15th January 2024
Year 13 bulletin.
Morning all,
Well done to those that have completed some of their mocks; your behaviour was excellent. Although you have study leave, you are welcome to come in to school to revise or attend any revision sessions being put on by staff.
Weekly
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‘Ted Talk’ What your smart devices know (and share) about you
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‘BBC Ideas’ Three invaluable tools to boost your resilience
Quote of the week:
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Arthur Ashe
Key dates and deadline:
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Art and Photography coursework is due on the 31st January and students will be issued with their exam paper on 1st Feb.
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The Maths Department run a support session every Wednesday for A Level Maths and GCSE resit support every single Monday.
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Chemistry have both Year 12 and 13 chemistry support sessions every Monday after school.
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Tourism Unit 4 coursework is due 5th Feb
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Biology has after school support sessions on Thursdays in H23
A few general announcements:
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Please make sure you are all signed up to the Exams Google Classroom - this is how you will find out vital information about each exam series, resits, mocks and other details. The classroom code is aj5fjjv
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The Independent Study activities document has been updated by staff so you can build in some super-curricular activities or get ahead with understanding key topics.
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Cambridge University have super-curricular resources created and written by Cambridge students and academics https://myheplus.com/
UCAS
A reminder that checking the entry requirements is a good idea: https://www.whatuni.com/ is a great site to use. To check what your grades add up to for a points offer, use https://www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator
The internal deadline for the entire UCAS application has gone so applications now are unlikely to get the detailed feedback required before submission to UCAS and offers will be slower to come in.
We have submitted 54 applications now and 37 people have offers - 15 people have all five offers - so places are filling up. Last year the applications submitted after the Christmas break did not get as many offers.
Some basics for people to look at again on their applications:
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check you have the fee code 02 unless you are an international student
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add your GCSE subjects and the grades you achieved to the Education section - the date for those is August 2022
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add your AS Levels and the grades you achieved to the Education section - the date for those is August 2023
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add your A Level subjects to the Education section - put August 20234 and 'pending' as the grades - don't forget to add the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge and put August 2023 and 'pending' for that too
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Add either me or a parent as your ‘nominated access’ in the Contact and Residency section
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make sure your choices include one safe, at least two solid and one - or possibly two - aspirational courses. If you're unsure see me or your LC will be happy to chat to you about your choices.
Bursaries
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. 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.
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Choosing a university can be difficult; here’s an article which tries to look at the various criteria you might apply. Which uk Uni to choose?
There’s some information regarding preparing a portfolio for creative subjects, such as Art, Animation or Media here.
Every couple of years, the World Economic Forum publishes their Future of Jobs report, which looks at the impact of these world-wide issues on jobs and the skills needed. The latest version came out in May this year and is based on a large-scale, world-wide survey of employers. Check out the main points here. It is an absolute gold-mine of information, data and insight into the future of careers, and as you make important decisions about your future studies and career, you are going to want to know about it.
Opportunities/Events
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Gresham College has a series of lectures by different Professors which are really useful to show your proactive engagement with the subject you’re hoping to study: browse the series they have here: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/whats-on/lecture-series-2023-24
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EDT Placement applications for 2024/25 are open. The YINI application process has been streamlined, making it easier and quicker for students to apply and stay updated.
What is YINI? EDT’s, The Year in Industry (YINI) Placement scheme, helps place school-leaving students into paid 12-month long placements into all areas of engineering, science (particularly physics), technology/electronics, maths, business, marketing and finance across the UK.
How does the application process work? · You register interest via their website here and receive a weekly update of the latest placement opportunities.
Benefits for placed YINI students:
To Register for YINI: Interested students can register via their website 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, |
Universities
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Struggling with your Personal Statement; use the support from UCAS |
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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. Here’s the best place to check dates for Open Days: https://www.opendays.com/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 about things. |
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Newcastle University has a Virtual Student Experience where you can discover what Newcastle University is really like – all from the comfort of home. During the virtual sessions you’ll learn about:
You can also take a virtual tour of our University buildings and state-of-the-art facilities on campus. It takes place this Wednesday 17 January, 2024 (4pm – 6.30pm) register here.
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Bath University may give a lower offer to students in Wales as a result of their WBQ prediction; read more about their approach to the Welsh Bacc and their alternative offer here. To support students, they are holding a MOOC delivered in partnership with Aberystwyth University ‘How to succeed in your Welsh Bacc: the Individual Project Essentials’. |
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Aberystwyth University has a new Higher Education streaming platform, Aberflix and a range of generous scholarships available. |
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Bath Spa has a few Open Days coming up: Bath Spa |
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UWE Bristol have Campus tour films. If you can't visit in person, they have virtual tours. They offer a warm welcome from current students and bring their campuses to life. |
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Cardiff Met have a series of Open Days and Campus tours available: |
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Swansea University: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/open-days/ |
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Cardiff University Their lecture series is ongoing; https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/community/events
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Work Experience
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Please sign up for Uptree here if you didn’t do so last year. And then check out all the opportunities they have: https://schools.uptree.co/opportunities/ New events coming up:
Gain insights into different industries, develop your essential skills and learn how to ace your future applications. Check out their newest course Introduction to the National Cyber Force! If you're after something different you can also check out courses with J.P. Morgan, Arm and ATAC. |
Apprenticeships/Degree Apprenticeships
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RENISHAW APPRENTICESHIPS CLOSING DATE is the 12th FEBRUARY 2024
RENISHAW (Miskin) APPRENTICESHIPS Manufacturing Engineer Apprentice (Level 6) Job in Wales £18500 (earlytalentacademy.co.uk) · Either three A levels at CCC, including Maths, and others in a STEM related subject OR a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma at MMM, in an engineering related subject. · Other qualifications of a similar level can be considered. We would encourage applicants with non-standard qualifications to contact us to discuss their eligibility. |
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Causeway Education are working with law firm Wedlake Bell to host an application masterclass for any Y13 students interested in applying to solicitor degree apprenticeships. This information will be useful for students considering applying to any firms, although there will be colleagues from Wedlake Bell able to answer questions specific to their application process. The webinar will show students the steps in an apprenticeship application, the reason why certain methods are used e.g. assessment centres and tips and tricks to prepare for this process. They will look at key themes such as showing an understanding of a firm, the apprenticeship route, and developing commercial awareness. The webinar will take place on Tuesday 30th January 4.30-6pm. Sign up here.. |
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Other local opportunities
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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. Network75 Trainees are able to apply their academic knowledge to real-life work within their host company gaining the necessary skills, experience and qualifications that are highly sought after by industry. |
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UCAS has a lot of information about apprenticeships: https://www.ucas.com/apprenticeships |
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Uptree also has lots of information and events relating to Apprenticeships so again, sign up and check them out: https://schools.uptree.co/events/ |
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The company 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 feeling anxious about the UCAS process or anything else, 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