6th Form Newsletter
December 2017
Welcome to UTC Oxfordshire's First 6th Form Newsletter
Following this week's hugely successful sixth form open event and careers forum, we are delighted to be launching our first 6th form newsletter in which we will be giving you some further details about:
- what the sixth formers have been up to this term
- details of our unique curriculum offer
- reminders about how to apply or accept your place
A number of families asked similar questions at our open event, so we will try to answer those questions as well. If you missed the open evening, there is more information on the attachments below.
We will update you again in the spring term.
Best wishes
Sue Lea (Head of 6th Form) and Owain Johns (Principal)
Applying for 6th Form
What's Happened so Far this Term?
Employer Led Projects - Mini Challenge
Every Wednesday the 6th form have been working in small groups on challenges set by our business partners. In September senior staff from the BMW-Mini plant in Oxford arrived with a team of apprentices, led by ex student Callum, to present the 6 week tasks; Year 12 were to design a new steering wheel for the forthcoming V1 Mini, set to be released in 20120, while the Year 13 students worked on the design of the new electric version of the Mini, with years 10 and 11 having their own tasks. Competition is extremely fierce and the sixth form winners were Chris Gould, Jeremy Lu and Jack Davies who won a VIP day out at the Mini plant. Joining them will be Kerry Morgan who impressed the judges with her presentation.
Employer Led Projects - Antibiotics Unearthed
An alternative for UTC Oxfordshire's biology students is the 14 week Antibiotics Unearthed challenge from the Microbiology Society, in which the students are supported by microbiologists from Oxford Brookes University, Dr Hee-Jeon Hong, lecturer, and Sam Connelly, PhD student. The challenge is to look for new sources of antibiotics in garden soil, using a novel cultivation technique, called an i-chip. Having been unable to find the necessary i-chip commercially, UTC Oxfordshire's engineering students helped out by making our own. This project allows biology students to use techniques and materials from Oxford Brookes which are not normally available in school and encourages genuine research. Each group will make an A1 poster to summarise their findings and the winners will present at the Microbiology Society's annual conference. Exciting times.
Apprenticeship Assessment Centre Training
Steve Houseman is a UTC governor and a senior leader at the Mini plant. In November, Steve led two sessions for our 6th form engineers to learn more about the assessment centre selection process. Steve challenged each group to complete a timed 'planks' construction task while other students learnt what to look for in a successful team member. Year 12 student, Esme Haigh, said, "that was a LOT of fun and surprisingly hard."
Problem Solving with BMW
Building Employability Skills
Communication, problem solving, team-work
Duke of York Gold Award Presentations at St James' Palace
Twenty-three UTC Oxfordshire students from last year’s Year 13 were invited to St James’ Palace to receive their Duke of York Gold awards from Prince Andrew. We were also particularly thrilled that two outstanding achievement awards went to UTC Oxfordshire students: Toby Hall for Outstanding Progress and Tiffany Cox, Lucy Doran, Francesca Topp and Yassmine Girgis for Best female engineering Team. The Duke of York himself is a passionate supporter of technical education and gave an inspiring speech before taking tea and mingling with the students. The Duke was particularly interested in how attending a UTC had helped the students get into their apprenticeships with for example Williams F1, CCFE, STFC, Oxford Space Systems and X-trac, or how the experience had helped students gain entry to top engineering courses at university.
If you would like to know more about the Duke of York award, have a look at the attachment below.
University Applications
43% of Year 13 students are just completing their applications to university, applying for courses such as mechanical or civil engineering, environmental science, biological science, food science, biomedical science, business and marketing, children's nursing. Last year 39% of the students accepted their university place, while others chose to take apprenticeships or employment instead.
Will Barnes
Caitlin Shaw
Chaiwat Vonseenin
Sixth Formers in the News
This term our sixth formers have been making news headlines.
- Will Barnes achieves 5A*s at A level and is one of a group of students from UTCs gaining a place Cambridge University for the first time - full story here
- Lucy Doran achieves distinctions in her Extended Diploma in Engineering, gains an apprenticeship in robotics at CCFE - full story here
- UTC Oxfordshire sixth form biologists feature in the latest edition of Microbiology Today - full story here
- Sixth form open event - full story here
- Careers forum - full story here
Other news
- On 14th September, Jon Tickle, physics graduate, ex Big Brother housemate and long-term presenter of Brainiac talked to the students about employability, work ethics, career choices and the importance of diversity in the work environment. Jon has offered to return next year to complete our Duke of York interviews.
- On 26th October, 15 UTC Oxfordshire students were invited to the Bloodhound SSC speed trials in Newquay. Richard Noble, project director of the attempt to drive at 1000 mph in 2018, is based at UTC Oxfordshire. More details about the speed trial can be found here.
- Year 13 students Tanha and Timmy have been raising money to help refugees in Rohingya. On Friday 3rd November, from a dress down day and staff/students dodge-ball match raised £300.
- On 15th November, UTC Oxfordshire was very privileged to receive a visit from the President of the Nuclear Institute, Neil Thomson. He came to talk about nuclear reactors and careers pathways in the nuclear industry.
- On 17th November the Year 12 Computer Science students spent the day at Bletchley Park learning about the history of code breaking.
- On 22nd November Air Products caused a lot of excitement with their noisy demonstration of what can be done with liquid nitrogen and helium.