Supporting Wales Brightest

Supporting Wales Brightest

Digital ISBN 978-1-4734-4475-1 Crown copyright 2015 WG 25898 Mohamed Eghleilib, is the first student in recent years from Fitzalan High School in Cardiff to study medicine at Pembroke College, Oxford. He has just completed his first year at university. Mohamed wants to encourage other Welsh pupils to follow in his footsteps, stressing how realistic the opportunity can be. It s important to get work experience and take part in super-curricular activities as Oxbridge and other top UK universities expect this depth of knowledge and interest in your subjects. Welcome to the Seren Network. You are one of Wales brightest stars. You ve already done exceptionally well and you are predicted to go far. We want to support you to achieve your huge potential in your current studies and wherever you go next. Your journey starts here. Supporting Wales Brightest The Seren Network supports high achieving sixth formers like you, to reach their academic potential, through a programme of supercurricular activities. Your local partnership hub will also give you the information, advice and guidance you need to make a competitive application to leading universities. Your local Seren hub is a partnership of teachers from schools and colleges in your area. They are supported by leading universities, as well as local government and Welsh Government. What we do: Stretch and challenge students in the subjects they enjoy; Link students with leading UK universities; Create a peer group of high achieving, like-minded students who are passionate about their subject and want to know more; Support teachers in providing the best information, advice and activities for their brightest students; Inspire students about future career aspirations. For more information on the Seren Network and your local hub, visit the Seren Network Website

Rhodri Hughes from Llanelli was assisted in his application through a support programme at Gower College, Swansea, which arranges mock interviews for potential applicants. One of the most important things I learned was if you don t know an answer, you can say so, said Rhodri. They aren t looking for someone who knows everything about the subject. They want people who are going to work hard and who are going to be fun to teach. When Thomas Chaloner told his parents he wanted to go to Oxford University, the first thing they said was Will we be able to afford it? My parents hadn t gone to university, I was the first person in my family to go, said Thomas. But when we looked into it, we realised Oxford is affordable to everyone. Oxford has one of the most generous bursary schemes in Britain. Money shouldn t be the reason you don t apply. It s important for other young people who might have been in a similar situation to me to know that money will not hold you back if you have the ability and determination to pursue your dream. Thomas admits he didn t consider applying to Oxbridge until sixth-form college, after speaking to a tutor at Coleg Cambria. He told me I had a chance. That was something I d never heard before. How will the Seren Network support you? Parents and carers You are one of the smartest teenagers in Wales. You ve done really well in your GCSEs congratulations on getting this far! Now we want to help you achieve your full potential and support you through the decisions you will be making over the next two years. If you re passionate about a particular subject, you ll have the chance to extend your knowledge beyond the A-level curriculum with teachers and other students who share your interests. You ll take part in seminars and workshops and get a chance to visit universities. You ll do all of this with other local students who are enthusiastic, independent learners like you. This will be great preparation for A-levels and university, if you re thinking about applying. You ll have access to the latest information from teachers and university staff to help you make the crucial decisions about what to study and where. If you d like to apply to a leading UK university, you ll receive practical help with all aspects of the application process to help you stand out from the crowd. You have a huge range of opportunities available to you after you finish school and you deserve all the information and support you need to make the most of these. The Seren Network will help with that. Fantastic news! Your daughter or son is one of the smartest teenagers in Wales and they have the potential to study at one of the UK s leading universities. By being part of the Seren Network your child will have access to the best support available to help them make informed, personal decisions about their future, including deciding whether going to university is right for them, and if so which course and campus best suits. We ll discuss these options with them and help them through the application process if they decide to apply. We ll also support their A-level studies by providing workshops and classes designed to stretch and challenge them. They will meet like-minded students from your area, who also want to work hard and are enthusiastic about their studies. All this activity is free of charge. Your local hub is a partnership of teachers from schools and colleges in your area. They will work together to share expertise and resources so that every high achiever in Wales can benefit from the support offered by the Seren Network and achieve their full potential. Seren means star in Welsh. Your teenager is a star, and will be given every opportunity to shine!

Where it all began Paul Murphy MP, the former Secretary of State for Wales, was appointed to be the Welsh Government s Oxbridge Ambassador in 2013. He researched the decline in Welsh admissions to Oxford and Cambridge Universities and discovered that not enough Welsh students are achieving the highest grades compared with the rest of the UK. He also found that students and teachers felt they need more support to prepare for entry to leading universities. His report to the Education Minister, and his call for a national network of partnership hubs to support talented students was approved by the Welsh Government. His research and report can be found on our website January 2015 saw the start of this network with the launch of three pilot hubs Flintshire and Wrexham; Swansea; and Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil. By summer 2016, they will be joined by hubs throughout the country, creating a true national network for highachieving students in Wales. Anna McIntyre from Pontypridd was worried she wouldn t find any friends or fit in at Oxford University As a normal girl from the Welsh valleys who d gone to a state school, I was worried that I d stick out like a sore thumb but a few days after arriving, I realised I d been worrying about nothing. At my college, around two-thirds of us went to state schools and everyone comes from such a wide range of backgrounds, I didn t feel left out at all. Now she wants to encourage other local school pupils to strive for what she describes as the most incredible experience. We need to make young people in Wales realise that if you re clever and love learning, it s nothing to be ashamed of. If you don t try, you ll always wonder whether you could have got in, and you ll be missing out on the most incredible experience. What happens next? It s time to get started! Your Seren hub coordinator will provide you with details about your programme and any travel arrangements you need to be aware of. Then it s up to you to make the most of this opportunity by attending activities and taking part with other students. We hope this will be an interesting, challenging, fun experience, and one that will really benefit you as you progress through sixth form. Photo credit Cardiff University Dr Jamie Roberts, Cardiff University medicine graduate, and Welsh international rugby player. In total I spent eight years at university, during which time I was training almost every day alongside my studies. There s no denying that this was really challenging, but it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I don t think I appreciated at the time how valuable the opportunity was but looking back I wouldn t change anything about it. I ve been lucky enough to visit some amazing places and have incredible experiences because of my work, but I ll always remember my time at university as completely life changing. My degree is one of my proudest achievements.

Jo Kemp, Assistant Head Teacher at Fitzalan High School, Cardiff This part of my job is incredibly satisfying. It s lovely to know that pupils who you ve supported and nurtured for years put their complete trust in you to help them achieve their goals. I felt that the resources needed to encourage students to apply for Oxbridge were not at hand in Wales at that time. says Jo, Whilst I was able to support my students I desperately needed support from other teachers who had successfully supported their students through this process. The Seren Network will be a great asset. Get in touch If you have general questions, check out the FAQ section of our website where you should be able to find all the answers you are looking for: If you have questions about your hub programme, get in touch with your teacher or hub coordinator. Contact details are provided on our website. We re really keen to see how you are getting on throughout the programme, so look for us in these places and tell us about your experiences. Good luck! www.facebook.com/serennetwork @Seren_Network / #serennetwork @serennetwork / #serennetwork