More Awards at CATS Canterbury

You will no doubt have seen the college has been shortlisted for even more awards this year! In November we were shortlisted for no less than five top UK awards - for Outstanding 6th Form Provision, Boarding, Educational Initiatives, IT and Outstanding Contribution to International Understanding!

We were also greatly honoured as a college by the City of Canterbury when they unveiled their new statue of Geoffrey Chaucer. Chaucer is known as the Father of the English Language, and in our role as Host for many international students here who are heading for top UK universities, the Principals name was added to the statue as one of the characters in the Canterbury Tales- the Host. It was a very exciting occasion and reflects again the high standing of the college here in Canterbury and throughout the UK.

What you need to do at Christmas - UCAS

Its an exciting time as we celebrate the Christmas season in Canterbury. Our Cathedral here dates from 549AD and today our students are in this amazing building as we reflect and approach the end of term. Its an amazing place that has been at the heart of English history for over a thousand years!

So what else do you need to do by Christmas? Well, students have all had a deadline of December to complete their Personal Statements and UCAS form for university entry. We have had nearly 90 university visits this term with lots of chances for students to speak to universities directly here in Canterbury. Personal Tutors have been supporting students with their university applications and there have been many workshops offered by our specialist university staff here at the college. It has been a busy time! Dawn Merriman our Head of Higher Education has also been offering individual appointments for students and the Principal has also been seeing students one to one for those who need additional help. We are also available on email for students who are worried as well as via our famous 'Tell Us' button on the CATS App! 

So make sure you keep in touch and we will be going over every student Personal Statement over the Christmas period to double check and help with any remaining issues. We are all here to help and support as students complete their work for university application.

The university fair at CATS Canterbury

It's an exciting time as we prepare for our October university fair at CATS Canterbury next week. Over 70 universities will be here - many chosen to be invited because students were particularly interested in them. In addition there are visits from universities to the college most weeks now. We are shortly hosting Hong Kong, Oxford and Imperial and have just launched our Critical Lawyers Group for our law students backed by the University of Kent - a top UK law university. 

Meanwhile our students are encouraged to participate in over a hundred different activities at the college including over 10

Different leadership awards. Our IB students are going to Bewl Water this weekend for a series of team building and exciting activities.

Having a broad range of interests and activities is valued highly by US and UK universities and every student has a Key Professions and CATs Baccalaureate booklet listing all the options available to them. This information is also readily available on the CATS App as we help students develop into outstanding candidates for university education.

How we teach English as a Second language at CATS Canterbury

Making sure your English is at the right level for university entry in the UK is really important for us at CATS Canterbury. We are a leading centre for international

languages offering over 26 different languages and are award winning experts in our field.

English level for UK university entry

So how does this affect you getting to a top university? 

Well, universities will require you to have met a certain level - often expressed through IELTS. To study subjects like law you may need to have IELTS 7, whereas other subjects may ask for 6.5 or occasionally 6. You need to check your chosen university and subject carefully to see what level they need.

We also offer the Cambridge Academic Englsih course for students who are keen to take this qualification.

Our English courses challenge you to develop your skills ready to use in all your subject areas as well as in your day to day life.

If we recognise a student doesn’t have the level of English they need for university entry by the Spring term, we support them to take a pre-sessional course in English at their chosen university and register them for the appropriate SELT (Secure English Language Test) IELTS (UKVI IELTS) test.

All students spend some time studying Academic Skills, in addition to general language development and exam preparation. Every student has five hours of English a week to support them for their IELTS and university entry. However, for students with lower English skills we offer:

1. Up to three extra English lessons a week to support them as part of their course

2. A Saturday morning English class on top of normal tuition at a very low cost

3. Additional help and support from subject teachers when needed.

For those students with very high English scores we recommend they consider taking critical thinking classes and EPQ - the Extended Project Qualification. The academic focus of this is really popular with top universities and it is excellent preparation for university application. We also get students to take online university courses with world famous universities - which again looks great on your university application.

Our students will be following a mixture of English courses depending on their level of English command at the time they join us.

AEM (Academic English Module)
AEM is for students with weaker English, who will be progressing on to AS or UFP (younger students are placed on GCSE programme with an extra English support). AEM students study English for 25 hours each week. This includes a mix of general English development, with work towards appropriate English exams as well as taking academic content like Maths, Science and Business which helps them with their English vocabulary for academic purposes.

GCSE and Pre-Programme
Students on GCSE and Pre-Programme are usually studying towards IGCSE English as a second language. A small number of the strongest students are studying towards IGCSE English (first language) and may also take IGCSE Literature too. They all have at least five hours of English and some students will have additional English Literature sessions each week. Students taking the full GCSE course follow UK government advice on subjects called the English Baccalaureate and this covers Sciences, Humanities, Maths and English, along with sports, art and performing arts - all great for discussion and English development.

Students studying on the GCSE programme who have the lowest levels of English, are given extra English support. They have English lessons for 12 periods each week. They also take History, Sciences and Maths - all with a focus on improving their English. All our younger students take Art, Sport, Performing Arts and Business/Economics.

Our one year Pre Programme has the widest range of subjects where students study with us for a year and prepare themselves for A level, IB and Foubdarion courses. As part of the Pre Programme there is an option to take iGCSE Maths and English which are the only two specific GCSEs which could be asked for in the future.

Remember we are all here to help and our senior staff give academic counselling to every student to help make sure they are doing what is exactly right for them.

 

 

Exam results and the future

It's been an amazing summer with 96% of our A level grades at A*-B and 66% A*-A - way above British student scores and shows exactly how CATS as an international school brings real value to our students. IB results were also excellent as were Foundation with our students now headed to Kings College, London, Cambridge, LSE and UCL. It's a great time for them all. 

It's also really important to remember unlike many schools, we are here all summer helping students. Some may be nervous as they haven't heard from

Universities, others are not used to having to be patient to wait for confirmations as we tend to act very fast on things at CATS. Many students just need reassurance, and we are all here to do this. Other students may have changed their minds about courses at the last moment, or did not get the grades they needed, and we are here to help with this too. Students are important and as a College we insist they are the most important part of everything we do. 

So let's take a moment to celebrate - some of our students scored 100% in their A level modules - some amazing achievements. 

But whatever your results, wherever you are all over the world, one thing you can be certain of is that we will stand with you all the way.

During your year at Canterbury....

So once you are here, what should you be doing when you are not in lessons? Well, it depends on which year you are in. Foundation students need to act very fast to get involved in activities you can put on your university application. You can sign up for leadership awards or the fastest thing is to take an online university course to show commitment to your subject area. Details of this are all in your Key Professions booklet.

If you are in your first year of A level or IB you have more time. This year is really vital and you have to keep asking yourself, do I have enough things which show my commitment to my subject area to go on my university application? Go through your Key Professions booklet or see Dan Issitt our Key Professions Co- ordinator, and he will help you with anything you need to do. There are about 120 activities in college each year so there is lots to choose from. You then need to think, how can I make this relevant to my university application? How have these activities helped develop me as a person and show I would be a real asset to any university and that I have a passion for the subject I want to learn?

The photos here show our students being given individual or small group support in science after school by a local university. Other students meet with the University of Kent for support with their lawyers for law students and lecturers there also give mock interview practice for our students applying to a university asking for interviews. Remember there is lots of support here so you must ask and let us know what you need and we are always here to support you.

Global Leadership and University entrance

CATS Canterbury hosts another Global Leadership Day on 18th March. This one is based around Pancreatic cancer and links with law, medicine, business, ethics and the media. It promises to be an exciting day with students presenting and universities speaking at the college including Oxford, Bristol, Cardiff and St Georges - University of London. It's an exciting day and falls not long after our second university fair with over 70 UK and works universities visiting CATS Canterbury to meet with our students.

At CATS we specialise in pre university study and encourage students to do on line university courses and a wide range of extra Key Professions activities to prepare them for top universities. Many are taking courses in critical thinking as well as undertaking their own research projects to give them a real head staff in the world of UK and world universities.

Students can get a copy of the Key Prpfessions booklet on the CATS App or in person from student services or the Senior Tutors office - come and join in!

Successful IB students

Former IB Students from CATS Canterbury are right now at some of the world top universities and it's great to celebrate their success. We have students at LSE, Oxford, UCL, Warwick, British Columbia, Durham and one about to start at Cambridge this year.

Top universities really like IB because it delivers everything top UK universities want - research essays, theory of knowedge, extra activities etc. 

Our top students taking A level are expected to do the same if they are heading to LSE, Oxbridge etc. They do leadership awards, EPQ and Critical Thinking sessions - this puts them on the same level as our IB students. It's hard work! But then these are world top universities - you won't get there without being special and having a strong record of doing these extra activities.

There are some schools in the UK who do not understand IB - remember only the best schools in the UK are allowed to offer it. So they sometimes say A levels are better. However, what top universities are saying is the exact opposite. They want to see IB students with a strong background in all the things IB does and top A level students they now like to see with extra activities just as we offer at CATS Canterbury. We have over 120 extra activities linked to university entry in our Key Professions booklet.

But don't take my word for it - look at the IB students from CATS Canterbury now at world top universities - LSE, Oxbridge, UCL and more overseas. It's an amazing qualification for many students and as we offer both A level and IB we are not biased - we support students on either route.

So what is the EPQ for A level students?

As I said on a previous blog, there is a lot of change with A levels in the UK now. Most universities will be making offers based on three A levels only - the only exception being medicine. 

So very top universities are very interested in what else you have to offer them. The most popular qualification is the EPQ - Extended Project Qualification. This is a piece of research on a subject of your own choice - linked to an aspect of what you want to do at university. It shows your interest and commitment to your chosen field and you should make reference to this on your Personal Statement. It does not count as a separate A level on its own, but it does show your commitment to your subject and shows you have extended and developed your views. The EPQ is growing in popularity. 

So do you need to do it? Well, if you are headed for a top university and are predicted grade A s you should definitely be doing it. If you are getting lower predictions you should focus on your A levels alone.

At CATS Canterbury we also offer a great range of other qualifications which all boost your chance of university entry - online university courses, Leadership Awards, Business, Science and Enterprise Events - they are all listed in your Key Professions booklet. Always remember that 3 grade As are not enough..... You need to show more. You need to be a broader candidate showing interest and commitment to your subject. There are no short cuts to success but we are here to help you all the way.

Welcome to our January Start students

A very warm welcome to everyone starting at CATS Canterbury in January. 

You will have had emails from us about the college and starting to get you used to what life is like here. Don't worry if it's  a bit overwhelming at first! For many of you it will be a new country, new food, new ways of working and it will take time to get used to it all! If you click on the emails we send you can get hold of all the emails we have sent including before you applied so you don't feel left out! Remember we are all here to help you and if you are stuck any anything please ask! 

To start with, download the CATS Canterbury App for iPhone or android. If you are in China, download it as soon as you have a UK phone. It has everything you need to know about the college on it and it's useful to refer to when you are stuck about anything!

If you are a Foundation student with high grades and aiming for LSE, Kings or very top universities you need to see Dawn Merriman  our university officer as soon as you arrive and she will help you with what you need to do as soon as you arrive. If you go to the St Lawrence Learning Centre you will find the UCAS office there. There is a map of the college  on the CATS Canterbury App if you want to see where things are and you will be given a hard copy when you arrive.

Remember we are all here to help you, and welcome to Canterbury!

Jonathan

Jonathan Ullmer MBE - Principal

Christmas approaches and university deadlines

Christmas is a great time to reflect and think of others in the middle of all the work all our students are doing. Many have completed university applications and already have offers - others are all expected to have all applications ready by the end of term before returning home. Our university officer is helping and advising students with any worries or questions, and those students arriving in January will be registered as soon as possible and have a later deadline. Any January start students taking UFP and heading to top London universities have been given work to do before their arrival as their applications need to be off in the middle of January. If you are applying to LSE, UCL or Kings please alert Dawn Merriman or the Principal so we can make sure January start UFP students are preparing the right things before they arrive!

To help you, you can now download the new CATS Canterbury Ap on Google and Android and this will give you direct links to a lot of really useful things to know

CATS Canterbury wins top Independent Schools Award

Well done to staff and students as the college wins the top award for Excellence and Innovation from the Independent Schools Association in the UK. The award reflects a lot of amazing work supporting students from all over the world as we help them on their journey to top UK and world universities.

Awards at CATS Canterbury

CATS Canterbury is shortlisted for the Independent Schools Awards and for the Award of Excellence and Innovation by the Independent Schools Association

IB and courses to take you to top universities

I am at the World IB Headteachers meeting in The Hague this weekend. Universities are increasingly dropping their point scores for IB as they value this qualification a great deal. Kings College London and Leeds are now asking for 35 and Birmingham 32 points. Ofqual - the UK qualifications framework has rated a 7 at IB as equivalent to A* at A level and a 6 as equivanent to an A. You can see why universities get so excited by IB... !

At CATS Cantebury we offer a full range of qualifications including A level, Foundation and IB - all of which have been great qualifications to get students into top universities. Clearly a two year course is always better than spending one year in the UK, but our one year Foundation course was the first ever in the UK and is now nearly 30 years old and sends students to the very top UK universities.

Staff here are always happy to talk about the differences between these three routes to university and remember CATS Canterbury is also an SAT Testing Centre and we prepare students for entry to universities across Canada and the USA too with SAT preparation sessions included as standard!

The new A levels at CATS Canterbury

Many people overseas are worried about the new changes to A levels which they may have heard about. You do not need to worry about this as we have it all in hand here in Canterbury. This year some of the A levels are new ones and some are the old ones. Universities treat them all the same and once the new A level subject is on line, the old course is withdrawn.

The main change coming is that A levels will become a 'terminal' exam with exams only at the end of the course - no more modules or exams half way through. This is exactly the same as IB which we have successfully run for many years here so this does not worry us at all. 

AS exams are still available but they no longer count towards the final A level so most good schools will no longer offer them. Schools that do will lose a whole half term of teaching with the exam no longer counting towards A level so it will waste students a lot of time which is better spent in lessons. We will offer a final end of year internal exam using A level papers and report on these grades to parents so you will know exactly what level your child is at - this is exactly what happens with our very successful IB course. This year we sent IB students to both Oxford and Cambridge so they are clearly at no disadvantage!

The other thing to be aware of is that most universities are no longer asking for four subjects at A level and taking three subjects will become the norm in the UK. Universities are not interested in lots of A levels - they want three at top grades. The main exception to this remains Further Maths and if students take this they will do Maths as well and so have four A levels. 

Students heading for top universities at CATS Canterbury will take the Extended Project Qualification (a research project top universities are very keen on) and a range of extra activities from our Key Professions Programme. This will give them a real head start in university applications and we have a very wide range of extra activities we expect students to do directly linked to their university applications. This is what will make the difference in a successful application to a top university.

So it's all systems go here at Canterbury! We are more than prepared and ready for any changes and with over 160 university visits here each year students get the chance to talk to universities directly and be reassured in everything we do here.

What you need to do to apply to university

Just a reminder that all students should now be thinking about their five university choices and working on their draft personal statements. Students who were here last year should have registered on UCAS already and have completed draft personal statements. Those new to the college will be doing these now. New universities are visiting each week and check your emails for latest news and visits. Queen Mary's are here soon and full details are on our Discovery Intranet. Medics and Oxbridge applications have already gone now and we are receiving our first offers and students have already been offered interviews at Oxford University - more news coming in every day!

You do not have to use all five choices on your UCAS form yet as if you change your mind about courses it's quite useful to have a choice in reserve you can make. Our Higher Education staff - Dan and Dawn are available to help you and the Principal is available every night if you are worried and need to talk to someone about your applications. Remember we are all here to help you.

Welcome to CATS and great to join in!

A warm welcome to our new and returning students - particularly our late arrivers who joined us after the start of term. You can see how fast moving it has all been already! We welcomed LSE in for small group meetings with students and then over 80 universities at our October University Fair including Imperial, Bath and Kings and overseas universities such as New York, Florida and Hong Kong. 

We were shortlisted for awards of Excellence by the Independent Schools Association and the Times for 2015 and won the International Schools Award. We celebrated the state visit to the UK of the President of China and students went on a half term trip to Paris - only two hours from Canterbury! More trips are planned next year to Morocco and Poland as we celebrate being part of such an amazing world. We had House competitions for the best Halloween decorations and fun trips to Thorpe Park...!

In the middle of this we soon approach November 11th where in the UK we keep two minutes silence to remember all those around the world who have died as a result of war. The Queen leads the tributes in London and it's a time to reflect on the peace and stability we enjoy which cost many people their lives to create for us. Let's all remember how lucky we are and on the 11th remember all those who have died as a result of war  and be thankful for the full lives and peace we all enjoy while we focus on our studies in the UK.