Here, you will find a combination of virtual and in-person opportunities from the University and College Sectors. We ask students and their parents to research fully any opportunities advertised on the noticeboard to ensure they are happy with the organisation they are linking with and its value for money if there is a cost.
Notices & Key Dates
UCAS Key Dates Timeline for 2025 and 2026 Applications.
Find an Open Day – Open days are an important way to learn about how a subject is taught and what you will study, from course tutors. Our advice is to prioritise course talks over general talks. If time/money are a constraint you can learn a lot from visiting local universities. If you are on the Sixth Form bursary, you can request that school helps with the costs, please talk to Mr Brown or Lucy.
Student Finance Applications We recommend that students make their student finance application as early as possible. They should avoid waiting until they get their exam results. Students should apply for student finance based on their first-choice (Firm). They can easily change this before their studies start. The most important thing is to get the application in!
Featured Notices
Aspiring Professionals Programme by Social Mobility Foundation – 2026 Applications are now open! Support while applying for universities, degree apprenticeships and help navigating the professional world. Eligibility criteria applies. Closing date Friday 12th December at 12pm.
UAT – UK admissions tests
UAT-UK offers three different admissions tests for entry into top UK universities including UCL, University of Cambridge and ICL
- ESAT (Engineering and Science Admissions Test)
- TARA (Test of Academic Reasoning for University Admission)
- TMUA (Test of Mathematics for University Admission)
Make sure you book by 29th September 2025
*Separate deadlines apply for candidates requiring access arrangements*
Upcoming Test Dates:
ESAT: 9th/10th October 2025
TMUA: 13th/14th October 2025
TARA: 15th/16th October 2025
Find out More on the UAT website (external URL)
UCAT Essentials
The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) is an admissions test, used by a consortium of UK and partner Universities to help select applicants to their medical and dental degree programmes.
Find out more on the UCAT Website (external URL)
Oxbridge Focus
University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge Website
University of Cambridge Events Page
22nd October 2025 – My Cambridge Application Deadline
Complete timeline of dates and deadlines for Cambridge applicants
Think Cambridge Webinar Series
Think Cambridge 2026 is a week-long series of webinars aimed at inspiring Year 11 and 12 students to think about applying to Cambridge. We also welcome teachers and supporters, and parents and advisors to join webinars, which will give you all the tools you will need to support a Year 11 or 12 future applicant.
The series runs from the end of January 2026. Each session is hosted virtually and consists of a presentation, comment from our student ambassadors and additional visual elements. Sessions will be recorded and these will be sent to registered guests up to 48 hours after the session has concluded. This will allow students to watch the session that they are unable to attend at a later date.
For the full list of webinars, and the booking form, please see the Think Cambridge webpage.
Y12 Access and Application Support Programme 2026 – Widening Participation
Our Y12 programme is returning again for 2026, and we are delighted to announce that this year we have partnered with Tutorbility again to provide tutoring for participants, in addition to a series of online sessions and an overnight stay in Cambridge. This programme is aimed at Y12 students who are considering applying to a competitive university, and is designed to support them with making informed decisions and building competitive applications, as well as getting a taste of university life.
To be eligible, students must be:
- A current Year 12 student interested in studying at a competitive university
- Predicted/On track for grades of AAB or higher at A Level (or equivalent at IB)
- A student at a state school within our link area in North East of England, specifically Northumberland, County Durham, Hartlepool, Darlington, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar and Cleveland, York, Hull, and the East Riding of Yorkshire.
More information and the application form can be found on our website here.
Applications Open November 2025
University of Oxford
University of Oxford website
Step by Step guide to applying to Oxford Read More
The Aim for Oxford Scheme, Aim for Oxford is a free-of-charge programme for Year 12 students attending state schools in the North East of England. Widening Participation, Read More & Apply
Oxford for North East contains useful information for students from the North East who might be considering Oxford University. Here you will find information about residential schemes as well as regional and online workshops Read More
The Oxford University Outreach, page can help guide you to the events being run by the University/Departments Read More
UNIQ
What As one of the most established programmes of its kind in the UK, UNIQ offers participants access to step-by-step online support as well as a residential based in an Oxford college. The programme is completely free and gives pupils the chance to meet Oxford academics, speak to current students and learn first-hand about the application process and what life might be like at Oxford.
Who Year12 state school students with good GCSE grades or equivalent from backgrounds that are under-represented at Oxford. Students can find out more about the programme and selection criteria on the uniq.ox.ac.uk.
When Dates to be confirmed.
Where This is an online programme of academic and application support with the opportunity for an Oxford residential experience in the Easter or Summer vacation of 2026.
Featured New Courses
Undergraduate Study – Duration 3 Years
Special and Inclusive Education prepares you to be a forward-thinking professional, with expertise in creating equitable learning pathways and opportunities for diverse learning profiles, including special and additional educational needs.
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Combined Honors in Social Sciences – allows you to create your own bespoke programme suited to your individual interests, strengths and career plans. You can choose up to 4 subjects within Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities.
Undergraduate Study – Duration 4 Years
Drawing on the expertise of leading academics and researchers in the field, you will explore the origins and present-day contexts of societal conflicts about power, participation, and resources.
Latest Opportunities
Student Finance
Webinar
Yrs 12 & 13
Student Finance – University of East Anglia, Channel Talent
These sessions will help understand what options a young person has to fund a University education.
Monday 17th November, 6 pm – 6:45 pm
HE Guidance: Student Finance – Supporting Your Young Person – A Parent/Carer Event
Tuesday 25th November, 4:30 pm – 5:15 pm
HE Guidance: Student Finance – Student Finance, Scholarships & Budgeting
English/Drama
Webinar
16+
Literature, Drama & Creative Writing: Scriptwriting Creative Workshop, Channel Talent, University of East Anglia – Wednesday 19th November, 4:15 pm – 5:15 pm
This practical 60-minute session focuses on creating vivid and meaningful dramatic words.
You’ll effortlessly write a dramatic scene and explore how dramatic writing is all about writing is all about writing change.
The workshop is designed for A Level students to undertake as part of a classroom exercise or as individuals.
All Subjects
Campus & Online
Yrs 12 & 13
University of Sunderland – Wednesday 19th November – Monday 8th December
Multiple events in a variety of subject areas, both on campus and online.
On Campus Events
- Discover Your Path in Computer Science – Monday 19th November, 9:30 am – 2:30 pm Booking Link (JotForms)
- Routes into Professional Policing – Friday 28th November, 9:30 am – 12 pm Booking Link (JotForms)
- Exploring Childhood the Classroom and Beyond – Wednesday 3 December, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm Booking Link (JotForms)
- Euthanasia Debate – Monday 8th December, 10 am – 12:30 pm Booking Link (JotForms)
Online Events
- Pathways within Business School – Wednesday 19th November, 1 pm – 2 pm Booking Link (JotForms)
- Master Your Social Work Interview – Wednesday 26th November, 5 pm – 6 pm Booking Link (Sunderland Uni)
- Master Your Physiotherapy Interview – Thursday 27 November, 6 pm – 7:30 pm Booking Link (Sunderland Uni)
- Master Your Occupational Therapy Interview – Monday 1 December, 5 pm – 6:30 pm Booking Link (Sunderland Uni)
- Master Your Paramedic Science Interview – Wednesday 3 December, 5 pm – 6:30 pm Booking Link (Sunderland Uni)
Psychology
Online Interactive Session
Yr 11 & 12
Bangor University – Various dates
Explore the fascinating world of psychology with our exclusive free webinar series, brought to you by one of the UK’s leading psychology departments.
Whether you’re interested in a single topic or want to join them all, our webinars are tailored to fit your interests. Plus, you’ll get an opportunity to interact directly with our world-class academics during live Q&A sessions!
- Wednesday 19th November, 4:30pm – How Big is the AI Revolution?
- Tuesday 16th December, 4:30pm – Recreational Drugs and the Brain
Philosophy
Online Interactive Talk
16+
University of East Anglia – Wednesday 19th November, 10:05am – 10:50am
For this interactive Philosophy talk, we are joined by Dr Maria Serban, Lecturer in Philosophy in the School of Politics, Philosophy and Area Studies at University of East Anglia, who will present Mind, body and soul: Where are you really?
Are you your body? Your memories? Your social media presence?
For centuries, the soul provided answers about identity and survival after death. Then philosopher John Locke argued that “you” are not your soul, but your consciousness – sparking debates that continue today.
We’ll explore how ideas about personal identity have evolved and why philosophers now believe you might be multiple “selves” at once.
Medicine
Online Session
15+
Mini Medical School – November/December, 5 pm – 8 pm
This programme offers students the chance to find out about exciting topics, including current research developments at the University. The lectures will run on Thursdays,
- 20th November
- 27th November
- 4th December
Maths
Webinar
16+
Study Skills: Understanding & Applying The Chi-Squared Test (For Non-Mathematicians/Non-Statisticians), University of East Anglia, Thursday 20th November, 2:25 pm – 3 pm
How can we assess if observed data is in line with our views and expectations, i.e. our hypotheses, about the properties of the data? If we roll a die, what proportion of the number six are we willing to tolerate before concluding that the die is unfair? On a university course, how high is the proportion of male students allowed to be to conclude that there is self-selection based on gender?
To answer questions of this type, we are going to introduce the chi-squared test. The chi-squared test is a statistical hypothesis test used to determine if there is a significant association between what is observed and what was expected and is an extremely useful tool in a variety of settings. Here, we are first going to illustrate the test in an experiment and then apply the test to forecasting exchange rate movements.
The session will be very helpful for students from all disciplines in which they are expected to apply statistical approaches to analyse data.
All Subjects
Programme
Widening Participation
Yrs 12 & 13
Leeds University – Leeds Futures – Applications Opening Soon
Leeds Futures is a national outreach programme designed for individual learners in Year 12 / Year 1. It provides students with the opportunity to learn more about a subject area they are interested in pursuing at university, whilst developing their study skills and careers awareness.
- For Leeds Futures Health Sciences (Dentistry, Medicine, Healthcare and Psychology), applications are now open and close on Sunday 23 November 2025. To find out more on how to apply, click on the subject link you are interested in.
- Applications for all other Leeds Futures programmes will open on Monday 24 November 2025 and close on Sunday 1 February 2026.
Your are able to express interest to receive email reminders for this programme. Priority places will be given to students that meet eligibility criteria.
Politics
Webinar
16+
Politics/International Relations: Will there be any more states with nuclear weapons? – Aberystwyth, Monday 24th November, 1 pm – 1:45 pm
Nuclear weapons are back at the centre stage of international politics. In this event, students will get the chance to learn more about these recent developments. The session should enable students to understand whether we might be headed for a world of many more nuclear armed states and what such a world might look like.
Law
In Person Event
Yrs 12 & 13
Eversheds Sutherland – Life as a Lawyer, Monday 24th November 2025
Eversheds Sutherland is currently in the process of organising our annual Life as a Lawyer event to take place on 24 November 2025. This event will be held in person in our office Newcastle office and we’d love to have students from QEHS sixth form in attendance again.
The day will include a number of workshops and exercises that provide an insight into the role of a lawyer, the work involved in our different practice groups and what it is like to work at Eversheds Sutherland. There will also be a number of Eversheds Sutherland employees present from Partner to Trainee level to speak to you and answer any questions that you may have. We will also have a talk from a local Barrister.
Location: 8th Floor, Wellbar Central, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4TD
QEHS has been offered two places, please register your interest with Joanne on sixthform@qehs.net by 8am on Monday 13 October to be considered.
Biology
Webinar
16+
UEA – Plant Biotechnology For Sustainable Food Production, Tuesday 25th November, 1:40pm – 2:30pm
In this Biology session, we will be joined by Dr Mark Coleman, Associate Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at University of East Anglia, who will run an interactive talk for students on Plant biotechnology for sustainable food production.
Sustainable food production is key to the future of our species and our planet. This talk will explore global hunger and malnutrition and discuss how plant biotechnology can play important roles in meeting these challenges, challenges that are significantly increased by the impacts of climate change.
Plant biotechnology employs approaches like genetic modification (GM) and genome editing (GE, including CRISPR). We will discuss the biology underlying these technologies and investigate how they are being used to develop new plant crop varieties with increased yield, improved resistance to disease, higher nutritional value, and better climate change resilience.
Psychology
Webinar
Yrs 12 & 13
Psychology: Attachment – Wednesday 26th November, 11:00am – 12:00pm
- Goldsmiths, University of London: Dr Sinead Rocha is a developmental cognitive neuroscientist and presents Rock-a-bye Baby: Parent-Infant Synchrony and How Music and Movement Binds Us.
- University of Reading: Dr Debra Page from the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences will present From Cradle to Couple: How Early Attachment Shapes Adult Relationships.
Business
Interactive Tutorial
Yrs 12 & 13
University of Leicester – Business Decision Making: Unlock Your Campus, Wednesday 26th November 2025, 3:40pm – 4:25pm
In this live interactive Business tutorial, we will be joined Dr Dennis Pepple, Associate Professor and Director of Education for Management at University of Leicester, who will present Business Decision Making – Unlock Your Campus – Is an Amazon Locker Right for Your College?
Psychology/Linguistics
Webinar
16+
A Tour of The Linguistic Brain, Monday 1st December, 2:15pm – 3:00pm
Step inside the fascinating world of the human brain and discover how it makes us uniquely linguistic beings. In this interactive talk, A Tour of the Linguistic Brain, we will explore how babies, often called “linguistic geniuses,” effortlessly pick up the sounds and structures of language during their earliest months of life. We’ll look at how the brain transforms print on a page into meaning when we learn to read, and how speaking more than one language reshapes the mind, strengthening memory, flexibility, and attention.
You’ll also learn why acquiring new languages is not just about communication—it can act as a powerful protective factor for lifelong brain health, building cognitive reserve and delaying the effects of aging.
Law
Online session
Yr 12 & 13
Kings College London – Law: Skills & Insight – Building A Defence, Monday 1st December, 4:15pm – 5:00 pm
In this Law session, Dr Miranda Bevan, a leading academic from King’s College London who previously practised as a criminal barrister, will run an interactive skills and insight workshop for students on Building a Defence.
Ever wondered how a defence lawyer persuades a jury to find a defendant not guilty? This session will look at how lawyers go about the task of building a defence. What questions do lawyers ask (and not ask)? Who decides what approach to take? What is a defence lawyer looking for when they read a case?
Using an imaginary criminal case the session will take students through the process of building a defence. You will learn how defence lawyers approach a case and develop your own legal reasoning skills. Can you work together to persuade the jury to secure an acquittal for our imaginary defendant?
English Literature
Webinar
16+
University of East Anglia – Close Reading Modern Poetry, Tuesday 2nd December, 11:10 am – 11:55 am
Skills and insight workshop on close reading poetry written in the twentieth century. Using two poems by Seamus Heaney, including one that will be unknown to students studying his New Selected Poems, we will compare and contrast the effect of different poetic techniques in expressing our often-conflicted experience of the modern world. The session will help students to respond to poems, seen and unseen, using a toolkit of strategies, explained and applied through live participatory exercises.
The three areas that will be addressed:
- Close reading the words of a poem
- Talking about the sound, rhythm and shape of poetic form
- Drawing on historical context to explore the meaning of a poem
Politics/Media
Online Interactive Talk
16+
University of Portsmouth – Do Newspapers Influence The Way That People Vote? Tuesday 2nd December, 2:15 pm – 3:00 pm
Have you ever wondered why some newspapers seem obsessed with certain politicians, or why headlines focus on scandals just before an election?
In this interactive session, we’ll explore how UK newspapers shape public opinion and influence voting behaviour. From scurrilous tabloid headlines to the subtle power of editorial bias, we’ll explore research findings about the possible links between media consumption and political participation. You’ll analyse front pages, debate media influence, and consider how people’s views could be shaped without them even realising it.
Religious Studies/Philosophy
Online Webinar
16+
University of Edinburgh – Humanity Reloaded – AI & The Future of Religion, Wednesday 3rd December, 11:10 am – 11:55 am
From robot preachers to algorithms that generate sermons, AI is beginning to challenge what we mean by being human. Can a machine ever be spiritual? Could it offer moral guidance or share in religious experience? This interactive session explores how religion and theology are engaging with these questions, asking students to consider what makes humans unique and whether technology might one day cross that boundary.
This webinar will introduce challenging ideas to help students joining online in groups or individually to think critically about the moral, spiritual, and cultural impact of artificial intelligence.
Language, Film and Art & Design
Webinar
16+
So You Think You Know Anime? – Wednesday 3rd December, 4 pm – 4:45 pm
Do you love anime? Do you think you know it well? This fun and interactive session will take you beyond the screen. We will explore how anime reflects Japanese culture—school life, food, traditions, and values. But that’s not all! We will dive into the hidden world of subtitles. Do English subtitles really match what the characters are saying in Japanese? You may be surprised at the differences!
Through the session, you will discover how simple words like “I” and “brother” carry meanings that subtitles cannot fully capture. And you can learn why studying Japanese can open a whole new way of experiencing your favourite shows.
Medicine
Workshops
Yr 12 & 13
Health Alive – Thursday 4th December, 9:30 am – 2:15 pm
Health Alive is a taster event for those interested in studying Nursing, Midwifery and Operating Department Practice at University.
This event is always extremely popular, we ask that you sign up by emailing sixthform@qehs.net by 9am, Monday 3rd November. If you secure a place, you will be contacted to choose which workshops you would like to attend – the places are allocated by the University on first come first served basis.
All Subjects
Online Information Sessions
Yr 12
Edinburgh University – Various dates
We run a range of online events that you can access wherever you are in the world.
Our regular ‘Introduction to the University of Edinburgh’ sessions provide an overview of what it’s like to study with us, and the opportunity to ask questions. View the event details and book a session below.
As well as our regular sessions, from time to time we will run online events which are specific to a particular subject area. We will update those on our mailing list when booking opens for relevant events.
Medicine & Dentistry
Advice on Preparing for applications
Yr 12
Medical Schools Council – Preparing to apply
The Medical Schools Council recommend that students start preparing now for dentistry and medicine applications so that they have everything in place for this time next year.
Writing a personal statement for Medical School & Dental School
Competitions
English
Competition
Yrs 12 & 13
Edward Thomas Fellowship Essay Competition
Our Year 12-13 essay competition is an excellent opportunity for students to critically analyse a single poem in a short essay, deepen their understanding of early twentieth century poetry as well as enrich their UCAS application. There is a £100 cash prize for the winning submission and £50 each for the two runners up, amongst other prizes.
Useful Resources/Opportunities
All Subjects
On Demand Webinars
Yrs 12 & 13
UniTasterDays
These impartial videos have one key aim. To support students who are considering university to make informed future subject decisions. They feature guest speakers from a range of different universities, who are always experts in the subject being explored.
Dentistry
Online Resource
Yrs 12 & 13
University of Sheffield
This resource provided from the University of Sheffield gives an insight into the world of dentistry. Resource provided via the Futurelearn portal.
Medical Sciences
Online Lectures
Yrs 12 & 13
UCL
UCL have an online medical sciences lecture series which is free and open to everyone to get inspired.
Natural Sciences
Spotlight
Yrs 12 & 13
Durham University
At Durham, we actively provide our students with opportunities to develop attributes we hope they have by the time they graduate. One way in which we do this is through our excellent multi-subject degree programmes.
Explore our Natural Sciences webpages to discover whether Natural Sciences at Durham could be a good match for your students.