Post 16 student receives prestigious award

Orla Welby 

Year 13

Post 16 studies is delighted to announce that Orla has now received an additional National award. She is now recognised as  'The South-East Region, Young Volunteer of the Year 2013'

This is a prestigious accolade for the 300+ hours of sport volunteering that Orla has completed. She is a fantastic sporting ambassador as well as being an outstanding role model for others; not just in Oxfordshire but now nationally.

UCAS PROCESS BEGINS

Year 13 students begin the UCAS Process

The applications for UCAS have now begun and today we sent off the first 5 completed applications

Students are applying for a range of courses including:

Oxbridge entrance

English Literature

Veterinary Science

Medicine 

Bio Medicine

Physics

Chemistry

This is a very exciting time for the Year 13 students as they are busy writing personal statements and I have been impressed by the diligence and focus the students are showing as well as the breadth of work experience and extra-curricular activities they are involved in.

 It is amazing to think how quickly this academic year is passing. Last year's students are all now commencing their university courses and our current students are ambitious to join them!

GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF THE STUDENTS WITH THEIR APPLICATIONS

SCHOOL OPEN EVENING

Last night Post 16 students impressed parents of Year 6 prospective students.

Post 16 students acted as tour guides for Year 6 families and impressed with their maturity and helpfulness to families. As a consequence they were fantastic ambassadors for the school and impressive role models. 

Post 16 students also helped staff in departments to welcome Year 6 students and to showcase much of the excellent work that happens in this school. 

There was drama performances in the post 16 centre, dissection / experiments in Biology, Engineering and design for a race car seat, as well as explosive experiments in Chemistry to name a few!!

I was extremely proud of the Post 16 students. Their presence in this school enriches the whole community and I would like to thank all of them for their commitment, time and support of the school.

Year 13 Student wins prestigious award!!

CHERWELL SPORTS AWARDS 2013

Orla Welby of Year 13 has won the prestigious title of 'VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR' at the recent Cherwell Sports award.

To achieve this accolade, Orla has significantly impressed staff  in Oxfordshire with her outstanding commitment to supporting others in sport through volunteering at a variety of sporting events. This has entailed tremendous commitment from Orla ; above and beyond anything that would be expected from anyone.

In the past 2 years, Orla he has volunteered in sporting events for over 300 hours. 

She has been team manager for U15 boys at Bicester athletics club who were Oxfordshire sporting champions two years in a row. She has also attended the National Young Coaching Academy and is hoping to go again next year as a mentor. She has supported and volunteered for football, netball, hockey, tag ruby, athletics and rounders.

She is a fantastic role model to others in this school and we are tremendously proud of her. She is intending to become either a PE teacher or a sporting coach - her career in this field will be outstanding.

She would like to personally thank Mr Andrew Brown, Head of PE at The Cooper School for his support and also for nominating her.

REBECCA MATTINGLEY - YEAR 12 - RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

Rebecca Mattingley, Year 12,  has been awarded the prestigious award of 'Student of the Year 2013' at the graduation ceremony for the OXFORD YOUNG AMBASSADORS programme.

In Year 9 Rebecca was selected by Oxford University to participate in a 3 year programme. This has included mentoring from university staff and students, study skills workshops and residentials at Oxford University. 

She was selected as the top student for her perseverance, dedication, commitment and excellent GCSE results.

KS5 Explained - Tuesday 10th September

KS5 Evening

This week we welcomed over 110 Year 12 students with their parent/s to post 16 studies. It was a very busy evening devoted to outlining to parents the expectations of Post 16 study as well as giving information and advice about the best way to be successful at KS5.  I would like to thank everyone for their attendance and for the Post 16 tutor team for their continued support of the students

At Post 16 our stated aims are to support our students to achieve the best qualifications they can, offer a broad range of enrichment opportunities and to ensure that work experience is included.

Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award

Sam Sykes, DofE expeditions, came to the evening to outline to the students the opportunities and challenges of the gold award. He said that a recent survey of the top 100 employers ranked the following as the 3  most important qualities they look for in potential applicants:
1. Qualifications
2. Work Experience
3. Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award

It is good to know that our stated aims are mirrored by future employers and that we are right to focus on developing study skills as well as enrichment and work experience.

NEW YEAR COMMENCES

2013-14 Academic cycle begins

Congratulations to all new and returning Post 16 students on a fantastic set of GCSE and AS level results. Students should be very proud of their achievements and should start the new year confident and determined to build on this success.

YEAR 12

The new Year 12 commenced their studies this week. We have 116 students joining Post16 studies - some have come to us from as far afield as Iceland! The students are settling into the the building and their lessons and as I look across the cafeteria from my office I can see students working, discussing, planning their work and there is a very healthy productive buzz in the centre.

YEAR 13

Year 13 have also returned and I have already received my first UCAS personal statements to read. Both Adam Sapnik and Megan Greenway have impressed me by being the first students this year to have written their statements, chosen their courses and selected the institutes they would like to attend. I look forward to the next cycle of UCAS applications.

So another academic year commences with the new challenges of Post 16 study and all the opportunities that it will bring for all of us. I look forward to all of it and wish all the students and staff good luck.