Our mission is to provide a rigorous and transformational education that prepares our pupils for success at university and beyond. Over the two years you spend studying in sixth form, you will be prepared academically by your teachers for success in your academic qualifications.
The Access Project (TAP)
King Solomon Academy is part of The Access Project, a charity which provides free academic tutoring and in school mentoring to students who have the potential to attend a selective university after Sixth Form. The Access Project provides support to young people who may not otherwise have access to the support they need to reach their full potential and who are from backgrounds that are underrepresented at the UK’s top universities. KSA pupils have the opportunity to be part of The Access Project during your time in Years 10, 11, 12 and 13.
There are 20 spaces on the programme in each year group. There is a dedicated University Access Officer in school who organises your tuition and provides you with the information, guidance and mentoring pupils need to gain a place at a top university.
If pupils successfully gain a place on the programme, they will be allocated a volunteer, academic tutor and will be expected to attend weekly one-to-one tutorials online or at the tutor’s place of work. By communicating professionally with their tutor, pupils will also develop your communication skills and their understanding of a workplace.
Pupils are offered in-school mentoring sessions, either as a workshop or as a one-to-one where they are provided with guidance on the university process. This includes support with choosing courses, researching and choosing universities and writing personal statements. Participants also receive termly newsletters with opportunities for work experience and university taster courses that you can apply for.
All of this support and guidance, alongside in school university and careers supports, helps participants to make the best application to university for the course that they want to study. This is a fantastic opportunity for KSA pupils to gain extra support in a subject and to strengthen future university applications.
Should you have any questions please speak to our University Access Officer, Ruby Tapper.
Oxbridge Programme
Students who have exceptional prior attainment at GCSE will be invited to be part of the Oxbridge Programme in our Sixth Form. The group takes part in a range of additional activities across the year to prepare for the additional demands of an application to Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
Our Oxbridge programme prepares students to apply to the top universities by covering three key areas:
- Understanding elite academic institutions and how to apply
- Excelling academically at A level and achieving an A* grade
- Wider academic reading and research
Students on the Oxbridge programme will take part in trips and academic sessions across the year provided by the school, as well as gaining support through Ark’s Project Oxbridge and The Access Project’s Oxbridge Society. They will receive mock interview support, assistance with revising for their admissions tests and suggested reading lists to support them with their application.
University Links
K+
K+ is run by King's College London. It is a two-year programme of events, activities and academic workshops created to help support your university application and provide the skills you need to reach your potential as an undergraduate student. Students who successfully complete the programme are eligible for the K+ variable offer to study at King's worth up to two A-level grades lower than the standard offer (excluding medicine and dentistry). One of the highlights of K+ is the Spotlight Summer School. It’s a free, non-residential programme packed full of exciting activities. There are specific criteria you need to meet for your application to be considered, so check these before you apply.
Reading Scholars
The Reading Scholars programme aims to give Year 12 students a real taste of life as a university undergraduate, and to provide practical support as participants begin their Higher Education application process. Featuring input from leading academics and current undergraduate mentors, the programme will challenge participants academically and enhance current studies. Students who successfully take part in the Scholars programme who go on to apply for an undergraduate course at the University of Reading are guaranteed to receive either an invite to interview or a conditional offer. Applicants who go on to select the University of Reading as their firm choice institution are also eligible to apply for a £1000 Scholars bursary in their first year.
Realising Opportunities
The Realising Opportunities (RO) Programme has been designed to give your students support through their post 16 studies and to provide them with information and guidance to help them make informed decisions about their future. The RO Programme allows students to demonstrate that they have the potential to study at a research-intensive university and by successfully completing the RO Programme they will be eligible for any alternative offers they may receive from the RO universities. Universities involved in the programme include: Warwick, Kings and Manchester to name a few.
UCL Summer Challenge
Summer Challenge is a programme of subject specific courses for Year 12 students attending state schools in or near London, whose parents have not been to university, and who are academically high achieving.
There are a number of courses on offer in a diverse range of STEM and humanities subjects, all taught by UCL academics and PhD students. During the course of the programme, students must complete a piece of work to be graded by their tutor. Summer Challenge encourages critical thinking and debate, and gives students valuable practice at crafting academic essays, which can be used during A-Level and university study.
“It was challenging! I chose Neurology and it was hard to learn in a new format. The lectures made me feel like a university student and made me feel more enthusiastic about attending university and the university style of learning.” Susan, Class of 2018