At Blue Coat we believe that there should be no limits placed on student aspiration and we encourage and support our highest achievers in their applications to Oxford, Cambridge and Ivy League universities.

Raise Aspirations

Not every student who comes to this school is aware of the opportunities available to them beyond our gates. Our Greater Depth sessions are designed to widen horizons. We make students aware of Universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, we help them to follow the behaviours of successful applicants.

Supercurriculum

Supercurricular activities are those that take your regular curriculum further. They take the subjects you study in the classroom beyond that which your teacher has taught you or what you’ve done for homework. Examples of supercurricular activities are attending a club, watching a TED talk, reading a book on the subject or keeping your own blog. We introduce students to a range of supercurricular activities that they can participate in.

Competitions

Competitions and Olympiads are a great way to improve in your chosen area.  You are competing not just against your classmates, but against a national or international field.  Over the course of the year, every department will offer a range of competitions suitable for students from year 7 to year 13. Students are encouraged to enter, everything from designing an advert for a holiday resort to essays on Shakespeare or physics Olympiads. 

Events

Blue Coat hosts a number of events throughout the year.  Visits from colleges and universities, sessions on the application process and writing personal statements.  We also arrange a number of trips and visits ourselves: Oxbridge information days at Haydock Park, Oxford and Cambridge open days, attending lectures, theatre performances and musical events.

Support from Year 12

Our extensive Oxbridge support programme begins when students are in Year 12 and includes residential trips, visits to both universities, support with specialist admissions tests, personal statements and interview preparation.

Oxbridge Support Programme

Click here for more information on applying to University of Oxford.

Click here for more information on applying to University of Cambridge.