30+ SESSIONS! * 40+ SPEAKERS! * ONLINE * RECORDED FOR CATCH UP
UCAS BRIEFING 2024/2025 ENTRIES: PERSONAL STATEMENT CHANGES, REFERENCES + HUB DEVELOPMENTS
Sam Sykes, Digital Learning Manager, UCAS
Sam always provides an extremely helpful update for delegates on what heads of sixth need to know about developments at UCAS.
The session will feature a last minute clarification on the new reference format, and Sam will have a break-out for your questions on this area, before centres have to start using it in September for '24 entry,
Sam will share where UCAS are at with the proposed new personal statement format as well as what tutors need to know about the way the UCAS Hub is becoming even more a helpful for students.
UCAS should also be able to share their latest developments with apprenticeship support
T-LEVEL FUNDING - WHAT'S AVAILABLE IN THE NEW GUIDANCE?
Jonathan Jones, Director, MAC Construction Consultants
Many centres will be embarking on the T Level journey with the defunding of large BTEC and Applied General Qualifications from 2025.
This session will outline the recent changes to the funding guidance regarding capital bids to offer specialised T Level teaching areas.
A SYSTEMATIC, STAGED and RESOURCED APPROACH TO INTERVENTION ACROSS YOUR SIXTH FORM
Cameron Scott, Assistant Head of Sixth Form, The Bulmershe School
Who should be delivering intervention - teachers, tutors, sixth form management? What sort of system and stages should be in place to 'manage' the process?
Cameron will outline his staged and systematic approach to intervention which ties the key agents together as well as a simple system schools can use to record the process.
A very practical, resource driven session which will also come with a resource pack to deliver intervention which tackles to suit of concerns associated with under-performance.
HOW CAN WE BETTER SUPPORT STUDENTS TAKING SINGLE VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS WITH 2 A-LEVELS AFTER LARGE BTEC PROGRAMMES ARE DEFUNDED IN 2025?
Find out what centres are doing in this collaborative session
How will centres be supporting students who, unable to under-take a large BTEC programme from 2025, are left with very little alternative but to take a BTEC National Certificate (or the like) along with two A-Levels?
What curriculum model and entry criteria will be developed to maximise success? What systems of support will need to be in place?
Find out from various centres who will outline their approaches to address the issues.
UCAS APPLICATIONS IN A COMPETITIVE CLIMATE: WHAT DOES IT IT MEAN FOR YOUR STUDENTS?
Elliot Newstead, University of Leicester plus other panellists
Elliot will share data on the increasing number of students who are projected to be making post 18 choices over this decade.
The implications are significant and will have an significant impact on competition for places and therefore on the need to advise students accordingly.
We will be attempting to provide a presentation that delegates can re-use in their centre with their tutors, staff and students.
POST 16 RSE PROGRAMMES - APPROACHES TO TACKLING THE ISSUES OF PORNOGRAPHY AND SENDING NUDE IMAGES
Elena Michael, Co-founder, Not Your Porn
These topics are simply not one's many sixth form leaders and tutors feel are easily addressed - yet they both need to be!
This session aims to provide guidance on approaches to tackling these challenging areas so that your RSE programme is as relevant to students as it can be and the approach to address the issue are based on professional, research-based guidance.
'EMOTIONAL HACK': HAPPINESS, SADNESS, FEAR, ANGER, DISGUST - USING 'EMOTIONAL LOGIC' TO HELP CHANGE A STUDENT'S PROBLEM BEHAVIOUR
Johnathan Lane, former Head of Sixth Form, Wyedean School and Sixth Form Centre
We know them when we feel them but why do we feel them? They shape our decisions but who's in control: us or the emotion? How do we make better choices?
We all have students who struggle with decisions. Some avoid while others shout and swear; some self-harm and others self-sabotage. How can we help students change for the better and make it stick?
Johnathan will give a fresh perspective on how emotions shape the lives of our students and how to help them - and ourselves - make better decisions.
His approach is called 'Emotional Logic', and it's a framework that anyone can follow.
POST-16 POLICY UPDATE: WHAT DO HEADS OF SIXTH FORM NEED TO KNOW: APPLIED GENERAL RE-APPROVAL, INSPECTION AND FUNDING and the 'ENGLISH BACC' AT POST 16
Kevin Gilmartin, Post 16 specialist, ASCL
We have asked Kevin back for another really informative briefing given, so much is happening at post 16!
The content will be guided by the latest announcements as we get close to the conference date and will reflect the thinking of not just the government but also Labour Party policy so that delegates can get a picture of where there could be policy shifts and where there might not be any significant shift at all - in the situation of there being a change of government after the next election.
Expect an update on defunding of BTECs and Applied Generals Qualifications, English Bacc at Post 16, maths to 18 (what is the state of play?), T Level roll-out and what new T levels are coming, and changes in higher education policy.
UNIVERSITY PANEL: ASK YOUR QUESTIONS TO A RANGE OF EXPERIENCED RECRUITMENT AND ADMISSIONS OFFICERS
Various University Panellists from 10+ universities
Ask your questions to nearly 20 universities from all over the country and different tariff tiers. What is their position on T Level entry to their university? What are they expecting in terms of increased levels of competition? How can they support schools under their bespoke Access and Participation Plans submitted to Office for Students by May 2023?
HIGH QUALITY POST 16 TEACHING AND LEARNING: WHAT CAN VERY BUSY SIXTH FORM TEACHERS DO TO HELP
Michael Senior, Founder, Net Sixth Form and former Director of Sixth Form
What can heads of sixth do to help support the development of teaching and learning at post 16 through without it being yet another area to add to workload? This session will outline some practical approaches that will help heads of sixth have an input to T&L at post 16 without being an onerous task...and yet can have a huge impact on spreading good practice.
RSE - APPROACHING THE ISSUE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE : ADDRESSING SOME OF THE KEY ISSUES
Jamie O'Connell, co-Founder Life Lessons
Jamie will be delivering this important session on prevention of sexual violence: a topic that increasingly is being addressed under inspection scrutiny.
The session will outline research into teaching sexual violence prevention in schools and best practice approaches to teaching sexual violence prevention and RSE in schools
OFSTED BRIEFING: LEARNING FROM RECENT INSPECTIONS
Heads of Sixth Panel - recently inspected
These sessions have proved very popular at the conference where delegates learn from those who have been recently inspected with their practical tips and up-to-date feedback.
STUDENT FINANCE - 2023 ENTRY AND BEYOND - WHAT YOUR TUTORS AND STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT KEY CHANGES
Ahmar Ehsan, Funding Information Services, Student Loans Company
A key overview so that you can brief your tutors and students on what's changing
Key changes to interest rates and repayment thresholds as well as those from 2027;
Key changes to Disability Allowances when attending university;
Key changes to the Student Loans Company portal for students and parents;
Key changes to residency status that will impact on student loan funding.
MASCULINITY AND MISOGYNY: HOW TO CREATE A SIXTH FORM CULTURE OF RESPECT
Peter Radford, PSHE/RSE Speaker, Beyond This
In this session Peter Radford will highlight the key harmful messages young men are absorbing from online influencers and their impact on people of all genders. With essential advice for teachers and tutors, this will provide a framework and strategic approach for upskilling your tutor team to confidently challenge misogyny and create rights-respecting classroom cultures.
RAISING ATTAINMENT: CLOSING GAPS BETWEEN 'HELPs' and 'LELPs'
Shanti Healy, Head of Sixth Form, Sydenham School
As a former Lead Practitioner for A Levels, Shanti has brought this experience to her role as a Head of Sixth Form.
This session will show how Heads of Sixth can introduce a curriculum-wide programme of study skills so that all students are equipped for academic success, reducing the need for large-scale intervention later.
The system also differentiates between LELPs (low effort, low performing) and HELPs (high effort, low performing) students who will need different strategies to support them.
HOW CAN UNIVERSITIES SUPPORT SCHOOLS IN CONTRIBUTING TO THE SKILLS NEEDS?
Shona Jenner-Watford, Schools and Colleges Engagement Officer, University of Exeter
At the government's request, Ofsted are currently carrying out a thematic review of careers guidance. One of the questions they're aiming to answer is: 'To what extent do schools and further education and skills providers ensure that careers education contributes to local, regional and national opportunities and skills needs?'
Related to this, we know the government are focused on skills needs - namely in terms of reforming technical education and ensuring schools promote technical pathways. But did you know that universities can support schools with this agenda?
This session will look at how to identify skills needs and how universities can help schools address these within their careers programmes. We will cover degree apprenticeships alongside other possibilities.
GETTING STARTED WITH T LEVELS
Gemma Evans, Head of Sixth Form, University of Lincoln Academy Trust
Many centres will be embarking on the T Level journey with the defunding of large BTEC and Applied General Qualifications from 2025.
Gemma will outline what the sort of facilities look like in order to run a T Level and then Gemma will outline the pre-recorded advice from a number of centres which have set up T Levels successfully. The advice offers depth and detail to help centres get started with T Levels. The recorded advice can be more easily shared with other members from your centre who will also benefit from the experience and guidance.
HELPING SCHOOLS SUPPORT THE WELLBEING OF YOUNG PEOPLE
Leah Iles, CEO mdeducational foundation
mdeducational foundation is a charity that provides support to students in schools across the UK and Ireland and they have partnered with Net Sixth Form to help promote a fully funded Wellbeing Lead across post 16 centres throughout the UK
Funding the placement of Wellbeing Leads into post-16 settings will provide much needed support for student wellbeing through such a vital stage of their education and beyond.
NEW UCAS REFERENCE FORMAT - ADVICE FROM THE UNIFROG PLATFORM
Charley Fowler, UK Education Lead and Area Manager, Unifrog
Unifrog work with so many centres they are well positioned to share what centres are doing about the new reference format.
Charley will also share how the Unifrog platform has been adapted to facilitate the new reference format for each of the three sections.
My Tutor: 16-19 Tuition Fund in 2023-24 and how online tutoring can support your students
Speaker TBC
This session will provide an update about how schools are using the 16-19 tuition fund to support their students so delegates get an idea of what other centres are doing.
My Tutor will also outline how tutoring is having an impact on outcomes.
SUPPORTING DISADVANTAGED SIXTH FORMERS
Speaker, Alex O'Connor, Student Talent Lead at Zero Gravity
Zero Gravity offers completely free online mentoring support for disadvantaged sixth form students who have the potential to aim for the UK's top universities.
This session will include a case study from a centre that has made effective use of the free mentoring provided by Zero Gravity so delegates can get an idea of what to do back in their centre.
Alex will outline how to access the free mentoring, share what's involved to support students as well as show delegates how easy the process is to get your students involved.
OPTIONS FOR CENTRES NEEDING MORE CHOICE FOR STUDENTS UNABLE TO CHOOSE LARGE BTEC PROGRAMMES FROM 2025
Peter Fidczuk, Development and Recognition Manager, UK and Ireland, IBO
This extended session has been pre-recorded for delegates to watch either on the day or on catch-up. Many people will know of the IB programme but it isn't popular knowledge that there are A-Level equivalent modules within the IB programme that can be blended with a single Alternative Academic Qualification (AAQ) from 2025 which might prove a more accessible route for students.
Michael Senior quizzed Peter from International Baccalaureate Organization on their options for providing alternatives to A Levels so that delegates can consider whether adopting some elements of IB modules (which involve more coursework than many traditional A-Levels) along with their career related programme can be helpful route for students not able to take up T levels or a a large BTEC or equivalent programme.
