Sixth Form Support

Work Experience

Work Experience in Year 12 is a focal part of the career development our scholars complete with local and regional companies and organisations.

From finance and learning how to handle money, to politics and how to vote, we aim to ensure that our scholars are prepared for the world they are about to step into.

Where our scholars have completed their work experience:

Careers and Employability

As part of our excellent support for post-18 progression, we offer:

• Qualified careers advisers.

• One-to-one guidance interviews with a qualified adviser from Form the Future.

• Sustained, relevant, and timely careers education, information, advice and guidance, covering all post-18 progression routes, built into the Personal Development curriculum.

• Well-developed links with leading universities.

• Links with local and national employers through our partner Growth Works.

• Support in applying for access programmes, summer schools and taster courses.

• Expert advice and guidance on fees, loans and university finance – delivered by our partners at Neaco.

• Guidance on CVs, applications, and interviews, including a mock interview.

• Extensive guidance and support on all aspects of the UCAS application process, from making choices all the way to Confirmation and Clearing.

• Guidance on work-related learning and support in finding a work placement.

Most Able Provision

Excellent Support for Scholars

We support our scholars throughout their time with us, knowing that they may have aspirations to apply for top universities, degree apprenticeships and highly competitive courses such as Medicine.

We also know that these scholars may also have to cope with some of the burdens that can come with being a high achiever. We work with these scholars on imposter syndrome, fear of failure, and overcoming perfectionism, supporting them to achieve superb A Level results whilst also being happy and thriving at our Sixth Form.

Oxbridge and Medicine Candidates

Individual support is given to Oxbridge applicants, and they benefit from intensive personal statement advice and support from our established links with Wadham College, Oxford and Jesus College, Cambridge. During Year 12, our future medics benefit from regular meetings, receiving advice on getting work and voluntary experience. They are trained in the entrance tests (UCAT and BMAT) and provided with free resources to help them prepare for these tests over the summer of Year 12.

Mastering the Application Process

Throughout Year 12, we work with our most able scholars to access the super curricular opportunities that they need to be able to make a successful application to Oxford, Cambridge or another top Russell Group university. This includes MOOCs, podcasts, lectures, books and webinars to give the scholar the chance to delve into their chosen subject and explore it independently. Many of these scholars also take an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).

Support, Advice and Preparation for Interviews

In Year 13, we offer support for Admissions Tests and have extensive experience of delivering high quality practice interviews, which we hone each year based on feedback from our applicants.

Applicants for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science benefit from practice interviews for both academic style interviews and the now widely used Multiple Mini Interview format.

We have a track record of success with scholars getting places for Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science and for subjects including (in the last couple of years) Engineering, Archaeology, Maths, Natural Sciences and Asian and Oriental Studies at Oxford and Cambridge.

EPQ

At Longsands Sixth Form, we actively support scholars who wish to complete the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). This project can be completed on a topic of the scholars’ choosing and is excellent preparation for degree level study as it allows scholars to develop research and writing skills that are invaluable in higher education.

DID YOU KNOW? A strong EPQ result can lower the grade requirements for some university courses

Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) example questions:

Wellbeing

The pressure of studying for your Sixth Form courses can sometimes reach levels where you feel that the stress and anxiety become unmanageable. People experience the physical and mental effects of stressful situations when they feel that they cannot cope with demands that are being placed on them. Sixth Form courses are very demanding and at times even the most hard-working scholar can feel that their course is placing too much of a burden on them.

If you feel that the pressure of Sixth Form study is affecting you in any way, please do not hesitate to come and have a chat. There is a wide range of support that we can offer from within the Sixth Form team and we also have contacts with various external support agencies who can offer help and guidance.

Perhaps the most important advice is to be organised, to manage your time effectively, and to ask for help as soon as you need it.