Our Upper Sixth Form students are celebrating an impressive number of university offers from the 2020-21 admissions process. Five students have been offered Oxbridge places, to study Computer Science, Law, Modern Foreign Languages, Natural Sciences, and Mathematics. This is an exceptional achievement for these individuals, who have successfully continued their academic studies during lockdown to meet the rigorous entry requirements for two of the world’s leading universities.

To date (with several interviews pending), a further 170 offers have been received from Russell Group universities, including 20 from Exeter, 19 from Nottingham and 15 from Durham. The range of subjects applied for overall is diverse. Kimbolton students have received 20 offers to read law, 18 to read engineering, and 10 to study medicine. Others include philosophy, psychology, architecture, Spanish, mental health nursing, history, and criminology.

A career in law beckons for Craig, 17, who has been offered a place to study the subject at New College, Oxford. He is taking A Levels in English Literature, Economics and Geography, and recently achieved an A grade in his Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).  He says: “University applications at Kimbolton are very much a team effort and throughout the process I felt supported by the opportunities for self-enrichment that were constantly presented to me. The Perspectives group was a brilliant way to prepare for interview as well as the weekly preparation sessions with teachers that allowed me to expand on my legal and philosophical understanding greatly! The ‘Saturday surgeries’ were invaluable in helping me to fine-tune my personal statement. Overall, I could not have secured this offer without the support of my teachers, family and friends.” 

Our team of six university advisers, led by Head of Careers Mrs Alison Bates, offers individual support to Sixth Form students. All receive advice on personal statements and applications, as well as support with interview preparation. Mrs Bates says: “We encourage all of our pupils to look ahead and be in a position to make good, informed choices about their futures. All Lower Sixth Formers are allocated to a University Adviser, who supervises their UCAS application, while time is set aside in Citizenship during the summer term for an ‘Introduction to University’ programme, and students are encouraged to research their options for Higher Education and life after school. Over 90% of our Upper Sixth Form students go on to their first-choice university, some after a gap year, while a few take up apprenticeships or go straight into employment. We have excellent resources in the Careers Room in the Castle, which is open to pupils at all times.”

• Kimbolton Sixth Form Prospectus