Aspire

All students participating in the Programme will be encouraged to take action to extend and deepen their subject expertise and, where appropriate, go beyond the limit of the subject specifications.  

Opportunities to do this include themed lectures, workshops, research groups, HE style presentations, webinars, wider reading, practical tasks and super curricular enrichment groups. 

This wider knowledge and understanding will help you to stand out from the crowd when making applications to elite destinations and also in some cases offer the opportunity to make connections.

In 2024:

65% of students went on to Higher Education

82.8% were placed at their first choice university

We provide the following support for students wishing to progress onto Higher Education:

• Each student is assigned a Personal Tutor who supports them with their UCAS application and writes their reference

• Personal statement support, workshops and feedback from our fantastic careers department, team of Personal Tutors and experiences subject teams.

• Preparation for applications and admissions tests to the top HE destinations and competitive courses

• Interview guidance and mock interviews with both external and internal specialists and in some cases Farnborough alumni 

• Open Days, online activities, talks and HE Exhibition visits.

Extra Curricular Opportunities

We offer a wide range of opportunities to stretch and challenge our students who are aiming for elite destinations. Participating  in these activities is a good way of making your application stand out! 

Recent examples where  students from Farnborough have excelled:

• UK Maths Challenge

• Biology, Physics and Chemistry Olympiads

• Oxford Big Think Competition

• Royal Society of Chemistry Analyst Challenge (practical competition)

• Debating competitions (e.g. Great Debate and Oxford Schools Debating Competition)

We also have a variety of student-run societies with guest speakers, student presentations and extra practicals. These include:

• Biology society

• Chemistry society

• Physics society

• Medic society

• Vet society

• History society

We offer support to students applying for universities and courses where getting high predicted grades isn't enough.  This is predominantly Oxford and Cambridge (Oxbridge), but also applies to Imperial College for science subjects, the London School of Economics for humanities/social sciences and Warwick University for maths. These universities often have entrance exams and technical interviews. 

In 2024:

• Over 100 students applied to Oxbridge

• 52% of applicants received an interview (vs 40% nationally)

• 24% of applicants received a place (vs 17% nationally)

We provide support for students aspiring to Oxbridge throughout their two years here. This includes:

• Regular face to face sessions giving information and guidance with a dedicated tutor

• Expert guidance through the UCAS process tailored to Oxbridge

• Entrance exam preparation support

• Interview preparation support

• A mock interview

• Super curricular enrichement activities, clubs and societies

• Discussion groups

• Peer to peer support workshops

• External speakers

• Trips and visits

• Work experience

In 2024:

Medicine - 62% of applicants received offers (vs 40% nationally)

Veterinary medicine - 83% of applicants received offers (vs 50% nationally)

Students wishing to go into this field of work are fully supported throughout their two years at Farnborough including:

• Provision of a dedicated Google classroom area where key information is shared and opportunities are advertised

• Lunchtime sessions on successful UCAS applications, UCAT entrance exam preparation and personal statements

• Application support and guidance from medical applications specialist

• University run interview workshop

• A mock interview

At Farnborough students are independent learners who are taught how to take ownership of their learning and be masters of the subjects that they are studying.

65% of students progress onto university after completing their studies with us and of that figure around 30% go on to Russell Group universities.  

The foundations built during their time at Farnborough enable students to progress onto great things with 92.9%  being awarded either a first or upper second class honours degree at Russell Group universities compared to 88.4% in the state sector and 92% in the independent sector. 

Each year a number of Farnborough students progress to prestigious arts destinations or conservatoires.  Support for these applications is provided by our very experienced subject teams 

Our Art & Design department offers comprehensive portfolio guidance. Staff work closely with students, providing  advice and support. Additionally, we host workshops  from renowned institutions like the University of Arts London and the University of Creative Arts, offering invaluable insights into portfolio requirements. To further enrich the experience, we invite professionals from prestigious universities and creative fields to discuss their subjects and share their expertise on the application process.

For students interested pursuing drama at university or a Conservatoire we provide one to one support for the preparation of audition pieces.  Students can also join the LAMDA acting enrichment programme which includes working with a visiting examiner.

Elite sports

Students who are working towards elite sporting destinations are supported throughout their time at College.  Those who are already involved in elite clubs and academies may be given concessions with lessons to allow them to train.

Each year we host a dedicated 'Careers in Sport Day' to enable students to research options for their ongoing progression into sports based careers.

A number of our alumni have taken up US college sports scholarship places and we have provided assistance throughout the application process.

We have supported students looking to go down the US college routes and into sports scholarships. 

The sports and PE department at Farnborough has many contacts in the sports industry for example in sports media and coaching so we can provide students with access to mentors and industry professionals.

For those considering continuing their sporting studies in HE, we have links with specialist universities who can advise our students on pathways and options .  Find out more here . 

Degree Apprenticeships are becoming an increasingly popular choice for students once they finish at College.  At Farnborough we ensure that students are familiar with all of the options that they have available to them, we hold two large careers events each year where businesses and education providers come into the College.  Through these events students can identify possible apprenticeship opportunities, work experience or even a business mentor.