GSA/HMC University Admissions Conference - Thursday 9 November 2023 (University of Warwick)

This Conference is for Heads of Sixth Form; UCAS advisers and similar roles in HMC, GSA and other independent schools. GSA members are eligible for the HMC Member discount. Please check the box on the registration form.

Description

This conference is for:

Heads of Sixth Form, Heads of UCAS Applications and Academic Deputy Heads in independent schools.

GSA members are eligible for the HMC Member discount. Please check the box on the registration form.

Conference Programme

Time	Session	Room
09:30 – 10.00	Arrival, registration, and coffee	Rootes Building
10.00 – 10.05	Welcome and introduction Nicholas Weaver, Headmaster of Ipswich School and Co Chair, Joint GSA/HMC Universities Committee Donna Stevens, Chief Executive, GSA	Panorama Suite
10.05 – 10.25	Welcome from the University of Warwick Speaker: Ajay Teli, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, University of Warwick	Panorama Suite
10.25 – 11.10	UCAS Update Speaker: Kim Eccleston, Head of Strategy and Reform, UCAS Chair: Donna Stevens, Chief Executive, GSA	Panorama Suite
11.10 – 11.40	Refreshment break	Panorama Suite

11.40 – 11.50	Unifrog Update: Insights into independent school students' interest in apprenticeships Speaker: Charley Fowler, UK Education Lead and Area Manager at Unifrog
11.50 – 12.30	Plenary discussion: delegates are invited to share and discuss the Undergraduate Experience. In the context of: the Journey Towards a Million, university strikes, the fee cap and student loan reforms Chair: Nicholas Weaver, Headmaster of Ipswich School and Co Chair, Joint GSA/HMC Universities Committee	Panorama Suite
12.30 – 13.30	Lunch	Rootes Restaurant
13.30 – 14.05	Apprenticeships Panel Speakers: Zahra Mahmood, legal apprentice (second year) at CMS Freddie Nock, second year school leaver degree apprenticeship: Audit Trainee, BDO LLP Katie Walker, third year Undergraduate Engineer at the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology Chair: Donna Stevens, Chief Executive, GSA	Panorama Suite
14.05 – 14.15	Comfort break
14.15 – 15.00	Wellbeing in Education Pat will explore the transition to university, student well-being and suicide prevention Speaker: Pat Sowa, Director, Starfish Wellbeing in Education Chair: Nicholas Weaver, Headmaster of Ipswich School and Co Chair, Joint GSA/HMC Universities Committee	Panorama Suite
15.00 – 15.55	University Admissions Panel Speakers: Dr Samina Khan, Director Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, University of Oxford Dr Elizabeth Hough, Director of Admissions, Education Group, University of Warwick Dr Martin Thompson, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, University of Cambridge Ed Fidoe, CEO of The London Interdisciplinary School (LIS) Chair: Nicholas Weaver, Headmaster of Ipswich School and Co Chair, Joint GSA/HMC Universities Committee	Panorama Suite
15.55 – 16.00	Closing remarks and depart Nicholas Weaver, Headmaster of Ipswich School and Co Chair, Joint GSA/HMC Universities Committee Donna Stevens, Chief Executive, GSA	Panorama Suite

Kindly sponsored by Unifrog

Unifrog is the universal whole-school destinations platform – trusted by over 3,500 schools around the world to help students find and apply for their best next step.

We bring all the available information into a single, impartial, user-friendly platform to help students make the best choices, and submit the strongest applications. As well as connecting students to the best university courses, degree apprenticeships, and placements in the UK, we also help students to explore every US college, as well as over 50,000 undergraduate programmes taught in English around the world.

We empower teachers and careers advisers to manage the progression process effectively to make sure Unifrog has a genuine impact in each of the 3,500 schools we work with. We reduce staff admin time by more than 40% and have an impressive track record of increasing access to Oxbridge, the Russell Group, competitive apprenticeships, and prestigious university courses abroad.

Our Application Management tools make the process of writing Personal Statements and Teacher References easier and more successful, with expert guidance and progress bars so that every student and teacher knows their next step and is held to account. Meanwhile, younger years have access to a host of useful tools including psychometric tests, space to record and reflect on their skills development, and Careers and Subjects libraries to inspire them and get them excited about their future pathways. We even have accounts for parents to get them engaged with their child’s careers learning.