University Destinations

University Success

In the last two years 100% of our leavers gained entry into their first choice university and course of study - a remarkable achievement for a non-selective school.  This achievement is due to the excellent standard of teaching in the sixth form, the extensive subject choice, the small teaching groups, the additional mentoring students enjoy and the happy and comfortable learning environment which falls somewhere in character between a school and a sixth form college.  Intensive weekly progress monitoring is balanced by enough freedom and scope for students to prepare well for university life.  BCS past pupils have an excellent track record at university: a fact we are justifiably proud of.  They report that their experiences at BCS prepared them very well for university life and ensured that they made the right choices.

Typically each year 25% of BCS leavers gain entry into the Russell Group of universities, including some to Oxford and Cambridge. 95% of our leavers move on to higher education, the small remaining minority take gap years or move directly to employment. Popular university destinations for BCS pupils include: Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester, Bristol, Warwick, Exeter, Cardiff, Southampton, Bath, University College London, London School of Economics, Plymouth, Bournemouth and Hong Kong.

 

Preparing for Careers and Higher Education

The school has a careers co-ordinator who will support all pupils in helping to make informative choices.  In addition, all form and subject staff take an active interest in the educational future of pupils and will offer advice at any stage regarding the next phase of the education process. Careers advice starts in Year 9 when children choose their GCSE options, and it’s not too early to start thinking about Higher Education at this stage. The school’s Careers Coordinator is available to help and guide parents and students.

Higher Education advice begins in earnest in Year 11 when the choice of AS/A2 subjects is discussed as part of planning for the Sixth Form. Subject choices made in Year 9 and Year 11 inevitably have a significant influence on decisions about university entrance, which are very fully discussed in Year 12 prior to making applications in the Autumn Term of Year 13. The UCAS Centigrade individual assessment and information system and a visit to a higher education fair are offered to BCS Sixth Form students. We have our own internal specialists to talk about university entrance, and we work with others for additional guidance on Oxford and Cambridge entrance.

As part of their Sixth Form enrichment programme, BCS students are guided on how to get the most out of University Open Days, and are trained in the skills needed to write their university application and to participate effectively in university (and job) interviews. An information evening is held in the Summer Term of Year 12 to explain the UCAS process and provide information about higher education. In Year 13, the student’s tutor and the Careers Advisor guide them through the UCAS system. The Principal, in conjunction with individual tutors, personally produces each student’s Higher Education reference. The majority of students are successful in gaining places at Russell Group Universities.