Preparing for Life in Merchants' Sixth Form and Beyond

Merchant Taylors’ prides itself on the number of successful applications by our students for competitive courses at red brick or Russell Group Universities Our leavers head to top universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester and the LSE in the pursuit of a career in Medicine, Law, and Architecture, to name a few vocational courses, as well as Economics, English, Physics and so on. Preparation for such courses cannot wait until one’s Sixth Form years so it is essential that the boys have a foundation upon which to build from an early stage in their school career and that they go on to develop the key skills essential to have an edge compared to other applicants.

Medicine and Law

During the Middle School years, a number of Medical Taster Days are arranged for those students who feel they would be interested in Medicine. This allows students to question current doctors and those in training, develop interview skills and learn basic skills such as CPR and diagnosis. This is crucial for our boys as it helps confirm that this is the career choice for them. Similarly, boys can attend a Pathways to Law workshop to gain experience of a career in that field.

The well-known name of Merchant Taylors’ has allowed us to secure work experience placements at local hospitals – Arrowe Park, Southport and Clatterbridge to name a few. This allows students a first-hand experience that will make a lasting impression; some of our students refer to situations that happened on placement in their medical interview. Once a student has received the offer of an interview for a university place, we will arrange a series of mock interviews and workshops so that he is well- prepared and acquits himself to the best of his ability.

UCAS application

We offer a personalised and extremely supportive UCAS service to all our Sixth Form boys; form tutors are subject specialists, as are Heads of Department, and both are available to offer advice and help. We hold a UCAS Induction Day for the Lower Sixth in the summer term to start the university application process, and continue to hold weekly sessions as they progress, offering expert help and advice through this important time in their school career

Unifrog

Unifrog is a platform the boys will use to help them find and compare university courses and institutions

Starting in Year 11, our students can begin to compare and rank undergraduate degree courses nationwide

We believe that starting this process early raises our students’ aspirations and allows them to make more informed choices. It also ensures that they do not limit themselves by making A Level subject choices that would not be best suited to certain degrees. This platform continues to provide guidance as boys begin to write their UCAS statement