A Level Subject Choices: Everything You Need to Know

By Alison Cantrill, Higher Education & Careers Leader

A Level marks a key decision point in shaping your child's future pathways. Even if they are unsure about the next steps, researching before choosing the subjects is vital, as it impacts the options available later.

What are A Level and why are they important?

A Level are Level 3 qualifications that follow GCSEs / IGCSEs..

Non-Linear Career Path with Daniel Woodroof

Daniel, a KLASS alumnus of Alice Smith School from 2001 to 2014, has exemplified his entrepreneurial spirit from his early days at Alice Smith School and as a young racer to his current roles as a co-founder of Pandan Social, a boutique digital marketing agency, Newhaven Media, and RaceList, a motorsport marketplace.

Ten years have passed since Daniel was a student at Alice..

From Alice Smith to Medical School

Soo Jeong, currently a second-year medical student in King’s College London, spent two years as a Sixth Form student at Alice Smith School. She fondly recalls her time at Alice Smith as "nothing short of wonderful."

A rich environment, incredibly supportive teachers, and an extensive enrichment programme all contributed to shaping Soo Jeong in her academic journey and beyond.

Exploring AI's Role as a Career Coach

Unlocking the Potential of AI in Career Guidance

In a recent session, the school's Higher Education and Careers Team led an insightful lesson for our Year 11 students, delving into how AI can act as a Career Coach. The students were encouraged to discover how using tailored AI prompts can utilise this cutting-edge technology to revolutionise how they approach their future..

Exploring the Future of Work & Entrepreneurship: Building a Creative Portfolio

Forget the linear career path! In our ever-changing world, a fulfilling career is more about adaptability and embracing your unique skills. This is especially true in the creative industries, where opportunities abound for those willing to forge their own path.

Recently in A Conversation With… Roo Pigott, music entrepreneur, producer, songwriter, and inventor, alongside..

Equipping Students for Success in a Dynamic World

In today's rapidly evolving world, the landscape of work is undergoing significant changes, necessitating a shift in how our Higher Education department prepares students for the global job market. At the Alice Smith School, we recognise the importance of equipping students with the skills needed to succeed in this dynamic environment. Our Higher Education sessions are..

From Alice Smith to Cambridge: Ahmed’s Soaring Success Story

One of our brightest stars, Ahmed Sheikh, has rocketed to the prestigious halls of Cambridge University, accepted to study Medicine! Brimming with pride, we reflect on Ahmed's journey, a testament to the transformative power of our school and the limitless potential ignited within its walls.

Ahmed's acceptance into Cambridge is a resounding echo of the global power of an..

Deep Impact; Investigating students reflections on the impact they have on the world around them

What comes to mind when you think of University admissions?  Usually, people will jump straight to grades, which is, of course, a key component of any application. However, it doesn’t end there, especially in countries such as the US. At Alice Smith School, we are keen that our students know they are more than just their grades.

Every one of our students leave a mark by the..

The Use of AI in Higher Education and Careers

We are very proud to have partnered with many platforms that are at the forefront of innovation; AI being the most recent one to join the ranks of Higher Education and Careers. Within our fantastic Higher Education and Careers platform, Cialfo, there are two core AI tools, “University Roadmap’ and ‘Sage’, that help us and the students courageously explore what the right-fit..

Spotlight on Emotional Intelligence

In this week's blog Ruth McAteer, one of our Higher Education and Careers Counsellors reflects on the importance of Emotional Intelligence.

"A frequent question I get asked by students is “What effect will AI have on my career path?”. At Alice Smith School, we are keen that students begin to understand the effect of the 4th and impending 5th industrial revolution on the world..

How to Apply to A Levels in Malaysia

A Levels are an exciting, but challenging, internationally recognised qualification for both university and college entrance. Through this programme, your children will have a qualification highly regarded by top universities world-wide.   

With a lot of hard work, dedication, perseverance and the help of resources available at a Tier 1 school, your children will earn the..

85% A*-A Grades for our EPQ Students

It is always wonderful to hear of the success of our EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) students and this year is no exception. We are delighted to share that an amazing 61% of students have been awarded an A*, 85% of students achieved A*- A and 90% of students achieved A*- B. We have also just had confirmation from AQA that our results now place us in the top 5% of schools..

Yale University among the US offers for #KLASSof2022

Our #KLASSof2022 have reached their final term at Alice Smith and are making decisions on their university offers. Our students, together with our Higher Education Counselling team, put a huge amount of effort into ensuring each student's applications are of the highest quality, giving them the best chance of receiving an offer from their first choice school (last year 95% of..

The Theory of Happenstance

Have you heard of the Theory of Happenstance? Our Year 12's have been exploring the Career Decision Theory of Happenstance in their Higher Education lessons and have made some great videos to help us understand more about it.

What is the Theory of Happenstance?

This theory believes the biggest influences on a person's career choice is actually unpredictable social factors,..

Student Virtual Work Experiences with InvestIn

COVID-19 and the ongoing restrictions in physical work experiences do not hamper our students and their motivation. Alongside our partners like InvestIn, Alice Smith students have the opportunity to still pursue their work experiences from the comfort of their own house. Here is one of our students, Annushka who shares her experiences after she was awarded a school’s bursary..

10 Surprising Facts about the Irish Medical Degree

Are you contemplating whether you should study Medicine in Ireland? It's a subject and destination many of our students are considering with more and more aspiring doctors choosing Ireland to pursue Medicine. The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and the University College Dublin (UCD) are known for delivering top-notch higher education that ranked both institutions..

Planning your Future Pathways with Cialfo

At Alice Smith School, our Higher Education provision utilizes an external platform called Cialfo. Cialfo is an online college and career planning platform that students and parents can use to help in planning their Future Pathways.

Students are introduced to Cialfo in Year 10, during which they complete career and personality assessments and explore different career..

Personalised support for competitive STEM applications

At Alice Smith School, our students go on to pursue a variety of courses in higher education. Our extensive Higher Education provision supports every student in their pursuits, from Law to Humanities and from Art to STEM. 

Applications to competitive STEM courses such as Maths, Economics, Science, Computer Science, and Engineering typically require skills and knowledge beyond..

Personalised support for SAT/ACT and LNAT

At Alice Smith School, we strive to support our students in their higher education aspirations. While the majority of our graduates will be applying to and attending UK universities, the number of students applying to the US has steadily increased, partly based on some excellent placements over the past few years.

To ensure that our students are able to produce a strong and..

Personalised support for Oxford and Cambridge

With entrance to elite universities becoming ever more competitive and with increased emphasis on specific entrance examinations and interviews required by certain universities, Alice Smith School aims to ensure that such students have a personalised support programme catered for their needs.As a part of the extensive Higher Education provision given to A-Level students at..

Applying to... University in the Netherlands 🌷

Each year Alice Smith Students progress to Universities and Colleges around the world. The Netherlands is a destination that is growing in popularity and several Alumni have gone to Dutch Universities including:

They..

Applying to ... University in South Korea

What is careers guidance?

Over the last few years, there has been nothing short of a revolution taking place in the world of careers guidance. This change is mostly being driven by the phenomenon known as the 4th Industrial revolution, a process where technological developments and global developments, are introducing, eroding and changing the workplace at a rate simply unprecedented in previous..

KLASS MEDS: Applying to Medical School

During the MCO our KLASS MEDS team arranged on line sessions for our aspiring doctors and life scientists. Although we are now back on campus the team has continued to connect our would-be medical students with KLASS Alumni who are now studying to be Doctors.

Firstly we welcomed Hong Yau, a year 3 medical student at the University of Leicester, UK.

Hong Yau was able to give..

InvestIn - Virtual Work Experience to enrich your university applications

With all the dramatic changes that have taken place in the world over the last year, the move into unprecedented levels of virtual space and communication has perhaps been the most startling. Existing workers in myriad industries have been finding ways of moving their endeavours online. But how does it work for those seeking work experience and internships? How can they..

Applying to... University in Ireland ☘️

Have the St. Patrick's Day ☘️celebrations made you think about the possibility of studying in Ireland? Each year Alice Smith Students progress to Universities and Colleges around the world  including Irish Institutions like University College Cork and RCSI. They are able to do this with the support and guidance from our dedicated Higher Educated Counselling team. In this blog..

Careers and Skills for the 21st Century

The world is changing rapidly and many jobs of the 20th Century will not exist by 2025 and the remaining industries will see massive changes according to a Gartner Report. New positions, that didn't exist at the turn of the century have taken over as the most lucrative jobs in the world. Such changes have direct impacts on the future jobs of graduates, no matter which industry..

Applying to ... University in France

Thinking of studying in France? In this week's blog we talk to Guillaume and Hugo who both picked French institutions for their degree studies.

Hugo Bellemin / KLASS of 2020

Degree: Bachelor in Cinematography

University: ESRA, France

Guillaume Pans / KLASS of 2015

Degree: Masters of European Affairs

University: The Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po Paris),..

Applying to ... University in Japan

Each year Alice Smith Students progress to Universities and Colleges around the world. They are able to do this with the support and guidance from our dedicated Higher Educated Counselling team. In this blog we talk to Francis who chose Japan as her higher education study destination.

Francis Therese Calalang / KLASS of 2015

Degree: B.A. EconomicsUniversity: School of..

Applying to ... University in New Zealand

Each year Alice Smith Students progress to Universities and Colleges around the world. They are able to do this with the support and guidance from our dedicated Higher Educated Counselling team. In this blog we talk to Aaryaman who chose New Zealand as his higher education study destination.

Details

Aaryaman Desai / KLASS of 2018

Degree: Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering..

Applying to ... Canadian Universities

Each year Alice Smith Students progress to Universities and Colleges around the world. They are able to do this with the support and guidance from our dedicated Higher Educated Counselling team. In this blog we talk to Raphaelle and Ethan who chose Canada as their study higher education study destination.

Raphaelle Tseng, KLASS of 2017

Degree: Mathematics and Computer Science

Applying to ... Australian Universities

Each year Alice Smith Students progress to Universities and Colleges around the world. They are able to do this with the support and guidance from our dedicated Higher Educated Counselling team. In this new blog series our Alumni reflect on their experience of applying and studying in countries around the world. First to share their experiences are Alan, Maddison and Nikita.

Alumna Jun Yi awarded ISTD membership

During the summer break Ms Cooper heard from Alumna Jun Yi, who graduated in 2018. Jun Yi progressed to Nottingham Trent University to study Graphic Design and wrote to share her recent success in the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD) Student Assessment scheme and how she attributed part of success to her study of A Level Literature.

Finding the right pathway: Higher education guidance in a non selective school

For many students and parents, A Levels can appear to be something of a daunting prospect, yet the truth is they can be a far more flexible and accessible qualification than they may first appear. It may also seem that at a school which produces so many students that get very high grades and go to top universities, that this is where our key support for students is mostly..

The Alice Smith School Foundation Tertiary Study Grant

The dream of a Malaysian student to pursue Chemical Engineering tertiary studies in the elite Pembroke College, University of Cambridge is now possible! Zhi Yan Lee, a current Alice Smith scholar in Year 13 is the first proud recipient of the Alice Smith School Foundation Tertiary Study Grant.

Launched in November 2018, the Alice Smith School Foundation was established to..

How Alice Smith Ensures a Quality British Education

Ensuring their children have a quality education is a concern for any parent.

At Alice Smith, we ensure your children..

Four Benefits of Having a Higher Education Programme

Planning for post-secondary education can be a stressful time for students, especially when they have to fit researching and working on their applications into their already full schedules. 

Having a resource that is solely dedicated to helping them reach their post-secondary goals can be a huge relief and a much-needed source of guidance for students. 

At Alice Smith, our..

Thinking of applying to Cambridge?

We were very fortunate to welcome Claire Canning, the Deputy Student Recruitment Manager (International) from the University of Cambridge to Alice Smith this week to talk to our students and parents about applying to, and studying at, this prestigious institution.

What’s so special about Cambridge?

The University of Cambridge is one of the world's leading universities,..

Finding a University that is the Right Fit | Alice Smith Higher Education

Paving the Way to University | Higher Education Programme

Stepping into Higher Education | Alice Smith Sixth Form