This year, 26 students have joined us from other schools, deciding to complete their A levels with us. We typically get a few students like this, but this year’s number is record breaking. We absolutely welcome these students to our college, the vast majority of whom will be incredibly successful here, but the reasons behind this influx are becoming increasingly apparent.
We interview every one of our students as part of the application process to determine their academic goals and educational requirements, and what’s been particularly prevalent is the similarity of motivations behind many of these students’ move.
There’s an overriding lack of confidence in the provision that their previous school provides and in turn these students are concerned that they’re just not getting the support that’s required to do their very best. Here at Brampton, our primary aim is the individual welfare of each of our students. From day one we develop a very personalised educational plan with an emphasis on individual support and mentoring to help identify students’ needs on an on-going basis. As well as one-on-one support, we also offer weekly tutorials in all subjects to review coursework and tests, discuss areas of difficulty and to prepare and build confidence for exams.
The other comment, mentioned many times, was that these students just felt lost within the large class sizes. They find the class sizes here at Brampton very small in comparison, with our average of just seven. This intimate size improves individualized student-teacher interactions and aids student learning. We also closely monitor students’ progress in a way that is unique and more rigorous than in most other establishments. Weekly or fortnightly tests are an integral feature of all courses and a critical factor in the success of their students. They identify areas of weakness and help students gain the confidence and techniques for succeeding in exams. Heads of Department supervise progress using these weekly test and homework marks, and these records are then passed on to each student’s Personal Tutor to discuss with them in their weekly meeting. The Principal and Vice Principals also meet every week to discuss student performance, which means action can be taken if a student is making insufficient progress towards achieving their aims.
It’s this individual attention and support within a relaxed and friendly environment that is our winning formula. We’re delighted that these students are reassured and confident about their move here and we wish them a successful year with us.
