The Flagpole

Congratulations to all the Upper Sixth students who have received university offers so far; they are still coming in thick and fast.

It can be a confusing time; deciding when to reply to offers and which one(s) to accept can be daunting, so below are some points to bear in mind:

When to reply to your offers

o   The deadline for replying to offers is 1 May 2019 if you received all of your offers by 31 March 2019 – this will be most students.

o   Don’t feel pressured to reply to offers before you are certain – universities might put pressure on to reply early, citing accommodation choices as the reason, but make sure you are really sure before you decide. There will still be good accommodation available.

Insurance choice

o   It is not essential to have an insurance choice

o   If you do opt for an insurance choice then make sure it has a lower offer than your firm choice – otherwise it isn’t an insurance choice.

o   Only choose one if you are sure you would be happy to go there – if not, then on results day, if you miss your firm offer, you will be obliged to accept your insurance choice or wait for the university to release you before you can enter clearing. This means that you might miss out on places available in clearing while you are waiting.

o   An alternative to having an insurance choice is to use clearing if you miss your firm offer.

Unconditional offers

o   Receiving an unconditional offer can be a great boost but can also cause great uncertainty. An unconditional offer that is dependent upon you choosing that university as your firm choice can create a real dilemma as it might not be a university that you were previously all that keen on.

o   Remember that unconditional offers are being used by universities as a marketing ploy; they are keen to get students to accept firm offers asap.

o   Remember the reasons why you liked the universities in the first place; don’t choose a course just because they have made you an unconditional offer.

o   Straightforward unconditional offers (i.e. those that don’t rely on the offer being the firm choice) can be used as an insurance choice.

Please contact me for any queries or advice about replying to offers.

Jacqui Quinney
Head of Careers

Please follow the link here to find out more about some exciting opportunities for Lower Sixth students studying science subjects – be aware the deadline for applications is 1 February 2019.

Work Experience Placements at Princethorpe College, as part of our Careers programme, take place at the end of Year 11.  We believe that all pupils can gain immeasurable benefits from their placements; not only can a good placement teach a pupil a lot about an area of work that he or she may be interested in, but it can also develop communication skills, self-confidence, initiative and teamwork.

Many thanks to all Year 11 parents for helping your son/daughter to find a work placement. These can be done at any time after the last GCSE exams, at any point in the summer holidays to fit in with family plans. We normally expect at least one week, although historically we have had many undertake more than this, often in more than one placement. Such experience is invaluable for considering a future career path, getting used to the world of work, and for references.

So that I can complete the necessary paperwork, possible references and so on, I'd be grateful if you could you let me know the company name and contact details, for the placement(s) you have arranged either by return of the slip attached to the letter sent to you in June, or by email to me at miketaylor@princethorpe.co.uk.

If you need a hard copy of the original letter, please could you ask your son or daughter to ask me for one at school.

Mike Taylor
Work Experience Co-ordinator