University applications reach record breaking levels for The Sixth Form College

Record numbers of students from The Sixth Form College have submitted applications for university ahead of the UCAS deadline on Thursday 15th January.

Only five months after the Wirral-based academic centre of excellence reported record-breaking A Level results, the Sixth Form College has seen 90% of its A2 Cohort submit UCAS applications. Ten per cent of students are applying for high level apprenticeships and vocational training courses.

The Sixth Form College in Birkenhead is Wirral’s largest sixth form. The current A2 cohort has the largest number of students registered at the college on record and includes A level students, Childcare Students and Art Foundation Students.

Students have applied to 127 different universities across the UK including all 24 Russell Group universities and Oxford and Cambridge. Students have applied for competitive courses such as   Law, Psychology, Engineering, Medicine, Maths, Economics and Finance, the Sciences, Art and Design and Nursing and Teaching.

This is the largest number of applications ever to be submitted from the Wirral's only dedicated sixth form college.

Commenting on this year's record-breaking application figures, Principal Kathryn Podmore said: "We work very hard to provide our students with one-to-one guidance throughout the application process and these latest figures are testament to that.

“The record number of students applying for university demonstrates that the Sixth Form College in Birkenhead is a centre of academic excellence which continues to support students to help them exceed expectations and achieve higher grades than were predicted when they join us.”

In August 2014, A Levels secured by students from the Sixth Form College increased for the eighth consecutive year, with an overall pass rate of 99% achieved and a 100% pass rate achieved across 33 courses.

Over 40 per cent of students achieved prestigious A*, A, B or Distinction* grades with notable results of over 60% in Maths and 80% in Economics.

More than 300 students were successful in gaining Higher Education places at universities including the prestigious Russell Group.

Principal Kathryn Podmore said: “Our students have applied for more than 600 courses which include traditional academic courses as well as a wide range of other courses such as Wild Life Biology, Aviation Engineering with Pilot Studies, Forensic Computing and Science.”