Morning all,

 

I hope you all managed a relaxing weekend; last week of your last full term of school! 

 

For those wishing to revise or simply complete work after school please remember the 6th Form Centre is open until 3.30 every day and can be kept open until 4 or later on request. 

 

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 have been a number of enquiries regarding EMA - 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. 

 

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

 

• ‘Ted Talk’ Digital footprint

• ‘BBC Ideas’ 5 charts that changed the world

 

Student Volunteers needed for:

 

Macmillan Easter Cake Day

 

Mrs deClaire is organising a fundraising event on Friday 31st March to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. Cakes and coffee will be available all day for staff and cakes and snacks will be sold during breaks and lunch times to pupils. She is looking for volunteers to man a table outside Mrs Berry’s office during the break and lunch times. Please let me know if you can help.

 

• 60 applications

• 39 (65%) of you have all your offers

• 18 of you have made your choices and firmed up your offers

There is no rush to firm up your choices; you have until the 8th June; take time to visit campuses, speak to current students and generally do your research before making your choices. Also, once the application deadline is gone, you may well find that universities will sometimes revise their offers and lower the grades or offer incentives such as first choice with accommodation or bursaries. Let me know if you need to chat about your decisions. Your main focus should be on the insurance choice - if you do not get the grades for your firm choice you need to ensure your insurance choice is somewhere you’re happy to go. 

 

Academic support and key deadlines

 

Chemistry

Support sessions are running on Fridays between 8:00 - 8:30am and 2:45 — 3:45pm every week; see Mrs Rowlands for details.

 

Criminology/Sociology

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

 

Drama

 

Mr Withers is running Drama rehearsals on Thursdays 

 

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.

 

Geography

 

Homework tasks/additional reading are on Google Classroom/ Class Charts. 

 

Pop and see Miss Tomley for support; she has most time on a Tuesday. 

 

Maths

 

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

 

Medical Science and Biology

 

Mrs Collier is running catch up/revision session for Biology and Medical Science for Yr 12 and any year 13 students who are resitting Units, on Thursday's after school from 2.45 to 3.45pm. 

 

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. 

• Cardiff Bursaries

• Cardiff Scholarships

• Nottingham - medicine, engineering, social science

• Bristol Bursaries

• Birmingham 

• Swansea - academic excellence bursaries

• BANGOR MERIT AND ENTRANCE SCHOLARSHIPS

 

• 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? 

 

Upcoming Opportunities/Events

 

 

University of Reading has a talk focused on Student Finance Wales: How it works & when to apply. Register here.

There’s a Summer Camp USA Virtual Info Session for 2023 with BUNAC & USIT. For anyone interested in working abroad this Summer it might be worth having a look. They are looking for lifeguards, tennis coaches, sailing instructors and anyone with an interest in gymnastics, arts & crafts, archery, horse-riding and lots more outdoor activities in 2023.Find out everything you need to know about the Summer Camp USA Program and how you can secure a place by joining their virtual info session here. Closing date is this week.

South Wales Police Apprenticeships – TO START SEPT 2023   -  Application Closing Date 30th March   Apprenticeship Opportunities | South Wales Police (south-wales.police.uk) South Wales Police are delighted to announce the following Police Staff opportunities as part of our 2023-2025 apprenticeship programme: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Apprentice Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Apprentice Customer Services Assistant Apprentice (Helpdesk) Learning and Development (L&D) Apprentice Human Resources (HR) Apprentice Procurement and Commercial Apprentice We are hosting an online session specific for the apprenticeship application form. Anyone who is looking to apply to the South Wales Police Apprenticeship programme is welcome to #JoinUs. You can sign up to this event here.

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; March’s lectures include: Professor John Mullan will be looking at Historical Fiction and why Georgette Heyer is so undervalued; Professor Myles Allen will examine the Carbon Cycle Behind Net Zero, Professor Leslie Thomas KC asks, Does the Adversarial System Serve Us Well? and IT Professor Victoria Baines will look at Defeating Digital Viruses: Lessons from the Pandemic.  Professor Robin May will look at the fascinating ways that Microbes Manipulate Life - which may even make us want to re-evaluate the concept of free will. Professor Katherine Blundell will be speaking on The End of Life on Earth. Finally Professor Marina Frolova-Walker will discuss Famous Chords. They have the first lectures in a new series on archaeology, a series on engineering, and an art history series.  For other lectures which are at undergraduate level use the link here.

 

Universities

The key focus for most of you now will be on deciding on your firm and insurance choice. Attend Open Days, go to Offer Holders Days and generally do your research.

Here’s a helpful guide to the things you might be worrying about and some tips on how to get  University Ready. 

 

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. 

 

USW have a range of opportunities coming up, please check their website for information. 

 

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,

 

Apprenticeships/Degree Apprenticeships

 

Information from Careers Wales: https://careerswales.gov.wales/apprenticeships/employers-who-offer-apprenticeships

Willis Construction is an expanding organisation with new opportunities arising all the time. They have opportunities for Apprenticeships and Trainees: Training Opportunities - Willis Construction If you would like to register your interest please send an expression of interest or a CV to mail@willisconstruction.co.uk

Renishaw has a great opportunity for those looking for apprenticeships at all levels in STEM based subjects.  The talks will also discuss possible work experience opportunities. Here’s the link: Renishaw

Amey PLC  is a leading infrastructure services and engineering company who have a range of opportunities available: Amey: Degree Apprenticeships (office.com) Earn while you learn, gain recognised qualifications, and excel in your career (amey.co.uk) Higher level Apprenticeship Programme; you may need up to 3 A-Levels (or equivalent) at Grades A*-C to apply for the Higher Apprenticeship Programmes

Network 75 offers a range of apprenticeship opportunities as well; use the link here: Network 75

GE Aviation Engineering Apprentice, Wales  The GE Wales Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeship is a three-year programme that provides all the skills an individual would need to kickstart their career in aerospace.   GE Aviation Business Apprentice, Wales  Run in partnership with Coleg y Cymoedd, it’s an opportunity to join a well-established, global aviation company that prides itself on offering career opportunities for talented individuals.

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:

• Young Minds 

• Young Minds - muslim mental health campaign 

• Young British Muslims talk Mental Health

• Mental Health Wales

• Mind 

• TogetherAll

• Papyrus

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