The Flagpole

Students should be busy using Unifrog to search for university courses, create shortlists and record their key competencies in readiness for making applications to UCAS next term. All students will be offered a one-to-one meeting with me this term and then myself and the Sixth Form team will guide them through the process of application. Further advice on personal statements will follow after exam week but they can be started at any time – drafts should be written in the Personal Statement tool in Unifrog.

Tips:
• Open Days are mostly in June and July – these should be booked now.
• Make sure you follow the link on Unifrog shortlists to the course pages and check the details of the courses – not all courses are the same.
• Check out the Careers, Subject and Know-how libraries on Unifrog for information on different careers, help with choosing which subject to study and a wealth of videos on various aspects of the process.
• The UCAS website is also a wealth of information and has a specific page for parents.  Click here to access it. 
• Any parents who wish to use Unifrog themselves can set up their own login by visiting the site here and entering the Form Code ‘princethorpeparent’.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by email.

Jacqui Quinney
Head of Careers
UCAS Co-ordinator

It is time for students to think about applying for 2018/19 student finance.

Students starting a full-time course at university or college in 2018/19 can apply now for their finance online at the Student Finance England website by following the steps below: 

• Set up a student finance online account.
• Log in and complete the online application.
• Include details of your household income and get your parents to support your application, if needed.
• Send in proof of identity, if needed.
• Sign and return the loan declaration, which you should receive within 6 weeks.

You should apply as soon as you have decided on your firm and insurance courses to make sure your money is in place at the start of your course. It's quick and easy and you don't have to have a confirmed place - you should use your first choice for the application and change it online at a later date if you need to. Do not wait for your exam results before you apply - it will be too late!

Click here to be taken to the Student Finance England website to start your application.

Jacqui Quinney
Head of Careers, UCAS Co-ordinator 

The careers team are keen to involve parents as much as possible in assisting with the decisions your children will be making when choosing a career and their next step. As such, I will be passing on information that might be useful to you.

Please see the articles below for information regarding the following:

• University of London - King's College Taster Courses
• National Healthcare Careers Weekend
• SOAS University of London (School of Oriental and African Studies) Taster Courses
• French Studies and International Politics Taster Courses by the University of London Institute in Paris
• Brightbulb - Creative Internship Scheme

Job opportunity - Do you have the talent and the dedication for a career in television? If so, I have details of a company looking for an Entertainment Runner.

The job involves working with the Entertainment team to ensure effective day-to-day support across all aspects of the team. 

They are looking for someone who is proactive, responsible and reliable with strong organisational and communication skills. You will need a willingness to undertake a huge variety of jobs and be able to adapt to ever changing priorities. A genuine interest in the genre is essential and strong computer skills and technical knowhow are advantageous.

Please email or come and see me in G10a for more information. 

Jacqui Quinney
Head of Careers and UCAS Co-ordinator

King's College London has just announced taster courses in Accounting & Finance, Comparative Literature, Digital Culture and Film Studies to add to their series of taster courses this June.

All their taster courses are free to attend and it is recommended you apply as soon as possible as places are limited.

To find out more about any of the taster courses at King's College London and to apply please click here.  You can also search and apply to all the taster courses on the University Taster Course Programme website.

The National Healthcare Weekend on 14 and 15 July 2018 is taking place in London, at the University of East London, Stratford.

Over two hundred healthcare professionals form across the UK will be volunteering to present and network with students who are interested in:

• Medicine
• Veterinary Medicine
• Dentistry

These conferences provide a valuable opportunity for pupils to network with a variety of healthcare professions, learn about work experience opportunities and how to make a successful application.

Registration is £25 for pupils on the Saturday conferences and there is an optional UCAS lecture available on Sunday for each specialty.  Please note that these events are likely to fill up quickly.

Pupils can register on the Medic Mentor website and find out more about events here.

All proceeds from the weekend will be used to support UK's healthcare students with scholarships, elective bursaries, free training and educational initiatives.

SOAS University of London (School of Oriental and African Studies) uniquely combines language scholarship, disciplinary expertise and regional focus.  It has the largest concentration in Europe of academic staff concerned with Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

This summer SOAS University of London is running the taster courses for Sixth Form students to allow them to explore their range of undergraduate courses.

All their taster courses are free to attend and it is recommended you apply as soon as possible as places are limited. To find out more and to apply, just click here.

The University of London Institute in Paris is a small institution located in the heart of the French capital and offer the opportunity for students to gain a wealth of knowledge by living and studying abroad with the reassurance of a UK University.

What can students study at the University of London Institute in Paris (ULIP), and how are classes taught? Students are invited to attend their free Taster Courses taking place on Thursday 21 June in London, where they will have the chance to experience ULIP classes.

This year, in addition to their long-established BA French Studies programmes, they will also be offering a taster course for their new BA International Politics programmes in partnership with Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).

To find out more and to apply, just click here.

Endemol Shine are looking for people who love television and are capable of coming up with a broad range of new and exciting TV shows. They're running Brightbulb, a creative intern scheme designed to give some of the brightest and best a chance to get into TV ideas development. Your job will be to come up with brilliant new format ideas for TV.

Their interns work in a fun, creative and diverse environment with excellent, experienced support to guide them through their first role in the TV industry.

They welcome applications from people of all ages, experience and social backgrounds and are looking for creative minds to join their team at their offices in West London. This internship is initially a full-time three month contract, with eight successful applicants starting 17 September 2018. You will be based in either Remarkable Television or Initial TV. The internship is a paid position at a rate of £400 a week.

For further details click here.

Can I  ask parents of Year 11 pupils, who have not already done so, to please let me know where their son/daughter is going for their work experience placement. Please provide the company name and contact details, for the placement(s) you have arranged by email to miketaylor@princethorpe.co.uk. 

Mike Taylor
Work Experience Co-ordinator