University and Onward Routes
Meet the Team
Click on the image to read the team bios.
Will Croston
wcroston@norwich-school.org.uk
Director of International Programme, Head of Examinations, UCAS & Careers Advisor | Modern Languages Teacher - German
Sarah Meader
Assistant Examinations Officer, Nelson Tutor and UCAS Administrator - Exams Office
Onward Routes and UCAS News
Business Breakfasts is a brilliant programme helping our young people better understand the potentially intimidating world of work. Before the start of school and over a working breakfast, the school brings in seasoned professionals to speak about their specialisms. The content is veritable gold dust. Generously sponsored by our partners at SG Wealth Management , the Trinity Term events have been both inspiring and informative. There have been three in the series so far this half term. SG Wealth Management kicked the series off with their very own Director of Business Services, Fran Kemp FPFS. Her lucid, engaging talk aimed to demystify the important role wealth advisors play in managing their clients’ complex finances professionally and trustworthily. She impressed the pupils with the range of skill sets needed and the range of backgrounds and specialisms that financial advisors have, ultimately boiling down to relationships built on confidence. She held a large audience captivated and the Q&A afterwards prompted some very smart audience questions. The second session was an introduction to the legal profession from our neighbours in The Close, Leathes Prior Solicitors . Experienced Partner, Chris Goodwin, had been convinced from an early age to become a lawyer and explained his traditional route through a law degree. In contrast former Norwich School pupil, Alex Robinson, now working with Chris at Leathes Prior, explained how his route into law via a history degree, Masters, then law conversion had transpired and how it is possible to become a lawyer from various starting points for those not going down the law degree route or even those with a non-University route. This theme was followed up by the third talk in the series delivered by the charismatic Dale Willis founder of My Great First Job , a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping young people transition from education to employment. Speaking to parents in the pre-work breakfast session and then to our pupils during the school day, his focus was on the value of increasingly popular Degree Apprenticeships as a viable and very cost-effective alternative to the traditional tuition-fee heavy university route. He explained all the ins and outs of being in paid work whist obtaining a degree paid for by the employer. It’s not for everyone, but for those prepared to make that paradigm shift the outcomes can be life-changing. Business Breakfasts will resume after half term and pupils are strongly encouraged to be curious and open minded and to come along to learn. Thanks go to Mrs James for organising and to our inspiring speakers for giving of their valuable time, as well as to SG Wealth Management for having the vision to sponsor this transformational initiative.
Just before half term, Mrs Warren hosted the annual Norwich School medical evening for those in the Lower 6 who are considering applying for medicine next year. The evening was excellent in the way it helped applicants understand more about the complicated route into medicine and we had the chance to listen to academics from UEA, doctors, Dev Kamath (ON) as well as Tom Irvine in Upper 6 who had got 4 offers for medicine for the autumn. Our Lower 6 got advice on how to choose a medical school, how best to prepare for UCAT, how to write strong personal statements and the nature and reality of the MMI interview. This attention to detail and preparation is a hallmark of the Norwich School UCAS application support and helps our pupils get to the interview stage and then hopefully to get offers. Another plus point of the evening was the opportunity to ask questions and receive honest answers from medical students, academics and experienced doctors. It is so important for all applicants to understand the demands of the profession, including the long hours, the years of study and the responsibility of caring for patients. We are so grateful to parents, ONs and a member of the Upper 6 for giving up their time and lending their support to the evening.
With the Upper 6 soon to start their study leave, we are going to announce a final selection of university offers and offers for apprenticeships that they have received. We wish the Upper 6 pupils all the best as they sit their A level examinations and hope that the 20 pupils still awaiting outcomes of one or more of their applications receive good news on these soon. The school’s Apply Plus Programme is run by Mr Pearce. It supports pupils applying to academic courses that require admissions tests and/or interviews. Pupils with Apply Plus offers not previously announced: Lily Mei ML - Foundation Year in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Cambridge This makes the total number of Norwich School offers from Oxford and Cambridge this cycle 11. Daniel AM – Economics at UCL Thomas H – Computing at Imperial College Anish K– Economics at the University of Warwick Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages: Isabel B – Spanish at the University of St. Andrews Edward Bl – History with a Year Abroad at UCL Joel F (ON) – Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) at LSE (London School of Economics) Hannah H - Culture, Media & Creative Industries at King’s College London Darcy W – International Management (including Year Abroad) at the University of Warwick Sciences: Bea F – Environment and Sustainability at the University of Surrey Cynthia L – Neuroscience at UCL Victor P – Engineering Business Management at the University of Warwick Halvard Y - Data Science at LSE Creatives: Will C – Acting (BA) at East 15 Ernie H– Music Production at Northbrook College Lana K – Music Performance – Drums at the Academy of Contemporary Music Isla V– Contemporary Dance (BA) at Trinity Laban Toby W – Architecture with professional placement at the University of Bath Overseas: Gabriel C – offers from both Hong Kong University (HKU) and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) Gilia C and Mari L – offers from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) Apprenticeships: Louise H – Accountancy apprenticeship with Berry & Warren (Norwich) George S– Engineering apprenticeship with the National Grid (Eakring, Nottinghamshire)
