading

Summer Term

• University Open Day visits
• Virtual WEX
• Y12 Future Planning Day - 13 June 2024 - start UCAS
• UCAS Exams: 24 June 2024
• Writing draft personal statements
• Work Experience Week 15-19 July 2024

​

​

Year 13

​

​

​

​

Autumn Term

7 Sep: Early Entry Coombe deadline 16/10/2024 UCAS 3 Nov: Coombe deadline 30/1/2025 UCAS deadline

Nov/Dec: Interview practice, portfolio preparation,

​

Spring/Summer Term

Jan: Major apprenticeship scheme open- BBC, KPMG, Civil Service, Unilever, BT

Feb: Student Finance Applications open

May: firm/insurance uni choice deadline

June: A Level Exams

August 2024: Results Day

​

​

​

UCAS Tariff Points

UCAS Predicted Grades

• Confirmed by subject teachers by July Y12
• Reported to parents/carers with the end of Year 12 report
• Realistic yet aspirational grades using grades from end of year assessments/tasks.
• Students select 5 universities based on these grades
• 2 aspirational, 2 which match PGs, 1 with lower grades

​

​

UCAS 2024 application form

• Personal details, choices, their personal statement, reference and predicted grades
• 5 course choices - blind application
• Personal Statement – written by student
• Reference & predicted grades - provided by school
• Multiple applications encouraged (apprenticeships, art courses)
• Make final decision on Yr 13 results day

UCAS application

• Student completes form and pays by debit/credit card (£27).

• Cost met for bursary students from the bursary fund.

• Tutors / sixth form team double check forms before sending to UCAS.

• Universities make conditional offers of places to students from November.

​

​

Personal statement

• Word count: 47 lines – 1 page typed

• All students complete a PS - self -reflective writing a vital skill for all students

• Opportunity to convince admissions tutors

• Average 5-7 drafts needed: with perfect spelling, punctuation and grammar

• UCAS use plagiarism detector software

• Show evidence of genuine interest in the degree subject!

​

​

​

UCAS communication: Parents

• UCAS view the application as a confidential between them and a student.
• It’s important parents talk directly to their child about their university application
• We are happy to provide advice and guidance on a student’s application
• It is not possible for the school to keep parents informed with application details

​

​

​

​

​

BTEC progression

Karen Bentley - 6th Form Progression Manager

BTEC L3: University Pathways

• Offer excellent progression to university
• Students who want to go to university should be aiming for Distinctions
• At GCSE: All universities require Maths & English grade 4 minimum so resits vital

BTEC L3 Science

Biomedical Science

• Brunel
• Queen Mary
• Surrey
• Sussex
• Reading
• Kent
• Portsmouth

Pharmacy – via Foundation year if you don’t have A Level Chemistry

• Engineering: Civil, automotive Portsmouth, Greenwich Kingston Uni - or via foundation year

BTEC L3 Business Accounting, Finance, Management

​

• Surrey
• Sussex
• Kingston/Roehampton
• Middlesex/St Mary’s
• Brighton/Portsmouth

​

​

BTEC L3 Media Filmmaking, game design, digital design, media, acting, fashion, music, animation

​

​

​

​

• University of Creative Arts
• University of Arts London
• Nottingham Trent
• Portsmouth
• Hertfordshire
• Surrey
• Bournemouth University
• Kingston University

Careers: Primary Education teacher

• Roehampton/Kingston
• St Mary’s
• London South Bank University
• Brighton
• Chichester
• Winchester

​

Sociology, Psychology, Criminology, Law Degrees - University options

*with evidence of reading & research

​

• Portsmouth
• Essex
• Kent
• Brighton
• Southampton
• Sussex
• Surrey

• City University
• Portsmouth
• Brighton
• Sussex
• Kingston

NHS/Healthcare pathways

Nursing/Midwifery: KCL, Kingston, Hertfordshire, Surrey,

Paramedic Science : Greenwich

Nutrition: Surrey

Radiography

Optometry: Portsmouth, Plymouth

Pharmacy: Kingston Uni with foundation year or Bradford, Keele, Lincoln *without Chemistry A Level

​

Student Finance - Mark Alger

Kingston University.

Futures Planning Programme

Karen Bentley, 6th Form Progression Manager

• UCAS process
• Work Experience 15-19 July 2024
• Careers guidance 1-1 (30-45 min session)
• Personal statements guidance
• Interview practice
• Alternatives to Uni:apprenticeship/job applications

​

2024: The most in-demand skills

​

1. Communication skills (active listening)
2. Problem solving
3. Ability to deal with complexity
4. Adaptability
5. Teamwork

​

Alternatives to University

​

​

• Apprenticeships/Work-based training
• Full time/part time job
• Structured Gap year
• Resitting exams
• Volunteering/placements/experience
• Studying (online/independently)
• Foundation Diploma in Art & Design

​

Major annual schemes

BBC, Civil Service, Unilever, Engineering, HSBC, PWC, KPMP, Goldman Sachs

​

Apply: Year 13 Dec-January

Duration: 2-4 years

Salary: £22,000 per year plus

Qualifications - L4 to L7 (degree level)

​

​

Degree Apprenticeships

Software Engineering Apprentice £23,000 pa

• BSc Honours Degree in Digital and Technology Solutions (Software development)
• Part of teams disrupting serious threats to UK national security
• You’ll have an interest in programming and technology
• Entry requirements: 72 UCAS points, along with GCSE grade 4/C or above in English language and maths

​

School leaver training programmes

​

Rolling recruitment

Salary: £12,000-£20,000 pa

Duration: 18 months - 4 Years

Qualifications: L3-6

Current live vacancies

• Digital Marketing with Omnicom
• AAT Account assistant in Surbiton
• Lettings Agent assistant - New Malden

​

As a parent, what can I do to help?

Encourage them to gain skills/experience:

• Get involved: volunteering, school official, sport, part-time job, online event
• Use Unifrog Careers Platform & Springpod for Virtual Work experience
• Check school email /Careers Hub
• Doing readng/research outside of lessons on their chosen degree subject
• Book a 1 to 1 career guidance meeting with Mrs Bentley

​

Resources

National Apprenticeship Service – govt site listing all vacancies http://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/

Rate My Apprenticeship – top 100 employers in UK, advice on applying https://www.ratemyapprenticeship.co.uk/industries

Not Going to Uni – provides information on everything from advanced apprenticeship schemes from major companies/industry along with ideas for gap years, work experience. http://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/opportunity

Future Hub: Kingston/Richmond vacancies – local area opportunities http://www.afc-futurehub.org.uk/jobs

​

​

​

• https://www.prospects.ac.uk/ -careers, job profiles

​

Support from Coombe

​

• 6th form team - head of years & mentors

• Mrs Bentley - Careers Adviser - 1 to 1 with all year 12s

• Tutors & Subject Teachers

• Futures planning programme:

• Active tutorials in morning registration
• Careers Days
• Assemblies
• After school workshops: talks from employers & universities

​

​

The Unifrog tools

A

UK Universities

• Create a list of unis by subject & target/predicted grades
• Rank and filter opportunities by factors: hours of lectures, price of accommodation and graduate job rates
• Direct links to university information pages,

Parents & guardians, get signed up!

Go to www.unifrog.org/code and click ‘Sign in for the first time’

You’ll be asked for some details and a Sign up Code. This is what you need:

CMBGPARENTS

After signing up, log into Unifrog using your email address and password via the student sign-in page!

Research resources

• https://www.ucas.com/https://www.ucas.com/what-are-my-options/create-your-ucas-hub-today

• https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/(search courses - filter by grades/courses/location)

• http://www.theguardian.com/education/universityguide

• http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk – league table/rankings

• http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/gug/ (paywall)

• https://unistats.direct.gov.uk/ - university data

• https://www.prospects.ac.uk/ -careers, job profiles

​