The two years in Sixth Form are the culmination of the boys’ time at the School, but also an important stepping stone into higher education or the world of work.
The personal and professional development of the boys in preparation for the future demands of university life and the workplace includes career guidance, interview practice and other interpersonal skills helpful to the boys in their future work interactions.
A programme supported by the team of Sixth Form tutors guides the boys and parents through the university selection and application process, helping them to find the course and institution that is right for them. We provide support for all boys applying to higher education institutions in the UK, USA and mainland Europe, with dedicated programmes for Oxbridge and Medicine/Dentistry/Veterinary Science candidates.
Boys are able to take full advantage of our location in Marylebone, on the doorstep of some of London’s most prestigious businesses and organisations, as part of the work experience and work shadowing programme.
From the beginning of Sixth Form, boys begin planning their university pathway. Each boy has a specialist Sixth Form tutor who is experienced when it comes to university applications and advice. They have six one-to-one university planning meetings per year and also follow a university application programme in Friday lessons. In addition, we have two specialist International University Advisors. Reference and personal statement writing training and checking is conducted by the Head of Sixth Form and Assistant Head of Sixth Form.
The majority of Sixth Formers apply to the UK either as their sole application or in addition to a US/Canadian or European application.
We are very pleased with the success of this process which has resulted in 84% securing their first choice and 98% securing their first or second choice of university and course. Highlights from 2020-21 include Durham University (Physics), Imperial College (Mathematics), Imperial College (Mechanical Engineering), London School of Economics (Economics), London School of Economics (Management), Queen Mary University (Medicine), University of Cambridge (History), University of Glasgow (Medicine). The full list of Leavers’ Destinations can be found here:
The specialist form tutors write the university references and support personal statement writing. All boys attend a personal statement writing workshop in June of Year 12. All references and personal statements are signed off by both the Head of Sixth Form and the Head Master or Deputy Head.
In the autumn term of Year 12, individual meetings are held to provide higher education information and the boys are introduced to Unifrog – a sophisticated software package trusted by over 1,500 schools around the world to help students find and apply to the best university courses while enabling teachers to track their progress.
Our Head of Scholarship oversees preparation for the most competitive courses and universities. The Head of Examinations organises the additional tests and all Year 13 applicants sit a mock in September.
Boys benefit from an additional programme of study led by a subject specialist which includes examination preparation e.g. for the MAT, BMAT etc., interview preparation classes and mock interviews with external experts.
For medical, dentistry and veterinary science applicants, the Heads of Scholarship and Careers support pupils in arranging work experience at local GPs or hospitals. There are also specialist workshops to help with the application process throughout the Sixth Form such as Future Medics and Oxbridge Club.
Approximately 20% of boys opt to apply to university in the USA and we are extremely proud of the competitive outcomes. Wetherby has a significant advantage compared to bigger schools as we are able to dedicate more time to each boy and advise them very carefully. In addition, staff get to know the pupils extremely well and are able to write personalised references of the highest calibre. All USA reference writers undertake training each year. We have two dedicated advisors (Dr Smith & Ms Gagnon) and Mrs Deedat is the counsellor.
Many boys opt to apply to Canadian universities e.g. McGill and Toronto. For some of these universities taking the SAT/ACT is recommended so the applicants are usually integrated into the thorough USA process too.
Boys who opt to apply to European universities have seen great success e.g. Bocconi, ESSEC, IE University, KU Leuven and Universitat de Barcelona. For some of these universities taking the SAT/ACT is recommended and they are overseen by the Head of Sixth Form.
The Sixth Form Careers Programme includes personal guidance interviews, talks from industry professionals and lesson to improve skills, knowledge and understanding for career planning and management. At Wetherby we believe that it is important to bust old-fashioned myths about A Level/degree choices and show the huge range of careers available.
Throughout the academic year we offer talks by professionals in a range of industries. These give an insight into a range of careers and builds a picture of what is needed to reach those heights, experiences of working in that industry and key skills needed to have a long and successful career. These occur on a bi-weekly basis and are sometimes in person and sometime through Zoom or MS Teams.
This takes place towards the beginning of Year 12 as part of the PSHE Careers Programme:
Shortlister is a platform that many companies utilise to recruit graduate via video interviews. ShortlistMe aims to help young people prepare for the digital age of recruitment and provides you with a range of practice interviews from various companies and universities. This includes a Market Place (where all the practice interviews can be found). It is an invaluable tool for career preparation.
Pupils sign up early in Year 12 as part of the Careers PSHE programme and are introduced to the software: https://go.shortlister.com/marketplace/wetherbysenior
The two years in Sixth Form are the culmination of...
The two years in Sixth Form are the culmination of...