Aiming High
Our Higher Education Support
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Your Higher Education through St Dunstan’s YEAR 11 Prior to making their A Level choices, students receive guidance about the profile of subjects needed to best prepare for their desired university course. The Choices Evening in December gives students and parents a forum to discuss aspirations with subject leaders and formulate how best to access these. Tutors give one-to-one time to help students comprehensively understand what they are aiming for. Year 11 students have the opportunity to take part in a visit to either Oxford or Cambridge University. Led by our Oxbridge Mentors, students experience undergraduate-style lectures to understand Oxbridge academic expectations. They visit different Colleges, comparing, for instance, their accommodation, culture, and the academic interests of their fellows. Throughout the year, students attend the Opening Minds talks, to which parents are also warmly invited. This lecture series, led by a variety of industry specialists, gives detailed insights into career trajectories and how their professions might evolve over the coming years.
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YEAR 12 MICHAELMAS The Academic Union Supported by the Oxbridge Mentors and Head of Sixth Form, the Academic Union is a programme of student-led seminar discussions focusing on thoughtprovoking topics. Throughout the programme, students are encouraged to think out loud, answer difficult questions, and be open to new perspectives; through this they gain confidence in their public speaking skills and ability to effectively explain their thought processes to a wider audience. Students are mentored to present to the group on a topic of their choosing and receive individualised guidance from subject experts. Some examples of previous topics which have been explored include: • • •
Could an AI attain consciousness and, if so, what rights would it have? Should poetry be difficult to understand? How far does populism affect our politicians?
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Our Futures Pathways 1. Our Oxbridge Preparation Series During Lent of Year 12 our Oxbridge Mentors lead a weekly course to develop students’ understanding of the pathway to Oxford or Cambridge. This includes the particulars of the courses on offer, the College system, and the application process. In parallel, students collaborate to explore their subject interests through wider reading and activities which sharpen their picture of what university courses entail. The Oxbridge colleges and their entry statistics are looked at in detail during this period. Students are supported to make an optimal choice of college and subject, considering likelihood of admission in addition to qualities of social and academic life. By Trinity of Year 12, the preparation series spurs students’ further reading, lectures, and projects, to ensure they stand out above other applicants in their subject. Students analyse past interview questions and also report on what they have read, written, or created that week, in order to foster a high level of academic reading and oracy throughout the group. Most Oxbridge courses set additional admissions tests. Students begin preparing for these in earnest, firstly by seeing
modelled examples, and then by completing past tests which are marked with detailed feedback by the Oxbridge lead in each department. As well as the application guidance from the Oxbridge Mentors, each student has a subject-specific mentor to ensure that their personal statement credibly conveys both aptitude and love for their subject. Applicants are sent into the summer break with an Oxbridge Summer Passport, a comprehensive and individualised plan of actions to complete, launching them purposefully into the final intensive preparation period to maximise their chances of success.
Oxbridge Choral Scholarships Students who are members of the Chapel Choir are supported in their applications for Choral Scholarships at Oxbridge colleges and other leading universities. Preparation is provided by rehearsing the challenging repertoire that the choir sings and providing support for the audition process such as selecting appropriate repertoire. Those students applying for choral scholarships also receive a weekly support session to practise key skills required in the assessment process, such as sight-singing, development of vocal stamina and rehearsing of audition repertoire. Additional support is provided by the Singing Visiting Music Teachers at the College.
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2. Our Galen Medicine Course Medics, Dentists & Vets Preparation Seminar Series
In Lent, Year 12 students embark on a programme of teacher led seminars designed to prepare them for their application to study their desired course. The seminars explore the variety of degrees available, and how students can reach their goal of studying and working in those fields. The programme includes discussions on topics such as: medical ethics and science in medicine, and covers the most up-to-date issues affecting each field, for example vaccine hesitancy and the mental health crisis within the NHS. These discussions are designed to support students with their preparation for answering topic-specific questions at interview. The College draws upon its extensive network of practising and trainee doctors, vets, and dentists as well as medical students, at this stage to give students a detailed insight into what being at medical school and working in a day-today healthcare related career is like. Speakers this year have included Old Dunstonians, a Year 1 medic at Brighton and Sussex University and Year 2 medic at Buckingham University and Dr Ashley Hilton from FutureDoc. During Trinity of Year 12, the same network of professionals is
used to find a suitable work experience placement for students, which is a vital aspect of the application. At this stage of the year, students undergo rigorous preparation for the entrance tests (BMAT and UCAT) both as a teacher-led programme but also through guided independent study, and finally by visiting specialists. They also receive advice on their personal statement with guidance to ensure they have a first draft written before the summer break.
The Medical Society (MedSoc)
Students hone their leadership and communication skills by becoming a member of the weekly MedSoc Forder Club which is aimed at students in Years 10 to 12. The Club, which is led by a team of Year 12 and 13 students whose leadership is guided by the Head of Science. This involves a comprehensive programme of discussions on topics such as: • • •
What careers are there in healthcare? What type of person is suited to being a doctor/vet/ dentist? Medical ethics and case studies such as Henrietta Lacks.
MedSoc membership provides opportunities to enable students to build a well-rounded and outstanding application, such as First Aid Training and the chance to meet and collaborate with student medics, dentists, and vets. During STEM Week students take part in the Invisible Warrior Workshop run by the team at Imperial College London, which educates students on Sickle Cell Anaemia.
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3. Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) •
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Economics students in Year 12 delve into two academic books that provide them with essentialliterary references to include in their personal statements. Our weekly Economics Society offers students a platform to engage in discussions about current economic events. Additionally, through participation in our Keynes club, students analyse divergent schools of thought within the discipline, fostering critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of the subject. Students take a leading role as editors of the College’s Religion and Theology magazine, Telos. Through this, they build the ability to articulate their understanding and opinions of philosophical ideas, which also leads to opportunities for debate. Students can opt into the PPE Forder Club run by our RPE department. Activities include analysing source texts from a variety of scholars, understanding how to read philosophy, as well as discussing topics such as business ethics and social philosophy. Students take part in the Politics Society, garnering a deep understanding of how institutions work, and run mock elections and hustings. Alongside this they take a leading role in the College Parliament, being a student representative to the staff and enacting the wishes of the student body. Senior Philosophy Society starts as a discussion group of philosophical ideas, having students debate and articulate on the spot, as they will have to in interviews. Then it covers many source texts such as Descartes’ Meditations and Joh Rawls’ Veil of Ignorance, academically analysing these. Students undergo the preparations for the TSA (Thinking Skills Assessment),
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with a rigorous eight-week course led by the College’s Head of RPE and the Oxbridge Mentor (STEM). This course teaches how to tackle the problem-solving sections and written tasks within exam papers, culminating with opportunities to complete past papers and receive marked and detailed feedback.
4. Law •
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The College runs a lively and popular Debating Society which law applicants are expected to lead to practice their public speaking skills, rhetoric, and ability to argue a case. Advice from our trained debating coaches is given throughout. Those hoping to study Law at university are supported in finding work experience via the College’s extensive Alumni network either at a law firm or by way of a court visit. Students have found visiting law firms vital in cementing their desire to work in the field. Those students preparing for the LNAT assessment, participate in one-to-one sessions and weekly small group meetings with our Assistant Head (Academic), who is herself a former corporate lawyer. These sessions go through model answers and give students the opportunity to complete practice papers which are then marked with detailed feedback.
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5. Engineering •
Students are guided by a subject expert through a Physics or Engineering project of their choosing. In past projects, students have written Python code for the International Space Design and used the actual data from the Large Hadron Collider to find the Higgs Boson themselves.
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The Further Physics course begins by covering undergraduate-level aspects of Physics and Engineering; this goes beyond the A Level specification and includes structural mechanics as well as the introduction of calculus into the Physics content.
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Students begin intensive practice of the Physics Aptitude Test (admissions test for Oxford Engineering) and ENGAA (Cambridge Engineering admissions test) led by two teachers who are Cambridge graduates, giving modelling of how to approach the questions. Students also get the chance to complete practice papers and receive marked feedback.
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Year 13 Our Intensive Preparation Programme Following a one-to-one Personal Statement consultation with the Head of Year 13 at the start of term, all the Futures Pathways support students in the following ways as they begin to complete their application, revise for the November admissions tests, and prepare for the interview process: • • • • •
Weekly personal statement progress checks. Support from a subject expert teacher. Mock admissions tests. Model interviews. Internal and external mock interviews.
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Year 13 Our Creative Futures Programme Art Foundation Students wanting to go on to study Art Foundation are nurtured by the Art Department and guided on which are the most suitable art schools for them to apply to. Through Year 12 they will study a broad range of media, techniques and concepts
providing a strong grounding of skills and understanding. In Year 13 students will complete one sustained project demonstrating a more rigorous interrogation of a chosen concept. We have the facilities and expertise to accommodate ceramics, print making, performance, digital art and much more. Work from both years, including sketchbooks, then form their portfolio which is the main element of their art school application. The Head of Art organises practicing artists to visit the College for students to have workshops with, on top of termly guided gallery visits and Life Drawing sessions. Students and their parents receive a one-to-one meeting with the Head of Art to discuss how to access the top art schools, so parents are informed on the whole process. During Year 12 Trinity and Year 13 Michaelmas term students receive personal statement guidance, thorough portfolio scrutiny, practice interviews and a programme of tailored work to ensure they are meeting the requirements of their chosen institutions.
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Drama School Drama at the College offers an opportunity for all students to find their identity and purpose within the world they live. This is particularly evident within the Sixth form offering. From an academic perspective, Year 12 students are exposed to a diverse variety of theatrical forms and theatre practitioners throughout their two years of study; from the contemporary adaptions of visual technology crafted by Katie Mitchell to the physical nuances of Pina Bausch and the immersive subconscious of Antonin Artaud, students are challenged to create theatre that educates in as much as it entertains, thus offering parallels to the professional world and encouraging considerations for further study. To supplement their understanding, the department actively seeks out diverse partnerships that represent the ever-changing face of modern theatre practice, with ‘Created a Monster’ Theatre Company, Frantic Assembly and PunchDrunk being but a few of the collaborations that students have been privy to over the last few years. In order that the work of these professional groups is understood and given context beyond the realms of the classroom, we also offer an extensive programme of theatrical experiences, including international trips, theatre shows and fringe festival entries.
Before further study or professional application to the field can be considered, we facilitate projects that allow students to explore the diverse range of roles that exist in the industry, whether that be as a Director, Choreographer, Producer or Stage Manager. Students are guided to which Drama school will have a course that uniquely suits by our Drama department who are experienced actors and producers. We are also fortunate to have relationships with many industry professionals who act as mentors to students wishing to pursue further study or careers in the arts. As their auditions approach in Year 13, students are given weekly one-to-one direction on their audition pieces.
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Other competitive courses Other degree options are catered for on a bespoke basis to ensure the correct structures are in place to enable students to build a confident application, succeed at entrance examinations, and enter interviews confidently.
Music Conservatoirs The Music Department offers a bespoke support programme for those students wishing to study performance in their instrument or specialise in composition at a conservatoire.
Composers likewise work to create a portfolio of at least two contrasting compositions, totalling a minimum of 6 minutes.
In addition to having access to our extensive programme of cocurricular music, students are provided with mentoring by the Director of Music and their visiting music teacher in preparing suitable repertoire for audition. Many students and scholars are also actively encouraged to audition for junior conservatoires such as Guildhall and Trinity Laban, which run on Saturdays in London.
Throughout the first term of Year 13, students receive weekly meetings to prepare them for upcoming auditions and interviews, including a mock audition.
Those students interested in the performance route will receive weekly performance lessons as part of their A Level course, in which they develop an 8-minute recital that demonstrates stylistic range and varied technical requirements.
The Music department has a strong track record of preparing students for conservatoire, with recent successes including a scholarship offer for Jazz at Trinity Laban, Violin at Guildhall and Voice at the Royal Academy of Music.
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Careers Mentors The College is lucky enough to have Careers Mentors visit every term. Students can meet with these professionals each time to receive specific and personalised advice on how to access their career pathway. The mentor gives specific targets and tasks
for the student to complete over the next term. Students meet the mentor throughout their whole time at the College to build a rapport and get continual feedback on their completion and progression through the targets set.
Futures Provision over the Sixth Form Timeline
Michaelmas
Lent
Trinity
Year 12
The Academic Union Competitive Pathways Series begins Consultation Week PPE UCAS 1 Event: Law Informing Parents and Engineering Beginning the Application
Year 13
Our Intensive Preparation Programme • Weekly personal statement progress checks • Support from a subject expert teacher • Mock entrance exams • Model interviews • Internal and external mock interviews
University interviews and support
Entrance Exam Preparations Personal Statement Guidance - HAT - PAT - BMAT - TSA - UKCAT
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Meet Our Aiming High Team Director of Futures
Ms Redding studied Classics at St John’s College, Oxford, before starting her career in education in pastoral care and subsequently training as an English teacher. She has extensive experience guiding students through applying to university, including overseeing the Oxbridge application process for a wide range of subjects and preparation for the TSA, LNAT and other admissions tests. Ms Redding has also assisted students in securing placements in other highly competitive courses including veterinary science, dentistry, and medicine, for which she has guided students through interview and BMAT/UCAT preparation. She has experience giving advice about a range of post-secondary options, enabling students to make informed decisions tailored to their individual aspirations, including selecting and applying for prestigious apprenticeships with top employers across the UK.
Oxbridge Mentor (STEM)
Dr Currie, our Oxbridge Mentor (STEM), studied Natural Sciences at Trinity College, Cambridge including an exchange year at MIT. He completed a PhD in Particle Physics at Imperial, followed by several years of postdoctoral work building and running underground detectors to search
for galactic dark matter. Dr Currie has taught and mentored many undergraduate and postgraduate students, specialising in statistical and computational problems in experimental physics.
Oxbridge Mentor (Humanities, Languages & Arts)
Miss Tournes read English Language and Literature at Christ Church, University of Oxford, specialising in Shakespeare and Early Modern Drama for most of her final year. At university she took on the voluntary role of Admissions Subject Representative, mentoring A Level students through each stage of their Oxford applications. Miss Tournes has comprehensive, recent experience of the Oxbridge Admissions process: as a prospective undergraduate herself, as a voluntary facilitator for the University of Oxford, and as a Teacher of English who has mentored students through every stage of their Oxbridge application journey, across a wide range of subjects.
Head of Science
The Medic, Dentists and Vets programme is co-ordinated by Mrs Goakes who is Chair of Science and Head of Physics. Mrs Goakes read Structural and Environmental Engineering at UCL and then achieved a Masters in Educational Leadership at Kings College London. She has particular expertise in Public Health and Medical
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Physics and enjoys the interdisciplinary nature of Science. In 2018 she won an Institute of Physics Award for Outstanding Teaching and can teach across the three Science subjects, including at the Primary Science level. She is particularly experienced at encouraging pupils to develop their problem solving skills and to think on their feet when asked challenging questions at interview.
Assistant Head Academic
Miss Riddle studied History at Hatfield College, Durham, before completing an LLB at the College of Law in London. Following a successful career in corporate law working at international firms based in London and Prague, Miss Riddle returned to the study of History, completing an MA at King’s College, London. She has extensive experience mentoring students through the Oxbridge admissions process for a broad range of subjects, as well as supporting preparation for the LNAT for entrance to numerous universities. She can offer guidance to support students in developing the critical thinking and problem solving skills required for success in Law applications. She also has experience supporting students who wish to apply to the top American universities.
Deputy Head Academic
Mr Holmes studied Medieval and Modern Languages (German and Portuguese) at the Wadham College, Oxford, where he was also a Choral Scholar. During his Year Abroad, Mr Holmes spent time in Angola, Portugal, and Brazil, as well as being employed
as an English Language Assistant at a German Grammar School for 9 months. After finishing his Oxford degree, Mr Holmes undertook a second BA at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, studying Theology and Philosophy as an Exhibitioner Scholar. Mr Holmes has extensive experience mentoring students through the Oxbridge admissions process, and has taught RPE, MFL, and Psychology at St Dunstan’s over the past years.
Sixth Form Tutor Team
Through both Year 12 and 13, students have a specialist Sixth Form tutor chosen for their understanding and experience of the UCAS process. This person oversees each student’s progression throughout the application process, and supports the writing of their personal statement and references.
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