Your time in Upper College (Years 12 and 13) is your stepping stone to Higher or Further Education and your future career. As well as supporting your academic development, we also support you in achieving your aspirations, whatever they may be.
If you are already a student at College then your thoughts about your future will have been shaped by the numerous events, workshops, talks and Morrisby career profiling that took place in Lower College. If you are joining us for the first time in Sixth Form, you will receive equal amounts of support during your time with us to discover your preferred next step after college and to achieve your goals.
How are you supported?
In Upper College, we will encourage you to become more focused. Regular one-to-one sessions, specialist career networking events, 1:1 Futures Interviews with the Head of Careers and opportunities to hear external speakers will all help in this process. Elements of our Floreat programme will also provide you with an understanding of the world of work and the skills required to ensure you are work-ready by the time you leave us.
The cornerstones of our Higher Education and Careers guidance are the expertise of our staff and our Higher Education and Careers library. Our staff are always happy to discuss your ideas and plans. Our Higher Education and Careers library is a valuable source of information whether you are considering a gap year, researching degree courses or careers, exploring universities and institutions in the UK or abroad, or looking for work-based learning opportunities such as apprenticeships or specialist colleges.
How do we help with your applications?
Applications to most UK universities follow a standard procedure and we provide full UCAS support to you throughout the process with the use of the online platform Unifrog, trained tutors, twice-weekly UCAS clinics and Futures Week at the end of the Lower Sixth during which you will take part in talks and workshops to help prepare you for your application and transition from College. At the same time, we recognise that some application processes follow a different route or have more demanding requirements.
How do we support Oxbridge and applications for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary courses?
If you are thinking of Oxford or Cambridge, we provide a specialist programme specific to your subject and a subject mentor (usually a Head of Department) to support you with your application, entrance exam and interview preparation. We also provide a tailored preparation programme if you are considering applications to medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses, or if are applying for an apprenticeship.
Applications to international universities are increasing year on year and we have a specialist member of staff to advise and help coordinate your application. This year alone our students have applied to institutions in the USA, Canada and Hong Kong.
Which universities and courses do our students progress to?
In 2023 69% of our pupils are heading on to Russell Group universities. Below shows the higher education courses our students have chosen in order of popularity over the last few years. In addition to these we have a number of students who take courses such as Art Foundation, Creative Writing, and Music at Conservatoires. In 2022 over 20 pupils applied to US and Canadian universities, gaining 37 offers and/or scholarships between them.
- Economics; Business; Finance; Accountancy
- Law; International Relations; Politics; History
- Science-related subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Natural Sciences, Medicine, Veterinary
- Social Sciences: Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, Criminology
- English; Drama; Film Studies
- Engineering
- Fashion; Textiles; Art
- Geography
Our most favoured university destinations over the last ten years are (in popularity order):
- Exeter University, Bath University, Newcastle University
- Bristol University, Cardiff University, Edinburgh University, Manchester University
- St Andrews University, Leeds University, Oxford Brookes University
- Durham University, Southampton University, Royal Agricultural University
Each year, approximately 25 pupils apply to both Oxford and Cambridge, with around four to six receiving offers. In 2023 all candidates for Oxford and Cambridge met their offers.
We are also delighted in the increasing interest in work-based learning options and applications for degree apprenticeships in particular. Recent leavers have applied to companies as diverse as JP Morgan, GCHQ, WSP, Cisco, PwC, BT and The Royal Navy.
Once students leave College, they join the Cheltonian Society, a vast network of over 10,000 Old Cheltonians (OCs) around the world through which our Leavers have secured themselves internships, work experience and even employment.