Higher Education

Here at Richmond Park Academy, we are already connected with various Russell Group universities giving our students an experience of University life to prepare them for further and higher education. Richmond Park Academy has run activities with a variety of universities, including: -

Cambridge - Oxford - Imperial - UCL - St George's University London - Middlesex - St Mary's University College - Roehampton University - Royal Holloway - The University of Sussex - Goldsmiths University - Kingston University - Greenwich University

Get started Early with the Oxford Scholastica Academy University Preparation tool

Oxford Scholastica academics have developed a free tool for students aged 15-18 who would like guidance on how to maximise their chances of getting into their top-choice university.

To access your free personalised report, go to https://www.oxfordscholastica.com/report/ and fill in a short 5 minute questionnaire.

Your Report will include: -

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) - extracurricular learning for free

In support of your learning, applications, and broader interests, there are thousands of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) which you can work through, as well as accessing lectures or course materials.

Use the links below to access a vast and varied knowledge base to expand your areas of interest.

Staircase 12 - MOOC-list - iTunesU - Future Learn - Udacity - Coursera - EdX - MIT OpenCourseWare - The Conversation - Nrich Maths - Advanced Mathematics Support Programme - IHeartIntelligence - Udemy  - MyHE+

Why super curricular?

Universities are interested to know whether applicants are engaged with their chosen subjects beyond what is essential for their qualifications. 6th formers can engage independently with latest developments in their chosen area, by using industry publications, such as these journals listed...

Direct experiences of university

6th form students have the opportunity to visit universities with their peers and independently, as well as take part in online events.

University rankings and latest news

The Times Higher Education website collates latest news and discussion relating to higher education. The Russell Group Universities are 24 research-intensive universities which are highly competitive for entry.

The Complete University Guide University League Tables 2024 rank universities using; entry requirements, student satisfaction, research and prospects.

The Guardian has produced its 2024 University League tables for universities in the United Kingdom. The Times Higher Education (THE) publication, has produced its World University Rankings 2022 as well as European University rankings.

The THE also produced it's Impact Rankings 2021. These universities represent the greatest hope of solving some of the world’s biggest challenges. The THE Impact Rankings are shines a light on the commitment of universities around the world to making a positive social and economic impact through their work towards the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Pure Potential is an online resource, written by graduates, for 6th form students looking to find support for their next steps to university, or into working life.

Compare student experiences of university

Websites such as; the Times Higher Education, Student Satisfaction Survey 2020 and Student Hub ranks universities according to students satisfaction.

Dental and Medical applicants 

Students with a desire to train at Medical or Dental school can find affordable events and courses through Medtalk. Various other organisations such as TheMedicPortal also offer events and courses for a fee. Many medical schools also offer opportunities to students from backgrounds underrepresented at university and in the medical profession.

Oxford and Cambridge University

Here at RPA, we are paired with Oriel College at Oxford University,  and Homerton College at Cambridge University, and our students benefit from these direct links.

Students can apply for direct experiences at these two world class universities through events and summer schools. Cambridge University Open Days are advertised on their website, as are the Oxford University UniQ and Outreach Events. Places at both universities are highly competitive so students need to apply early for events. The Oxbridge Applications website has some free resources which students can register to access, in order to assist with preparation for an Oxford or Cambridge application.

Homerton College, Cambridge has a few useful links for prospective students: -

Along with these, identified 6th formers have the chance to take part in preparation programmes run by local organisations with a strong history of sending students to Oxford and Cambridge universities.

International applicants 

UKCISA is the UK Council for International Student Affairs. If you are an RPA student from overseas, and applying to a UK university, this website may be a source of support for you.

UCAS Tariff Points

UCAS have put together this PDF to show what UCAS tariff points are, and how much your qualifications are worth.

Entry Requirement search tools for university 

Students can browse the subjects guide on What Uni and filter results according to  entry requirements and more.

Discover Uni has data on nearly every university and their courses. 

Contextual Offers

The Sutton Trust 2024 contextual offers tool is useful to determine whether you might be eligible for a lower grade offer than the grades advertised (based upon certain criteria). 

Selecting your degree

SACU-Student has a degree matching tool which helps students match their A Level subjects to degree subjects.

If you're looking for course information or considering which university runs the course you want, visit the UCAS website to help with your search. 

Alternatives to University: Sponsored Degrees, Degree Apprenticeships, Higher Apprenticeships & professional traineeships

Sponsored Degrees and Student Sponsorship. Aren't they all the same thing? Find your answers in this article on the AllAboutCareers website. Degree Apprenticeships are another option for students to gain direct industry experience whilst studying for a degree.

Find a degree, higher apprenticeship or higher technical qualification


Examples of Degree Apprenticeships offered by various employers


Let the Young Professionals app help you find apprenticeships, degree apprenticeships and other opportunities and events for your new career.

Kickstart my Career is a range of courses written by young people ages 18-24 for young people. The courses cover: Professional Profile, Applications, Interviews and Next Steps and you can buy the course individually for £29

What to do with your degree & graduate employers

If you are wondering what kind of salary you might have after studying a particular degree, or the type of career you might get into, visit the Prospects site Options with your subject for an overview of degree sectors and what graduates can go to to after course completion.

Additionally, you can visit What do graduates do? for their 2021/22 report with up to date statistics about graduate employment, six months after completing university.

Once students have graduated there are plenty of graduate employment schemes available. Target Jobs publishes The UK 300 for the most popular graduate employers.

Budgeting and applying for Student Finance

You can use the UCAS Budgeting tool to plan your monthly budget for university. Money Saving Expert has a Mythbuster for students, and Save The Student has an array of useful tools for students planning ahead for university.

Apply for student finance through the Student Finance England website before 31st May for courses starting between August-December.

You can apply for: -

Scholarships & Bursaries

Check out TheScholarshipHub for UK scholarships, grants or bursaries available for UK/EU students. Scholarships available based on a wide range of eligibility criteria, such as academic merit, financial need, special skills and abilities, what your parents do, where you live and more. Read the Scholarships Fact Sheet. Additionally the Mo app helps students to source grants and scholarships suitable for them.

Blackbullion - this scholarships app is free for students to use and allows you to check if you are eligible for scholarships.

The Guardian have produced a list of universities which offer some of the best scholarships (published in 2015) and the BBC published an article in August 2016 about 10 Alternative Ways to fund your degree.

Easyfundraising allows friends and family to add to your uni funds when they shop online, at no extra cost to them.

Local organisations who offer bursaries or scholarships are: Barnes Workhouse Fund (for SW13 residents) and Richmond Parish Lands Charity (for TW9, TW10, SW14 and SW13 residents).

For disabled students (Physical health, mental health, specific learning difficulty), the Government offers information for financial support.

Repayment of loans

You can use the Student Finance Calculator to see how much you will really pay as a result of university tuition fees. 

This table shows what your repayments could be, once you are earning. You'll repay the same amount each month, depending on what you earn.

Fees: Discussion

The BBC discusses tuition fees for universities in the USA and asks the question: Is it really worth it?

Writing a Personal Statement for UCAS

This 37 minute video from experts at Imperial College London covers how to make your personal statement stand out above the rest.

Roehampton University website has tips for writing a personal statement for UCAS.

UCAS have put together a series of tips for Personal Statements by SUBJECT

Personal Statement Builders 

These tools are available to help kick-start the process of writing a statement: 

Clearing

For any Year 13 students concerned that they may miss their required grades for university, UCAS and WhatUni show courses available through Clearing. Clearing is open between July and mid-October and courses with available spaces are updated on these websites from July onward.

Studying Overseas

For students considering studying abroad: -

Parents' Guide

For parents who are planning ahead, the HE Parents Guide offers clear and concise information for parents about: -

Students requiring extra support

UniFish is a disability support services directory for young people who have additional needs and are applying to university. 

EmployAbility assist 6th formers, university students and graduates who are disabled, have long-term illnesses, mental health issues or dyslexia - to smooth their transition into the workplace.

The company offers free guidance and advice on: recruitment, transition into the workplace, disclosing your disability, writing an effective CV and success at interviews and assessment centre exercises.

The company also help individuals to gain internships, work placements and graduate opportunities with companies such as: Google, Goldman Sachs, Reed Smith, National Audit Office, FCA, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Shell, Morgan Stanley.

Gap Years