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Being ‘university and career ready’ means having the right knowledge, skills, and behaviours to get into (and flourish at) university and the world of work.
A student needs to develop a wide range of competencies to succeed in a higher education environment. These are gained both in and beyond the classroom.
These university and career ready attributes fall into three categories:
So, how do we ensure our young people develop these university and career ready competencies? By creating a personalised Global Strategic Pathway that’s build around their interests, talents, and ambitions.
The Global Strategic Pathway approach is based on a highly successful model used by Oxford International College.
Each student follows their own pathway, which is created, tweaked, and targeted to their long-term goals. This pathway contains three pillars: academic excellence, personal growth, and career preparation. These provide a holistic route to a student’s first-choice university course.
In addition to their academic courses, each learner's tailored pathway includes:
The central pillar of each student’s pathway to university and career readiness is academic excellence.
Whether a student is accepted by their chosen university or not is largely determined by their exam results and other performance markers. The curricula a school offers are also hugely important.
At OIC Brighton, we teach a British curriculum. This comprises GCSEs (ages 14 to 16) and A-levels, both of which are highly regarded by the world’s top universities and employers. We also offer a one-year pre-GCSE course, which is the perfect preparation for the academic rigour of GCSEs and A-levels – as well as a great introduction to in-depth, subject-specific study.
At A-level, each student follows a carefully chosen academic programme.
Our young people select the three or four A-level subjects that align with the university degree and country of study they have in mind. This enables them to delve deeper into their areas of interest and work toward their long-term objectives.
Alongside academic knowledge and fantastic results, our students need a wide and varied skillset to be ready for university. They also need to take part in experiences, gain additional qualifications, and develop skills that align with their intended degree course and/or career pathway.
Their unique Global Strategic Pathway is designed to help them do this.
Each student’s pathway includes university and career readying opportunities through our Super curricular programme.
The programme develops skills prized by universities. Taking part in these activities also helps our students to stand out from the crowd when it comes to the competitive admissions process.
Our students expand their specialist knowledge – and become experts in their field – through a personalised programme of academic-related activities outside of the curriculum. Opportunities include the Higher (Years 9-11) and Extended (Years 12-13) Project Qualifications, as well as career-specific work placements, internships, and summer courses.
Opportunities include the Young Enterprise Competition, which offers an insight into running a business, and the LAMDA programme. STEAM challenges, writing competitions, coding courses, and other activities on the Global Campus learning platform develop specific skills and enable collaboration with peers around the world.
Our student-led programme of clubs and societies nurtures individual talents and develops a host of transferable skills. Students plan and run their own activities, too, which enables them to do what they love and develop organisational, leadership, and time management skills – all valued by universities and employers.
We encourage our students to develop the ‘growth mindset’ they need to excel by providing opportunities that nurture global skills, from critical thinking and creativity to digital literacy and teamwork. Our programmes range from House challenges and guest lectures to courses and projects on Global Campus.
We also offer the world’s leading youth achievement programme, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which instils a real sense of purpose and passion. Our students effect real change through our exclusive collaboration with UNICEF and on awe-inspiring trips, too, which nurture a global perspective.
To realise their ambitions, every student needs a variety of specialist support. This includes dedicated wellbeing care through our OICB Rocks programme, ongoing academic advice from their Strategy Tutor, and detailed university and careers guidance.
From day one, we encourage our students think about their university destination. We then put a plan in place to help them get there.
We know there’s lots to consider, which is why we offer one-to-one careers advice sessions, in-college seminars, and an annual university fair. Students also join open days and residential visits, and meet with university representatives from around the world.
Our comprehensive support programme guides our students through the university application process. Pre- and post-summer UCAS sessions, preparatory workshops, and aptitude test coaching gives our learners an advantage when it comes to admissions interviews.
We also encourage everyone to go through the Oxbridge application process. Whether a student gets an interview or not, it’s a great learning experience that’s ideal preparation for the future.
Our high expectations match the ambitions of our students. And by providing the support, inspiration, and opportunities they need, we can ensure every learner is university and career ready when they graduate.
Through their Global Strategic Pathway, our young people excel academically and go above and beyond in pursuit of additional qualifications, experiences, and global skills. Every step of the way, they’re mentored by our team of exceptional teachers and their Strategy Tutor.
This ensures our graduates get into – and thrive at – the university of their dreams.