28th April 2025
Year 13 bulletin
Morning all,
I hope you all had a fantastic Easter break and got to spend some time with your friends and family, relaxing as well as making sure you consolidated your learning ahead of the final term.
Student Finance is open for those of you applying to university and I’ve still included some info about Student Finance and general advice about UCAS.
Weekly
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‘Ted Talk’ How we can protect truth in the age of misinformation
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‘BBC Ideas’ Can you spot digital lies?
Quote of the week:
“I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse.”
Florence Nightingale
Key dates and deadline:
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The Maths Department runs a support session every Wednesday for A Level Maths and GCSE resit support every single Monday.
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Chemistry runs their support sessions on Thursdays 2:40 - 3:30 pm
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Design Tech runs support for 6th Form students after school on Wednesdays and Thursdays
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Geography Wednesday after school
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Skills support is in F12 every Monday
UCAS
UCAS Extra is open now - if you feel you might need to use it please come and have a chat. UCAS Clearing, which follows in July, is also really useful and it isn’t just those who don’t get into their first choice of uni that use it; over 50% of people that use Clearing have simply changed their mind about the course or the university.
This article takes you through the who, how and when of both, so you know exactly how it all works. Read more here.
In total we have 75 applications, 66 pupils have all their offers and 42 have accepted offers and firmed up their choices. 2 people have now firmed up and been given an unconditional place at their form choice.
Student Finance Wales is encouraging students to apply now to make sure their funding is in place for the start of their course. With exams coming up, if you get your applications in now, you can focus on your studies. A key message for students who might be putting off applying until they’ve got confirmed offers is:
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Don’t wait until you’ve got your UCAS offer. Apply now using your firm choice and you can change it later if you need to.
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They’ve updated the Student Finance Wales website to help students find out what they need to know about student finance, including deadline dates for student finance applications.
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You can now apply for funding through Student Finance Wales
There is also a HMRC App which UCAS recommends. Follow these 3 steps to download the app:
1. Download the HMRC app via the App Store or Google Play
2. If you have an account already, log in. If not, grab your UK passport or driver licence and use the GOV.UK ID Check app to prove your identity
3. Follow the simple steps to add your National Insurance number to your phone wallet
The HMRC app can help you:
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Store it on your phone for when you’re ready to apply for student finance
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Get ready for your career goals - grab your work history and National Insurance number to get into your job
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Locate your Child Trust Fund with your National Insurance number
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Take control of your finances with the pay calculator - view your payslip and check your tax code to make sure you get on the right pay quicker
Also:
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Think about applying for accommodation
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There’s some advice here regarding what you need to do to prepare for uni
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Have a look at the virtual work experiences UCAS has on offer
General Notices:
Bursaries/Scholarships
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Amazon wants to sponsor you: Dreaming of a career in engineering or computer science? The Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship is here to help. Get up to £20,000 towards supporting your education, exclusive mentorship, and career-shaping opportunities, all designed to support women from low income backgrounds. £5,000 per year Mentorship & networking Exclusive career opportunities The deadline is 13 May 2025 |
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The ‘Blackbullion’ App tries to ensure students have the best experience when searching and applying to scholarships. If you want scholarship updates for now, you can sign up to their Scholarships Newsletter. There are no costs associated with ANY aspect of the process - it's all completely free https://www.blackbullion.com/register |
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Those of you applying to Russell Group universities may be eligible for a bursary if you check as well as Swansea having some academic excellence bursaries available. I’ve included some of the universities here that I know people have applied to in the past. It’s always worth checking/applying - the worst that can happen is that you don’t get anything - doesn’t hurt to try! There are lots available which are focused on household income, STEM (women especially) and engineering. See me if you need any help applying for these. |
Upcoming Opportunities/Events
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UCAS has a CV Builder tool that might be of interest to those of you considering alternatives to university. Access it here. |
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Aspire is a collection of free careers, university and further education resources. It is designed to give state-educated students the tools and knowledge they need to make more informed decisions about their future. Their ‘guide’ is a free resource, full of information and guidance, designed to inform you and help you navigate the range of careers and further education out there. Access the online version of the Guide, alongside other resources, on the Aspire website |
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Please sign up for Uptree here and then check out all the opportunities they have: https://schools.uptree.co/opportunities/ |
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Gresham College has a series of lectures by different Professors. April’s lectures include: Does Net Zero Mean the End of Livestock Agriculture? Professor Myles Allen Tue, 29 Apr 2025 Shanawdithit: A Woman at the End of the World, Professor Julia Laite Wed, 30 Apr 2025 |
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Speakers for Schools has a range of work experience opportunities, just be aware some are aimed at students in England - especially the Healthcare ones which relate to NHS England. Use the link here to see whether there’s anything relevant to you. |
Universities
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University of York MOOC - University Interview Support This online course is a brilliant free resource for Year 13 students who might be interested in learning more about university interviews. This free online course covers: preparing for an interview, completing an interview, and how to understand feedback following an interview. Free to access now. |
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USW has Open Days coming up. Book here. They also have other opportunities such as Guaranteed Mock Interviews for Nursing and Midwifery:
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UCL UCL Study Prep (Access now) UCL Study Prep helps students in Year 13 to prepare for university. This course is free and open to all students in Year 13, regardless of where you go to school or college or which universities you have applied to study at. |
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Bristol UWE also has upcoming Open Days. Book here. |
Apprenticeships/Degree Apprenticeships
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NatWest have apprenticeship opportunities coming up; register your interest now. |
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NATIONAL GRID HIGHER APPRENTICESHIPS – TO START SEPT 2025 SALARY – APPROX £29,000 No closing date as yet, so early applications advisable
Location: Carmarthenshire, SA39 9HT / Haverfordwest, SA62 4EQ Electricity Network Planning & Design Higher Apprentice - Ty Coch/Brecon Job Details | National Grid Location: Brecon, LD3 7HW / Gwent, NP44 7EZ Electricity Network Planning & Design Higher Apprentice - Cardiff Job Details | National Grid Location: Pontypridd, CF38 1BN / Cardiff, CF3 2EQ / Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 3TD Transmission Engineer Higher Apprentice - Swansea Job Details | National Grid – SWANSEA SA5 7LU Asset Management Engineer Higher Apprentice - Swansea Job Details | National Grid – SWANSEA SA5 7LU |
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Network Rail Apprenticeships
Customer Relations Apprentice – Pontypridd – TO START SEPT 2025 Application closing date: 22/04/2025
Customer Operations Apprentice – Pontypridd – TO START SEPT 2025 Application closing date: 22/04/2025
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TO START SEPT 2025
MITIE - Apprentice - Electrical | Mitie – TO START SEPT 2025 - based at British Airways Maintenance, Cardiff International Airport, Rhoose, CF62 3BD ASSOCIATED BRITISH PORTS - Apprentice Mechanical Technician Job Details | ABP – Cardiff ASSOCIATED BRITISH PORTS - Engineering Apprentice Job Details | ABP – Newport
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Those of you interested in apprenticeship, could sign up for the Apprenticeship Vacancies newsletter designed to make it easier for students to find out about relevant apprenticeship opportunities. Sign up to this new free mailing list and they’ll keep you updated with a variety of roles from a wide range of brilliant apprenticeship employers.Sign up here |
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Amazing Apprenticeships have a ‘Student Zone’ with information that might be of interest. |
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RENISHAW APPRENTICESHIPS 2025 NOW OPEN Renishaw Employer Profile - Early Talent Academy https://earlytalentacademy.co.uk/apprenticeship-employers/renishaw/#viewjobs |
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Information from Careers Wales: https://careerswales.gov.wales/apprenticeships/employers-who-offer-apprenticeships
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Network 75 is a combined work placement and part-time study route to a degree allowing students to Work, Earn and Learn. Read more about it here. |
Support
For those of you feeling anxious about the return to school, as always, we are always available to help. If you feel you need more support here are some useful links:
There are also some useful techniques here for those experiencing feelings of anxiety:
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Breathing techniques to calm anxiety Visit now
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Yoga for Anxiety Visit now
Remember it is important that you keep an eye on your emails and our Twitter feed (@stcyres6th). I send out links and tweets regularly so there is a lot of information available, you just need to access it and let me know if there are any problems with you doing that.
As always, if there are any issues, get in touch; we’re here to support you.
Take care,
Ms Jones