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Sixth Form Bulletin

17th April 2023

Year 12 Bulletin 

Morning all,

Hope you had a good Easter break and managed to balance relaxation with revision. 

There are staffed revision sessions are ongoing for Chemistry, Biology, Maths and Psychology - please make sure you attend - it will help support the revision you are undertaking at home. 

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE

 

The Senior Student written letters of application need to be submitted by Friday. Any questions about the process, please just come and chat to me or ask a member of the Senior Team about it

 

A few general announcements:

 

Please make sure that you are signing the ‘Class Sign-in sheets’ when a teacher is away. The sign-in sheet will be available for the duration of the lesson. If you do not sign-in you will be marked as absent which could affect your attendance and EMA.

 

There were a number of enquiries regarding EMA last term - please remember that EMA payments are dependent on more than just your attendance at lessons. You signed a contract agreeing to attend lessons; be punctual to them AND complete work set - any notifications that work has not been completed or repeated lateness to lessons can result in the decision not to award EMA. 

 

A few key notices: 

 

Teacher awards:

Is there a teacher who has inspired you? Is there a teacher who has helped you or supported you? The University of South Wales are accepting nominations for their annual USW Teacher and Adviser Awards - you might want to nominate a member of staff who has inspired you or supported you throughout the year. Use the link here to nominate someone. 

 

Uptree is a free careers programme Through Uptree, you can:

  • Access free online courses and support for career development
  • Broaden your knowledge of career routes
  • Meet with leading employers
  • Access unique opportunities and events, including apprenticeships and work experience Sign up here. 

 

Weekly


 

Academic support and deadlines

 

Chemistry

 

Support sessions are running on Mondays 2:45 — 3:45pm 

 

Criminology/Sociology

 

Support sessions after school on Mondays in I13; see Miss Toozer for details. 

 

Drama

 

Mr Withers is running Drama rehearsals on Mondays 

 

English/Media

 

Catch up sessions after school on a Monday, but can be more flexible if given notice. They also have an 'A Level Litcast' podcast for A Level on Spotify/iTunes.

Maths

 

Support sessions after school on Wednesdays; see Mr Jones for details

 

Medical Science and Biology

 

Catch up/Revision sessions are running on Thursdays from 2.45 to 3.45; see Mrs Collier for further details

Opportunities/Events

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. 

Gresham College has a series of lectures by different Professors; April’s lectures include: Professor Martin Daunton explores the long-standing debates over Who Benefited from the British Empire? Professor Leslie Thomas KC will ask Do We Need Criminal Law? or should we consider alternatives like restorative justice? Professor Ronald Hutton will look at Finding Lost Gods in Wales, asking whether the poetry and stories of medieval Wales really contain folk memories of early Gods. Professor Imogen Goold will examine  the legal and ethical issues in the rapidly advancing field of Gene Editing.

New series: Women In World Religions

Professor Morwenna Ludlow will explore Women Leaders in Early Christianity, and Rabbi Dr Deborah Kahn-Harris will look at Reclaiming Women in the Hebrew Bible.

In an engineering series Engineering the Modern World, Sue Ion will be asking What is the Role of Nuclear Power in a Net Zero System?, architect Sadie Morgan (dRMM) will look at Architects and Engineers: Making Infrastructure Beautiful, and Roger Ridsdill Smith (Foster + Partners) explores The Future of Tall BuildingsFor other lectures which are at undergraduate level use the link here.

Universities

General advice

Discover Uni is a government-funded facility which has data on nearly every university and their courses. You can find the entry data of students who joined a degree course and the percentage of those students who entered with particular grades - if you have the same grades then your chances are higher than if you have lower grades.try the website here: Discover Uni

Many universities have got upcoming Open Days so make sure you have a look at the places you think you may want to study at. I’ve just put the links for our most popular destinations’ Open Days below as well as the Open Days calendar. 

To make sure you understand the grades you might need for courses you’re interested in and confirm entry requirements please use the following website: https://www.whatuni.com/ Ask your LC to look at courses with you if you’re not sure whether you might need specific subjects/grades for a course you are considering.

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,

Lots of Summer School opportunities are coming up. Use the links here to see whether you meet the criteria. I only highlight the Summer Schools which are free so be aware that there are other opportunities which would involve a cost; look for those on the university websites. 

UCL Summer schools

Southampton Summer school

Gloucester Summer School

Bath Summer School

Birmingham Summer School

Imperial London

Cardiff University has Open Days coming up on Friday 30 June and Saturday 1 July.

Newcastle University has a series of Open Days coming up. Book your event here: 

The University of Sheffield has online subject taster sessions to help students experience what it is like to study there. Register here. 

Next Steps for Y12 Conferences 2023

Join representatives from the University of Exeter, University of Bath, Cardiff University, Keele University, Lancaster University and the University of Warwick to find out more about applying to, and studying at, university. Please complete the form here and select the events you wish to attend to register your place.

Bath University is now accepting applications for both of these free-to-attend residentials.

 

Discover Bath

The students who completed the Discover Bath residential programme last year had early offers which were lower by one grade than the offers for most applicants. 

Discover Bath is a 3 night summer residential for Year 12 students from Widening Participation backgrounds and aims to give prospective students a taste of first-year life and study at Bath. Discover Bath is free, including on-campus accommodation, meals for the duration of your stay, a programme of academic sessions (lectures, seminars, workshops) and fun social activities. 

Discover Bath is available to all Year 12 students who are academically able to study at Bath in their chosen subject and who meet our widening participation criteria.

Applications are now open via their website.

 

Bath Sports Summer School

Their Sports Summer School is a 2 night summer residential for Year 12 students from Widening Participation backgrounds who want to learn about competitive sport at Bath and gain experience of studying at Bath as an athlete. This event is free-of-charge, including on-campus accommodation and meals for the duration of your stay.

Applications are now open via their website.

Swansea University has a series of subject-specific webinars designed to support you as you begin thinking about which subject/s you might want to study at undergraduate level. Book your place on one here. Other opportunities they currently have:

  • Their Head Start webinars focused on Student Life. Have a look at the programme here. 

Cardiff Met have a series of Open Days and Campus tours available:
https://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/study/opendays/Pages/default.aspx

Apprenticeships/Degree Apprenticeships

 

RAF Apprenticeships are now open. Their upcoming webinar which will highlight the opportunities available. Register here

Deloitte's ASPIRE programme: Deloitte’s ASPIRE program is your chance to see how different career paths align to your unique talents and strengths. Register your interest here.

  • Use the website here to explore Degree Apprenticeships
  • Use the website here to explore Degree Apprenticeships
  • Network 75 offers a range of apprenticeship opportunities as well; use the link here: 

Network 75 

PwC has more information for potential accountants, business management or technology students interested in degree apprenticeships with them. Use the link  here to find out more

Support

For those of you who may feel you need support, as always we are always available to help. If you feel you need more support there are some useful support sites and links listed here:

There are also some useful techniques here for those experiencing feelings of anxiety:

 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

 

 

St Cyres School, Sully Road, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, CF64 2XP

02920 708708