Competitive Courses Programme

Russell Group applications

At St Mary’s, Menston, we have an excellent track record of enabling sixth form students to secure places at the most competitive universities across the UK, often including places at Oxford and Cambridge. Out of last year’s cohort, 49% of students going on to university went on to study at a Russell Group university – a group of 24 world-class, research-intensive universities (find out more here). Our academic success has also been recognised by a Leeds Live article and a Sunday Times ranking placing St Mary’s as 5th in the ‘Top Comprehensive Schools’ in the North, ranking higher than any other local secondary school.

The most academic students

Through our Competitive Courses programme, we work closely with the most academic students in the school to inspire, inform and support them to secure places at top institutions or on the most competitive courses, including medicine, dentistry and veterinary sciences. This programme includes visits, talks and workshops as well as bespoke individual guidance and feedback around course choices, enrichment opportunities, and application and interview support. See examples below of what the programme involves.

Programme offer

The activities offered to students include:

	Engage with big questions and complex ideas to be inspired: Oxplore \| The Home of Big Questions, Aeon \| a world of ideas, The Conversation, Cambridge Essay Competitions
	In-school talks/workshops by University of Cambridge admissions officer, Selwyn College
	EPQ, MOOCs and Super-Curricular – individual guidance and support through your EPQ tutor or your subject/faculty leader to find aspirational and academically challenging super-curricular courses/projects, e.g. Historia Lectures \| Faculty of History (ox.ac.uk), Extracurricular resources & inspiration \| Faculty of English (ox.ac.uk) or 2024 competition - RGS
	https://www.futurelearn.com/
	InvestIn: interactive virtual work experience programme
	HE+ Programme for Year 12 Module 1: Preparing for university, Module 2: Learning beyond the curriculum, Module 3: HE+ Project
	ZeroGravity: masterclasses and mentoring programme
	Unifrog: subject and oxbrdige-specific courses and guidance, from interview and application support to super-curricular resources
	William Akroyd Foundation Scholarship - late November / early December 2024 – essay competition Residential visit to University of Oxford, Worcester College
	Residential visit to University of Oxford, Worcester College
	Support accessing Subject Masterclasses to find out more about studying specific subjects at Cambridge: Subject Masterclasses
	Leeds Salon Schools Debating Competition: build your knowledge and your skills