Careers & Higher Education

All of our pupils are actively encouraged to enrich their Higher Education application through their participation in essay competitions and taster courses while, of course, we maintain strong links with our past pupils who can offer their successors up-to-date knowledge of life across the UK’s many campuses.

With over 80% of pupils typically attaining offers from Russell Group institutions, we have an extensive pool of experience on which to draw, and popular Ibstock Leavers’ destinations include the likes of Oxford and Cambridge, Birmingham, Bristol, Durham, Exeter, Imperial College London, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, LSE, Queen Mary, London, Nottingham, Sussex, UCL and Warwick.

Our Early Applications Support Team is led by our Deputy Head of Sixth Form (Academic) and brings together expert teachers in their chosen field, many of which have firsthand experience working in a Higher Education environment. 

EAST supports pupils looking to apply to Oxford, Cambridge or other UK courses which require an earlier application submission such as Medicine, Veterinary Science and Dentistry. The EAST Programme officially starts in Senior 11 with pupils attending lectures and sessions which offer a taste of what makes a competitive application. 

In the Lower Sixth, pupils in EAST meet on a weekly basis and work on the mechanics of their application as well as looking at skills required as part of the assessment process for these courses or institutions. Pupils in EAST who also require specialist assistance in preparing their application, are allocated a ‘subject mentor’ who helps review their wider reading and preparation for any entrance tests required. 

This support continues into the Upper Sixth with extra input from ‘subject mentors’ on preparation for interviews and entrance tests. As part of EAST pupils also take part in a series of mock interviews conducted by subject specialists from outside the School community.

We have a designated member of staff on the Sixth Form Tutor Team who is responsible for admissions to institutions of higher education outside of the United Kingdom. We have seen an increase in interest from our pupils in applying to such institutions, particularly in Europe and the United States of America. 

We host an annual International Universities Fair which pupils from Senior 7 are welcome to attend to ask any questions and to find out about the opportunities to study abroad. We also offer support to our families through meetings and presentations so that they are aware of the possibilities of international study and how to support their children with an application.