Next steps event for parents and carers of Year 12 students - Next Steps

Sep 18, 2026

Next Steps event materials for parents and carers of Year 12 students outline a structured evening covering Higher Education information talks, student finance, and how New College supports applications. The agenda includes a Next Steps Fair, an apprenticeships/employment session, and guidance on tutorial programme activities such as personal statement drafting, open day attendance, shortlisting courses, and admissions test preparation. It also details personal statement content requirements, UCAS choices and costs, grade-based course selection, and common admissions tests (e.g., TMUA/STEP, BMAT/UKCAT, LNAT) with timing during the Oct/Nov half-term break.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Event Format

Higher Education Information Talk

Next Steps Fair

Apprenticeships / Employment Information Talk

How New College Supports Applications

Tutorial programme and subject-specific encounters

Individual Guidance

Next steps for students

Personal Statement and Open Days

Shortlisting courses and Entry Requirements

Admissions Tests

Welcome Next steps event for parents and carers of Year 12 students Event Format Higher Education Information Talk – 6.00 pm • Housekeeping • Why Higher Education? Mandeep Kaur, University of Hull • Student Finance Nicola Beech, University of Hull • How New College supports students applying for HE Dan Wood, Assistant Principal Next Steps Fair – 6.45 to 7.45 pm Apprenticeships / Employment Information Talk – 7.10 pm How does New College support students applying for HE? Support so far… Tutorial programme • Advantages and disadvantages of university study • Types of universities and types of courses • Searching for universities and for courses Subject-specific encounters • Lessons with a careers and progression focus • Virtual visiting speakers • Visiting speakers Individual Guidance • Progress Tutor • 1-to-1 Careers Appointments Next steps… Tutorial programme • The application process • Writing a personal statement • Shortlisting courses We’ll be asking students to do the following between now and September: • Write the first draft of Personal Statement • Attend university open days (virtual / in person) • Narrow down their course choices • Where relevant, prepare for and practise admissions tests Personal Statement • 4000 characters • 47 lines (about 500 words) Market yourself Reasons for choosing course Work and voluntary experience Career aspirations Other interests Areas of academic interest/ strength Extracurricular / Duke of Edinburgh Skills and abilities Open Days Shortlisting courses Student can apply for up to 5 courses – the cost is £26 We recommend that students consider the grades they realistically expect to achieve at the end of Year 13 and narrow down their courses to include: • 1 or 2 aspirational choices • entry requirements are slightly higher than expected performance • 2 or 3 solid choices • entry requirements are roughly in line with expected performance • 1 or 2 safe choices • entry requirements below expected performance Entry Requirements Some courses require specific grades in specific subjects eg. BBC with a B in Sociology or BTEC DDM in a Health-related subject Some courses require a specific number of UCAS points eg. 112 UCAS points Some courses state their requirements in terms of both eg. 112 UCAS points including a C in Chemistry The number of UCAS points available for each grade is known as the UCAS Tariff Teachers will provide students with UCAS Predicted Grades in September Admissions Tests The following courses usually involve Admission Tests: • Maths at Cardiff, Durham, Lancaster, LSE, Nottingham, Sheffield, Southampton or Warwick (TMUA and/or STEP) • Medicine (BMAT or UKCAT) • Dentistry (BMAT or UKCAT) • Veterinary Science (UKCAT) • A few Biomedical Science courses (BMAT or UKCAT) • Law courses at competitive universities (LNAT) • Most courses at the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge The entry requirements on the course page of the university website will confirm which admissions tests need to be taken, if any. All admissions tests, except for the UKCAT and LNAT, can be sat in college andwill take place during the Oct/Nov half-term break.

FAQs

What sessions are included in the Next Steps evening?

The event includes a Higher Education Information Talk at 6:00 pm, a Next Steps Fair from 6:45 to 7:45 pm, and an Apprenticeships/Employment Information Talk at 7:10 pm.

What should students do between now and September?

Students should draft their first personal statement, attend university open days (virtual or in person), narrow down course choices, and, where relevant, prepare for and practise admissions tests.

How are course choices and entry requirements expected to be planned?

Students can apply for up to 5 courses for a listed cost, and should balance aspirational, solid, and safe choices using realistic grade expectations, including how entry can be specified by subject grades or UCAS points.

Sep 18, 2026

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