St Leonard's

The process of applying for university or apprenticeships is a complex one, but this is an area in which we can make sure you excel. We have recently been identified as the best  school in the North East for successful applications to Oxford and Cambridge, partly through the support we can offer every step of the way, from initial research into courses and colleges to interview workshops with specialist academics, but more for our teaching that goes above and beyond the specification, instilling students with the sense of intellectual curiosity for which universities are seeking. 

We recognise that getting into the top university is less important than getting into the right university for you as an individual, so we tailor our advice for you with a holistic approach, taking your needs and interest into account to shape a future that fits you.  Similarly we take all students to the UK Apprenticeships Fair and host a wide range of employers and providers of Degree Apprenticeships, from Leeds Beckett to GSK, from Hitachi to the Bank of England.

The UCAS process begins in Year 12 when students have around 50 talks and workshops to prepare them for life beyond St Leonards, in practical as well as academic ways, such as living on a budget and students cooking and in course from Paramedic Science to Mathematics. Every months sees interaction with our fantastic local universities and we encourage students to make the most of Supported Progression schemes which can allow lower than usual offers to students who live locally or a fit certain contextual criterion. 

All students are shown step-by-step how the UCAS application process works and how to structure and develop points in their personal statement.  Apprenticeship vacancies are also now to be found on the UCAS website, and we make the most of the Early Connect  system of allocating mentors to our candidates on the Apprenticeship pathway.  We use the interactive platform Unifrog so tutors and teachers can view and comment on personal statements which will be in a new format for 2025 onwards.  Families are invited into school for workshops in personal statement planning and guidance on how to choose a university too, and interactive tools help select University Open Days to visit. 

The combined experience of our Sixth Form team means we are able to adapt flexibly to change and seize each opportunity: for an enrichment trip; an outreach day; suggested super-curricular reading.  The small sizes of our classes and tutor groups means we know you inside out, and can collaborate to write UCAS references which open doors for you, and makes sure you have predicted grades that reflect your potential.

Parental Presentation: UCAS Applications