2nd October 2023
Year 13 bulletin
Morning all,
Just a short bulletin this week but hopefully there will be more events and opportunities coming up.
Shoutouts to the following pupils for making a positive impact:
Praise Postcards for;
Samuel L (ECO) - amazing presentation in Skills
Jp (ECO) - amazing presentation in Skills
Tilly (ECO) - great preparation for her Individual Project
Weekly
- ‘Ted Talk’ The one thing stopping jellyfish from taking over
- ‘BBC Ideas’ What does it take to be a spy?
A few general announcements:
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. Remember that you can use any additional reading or research on your personal statement for university to highlight how you have prepared for undergraduate level study.
UCAS
A reminder that our internal UCAS deadline is the 8th December.
Please make sure you have completed the Education section of the UCAS application; add your GCSE and AS results and then add the three A Levels you are studying, putting ‘pending’ as the grade and also add Advanced WBQ. Any problems let me know. Even if you do not think you’ll be going to university, please complete this as it’s always an option for you then.
Please also see the latest guidance from UCAS regarding ChatGPT:
'Generating (and then copying, pasting and submitting) all or a large part of your personal statement from an AI tool such as ChatGPT, and presenting it as your own words, could be considered cheating by universities and colleges and could affect your chances of an offer.' UCAS has provided three tips on how students might use AI:
- 'You could use ChatGPT to give you ideas about topics that are relevant to your chosen subject..'
- 'You may want to ask ChatGPT to suggest ways of structuring your personal statement.'
- 'ChatGPT can be used to check your personal statement draft for readability'
Remember that UCAS uses similarity detection software
'If UCAS anti-plagiarism software detects elements of a personal statement that are similar to others, the universities or colleges it is intended for will be notified.'
There’s some information regarding Admissions Tutors and their role here.
Opportunities/Events
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Mrs Hirani is looking for pupils who would be keen to join an intercultural pupil voice group this year. As a school want to ensure pupils’ views, suggestions and ideas are heard to support our work on the anti-racist agenda and as part of our ongoing work as a multilingual school. Please let your LC know if you’re interested - Mrs Hirani needs to know by Wednesday please. |
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Cymraeg - Welsh Virtual Sessions Ymlaen Gyda’r Dysgu / Onwards with Welsh provides Welsh sessions to build confidence in speaking the language to 16-18 year olds. The offer is for learners in years 12 and 13 who are not continuing studying Welsh in A Level. This is a great opportunity to build confidence in speaking Welsh that will be beneficial when applying for further education, university or jobs. Further information can be found here: https://e-sgol.cymru/onwards-with-welsh/ |
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There’s a fantastic opportunity with the organisation tutor2u who are offering a Free Online Course for all Sixth Form students. The course includes a mix of videos, engaging activities and resource downloads and covers:
Use the link here to register: Studentshttps://ondemand.tutor2u.net/students/beyond-sixth-form-skills-booster |
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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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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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Reading University Open Days: Reading is a campus university and they offer a wide range of subjects, which you can find out about on their website. They’re offering the option of free transport to individual students from disadvantaged backgrounds - you can sign up using the QR code on the attached poster. The Open Day dates are this Saturday 7th October and next Saturday 14th October.
They are also running a Personal Statement webinar; sign up using the link here. |
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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 Open Days this autumn:
Saturday 14 October, Saturday 4 November and Saturday 18 November are your chance to explore the university and get a real feel for what it’s like to study there. Subject-specific talks and tasters, sessions on accommodation, fees and funding and the application process, are all part of the Open Day: book your place here.
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 Uni: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/open-days-visit |
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/ |
Apprenticeships/Degree 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:
- Breathing techniques to calm anxiety Visit now
- 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