Planning for Higher Education and careers can be a challenging and stressful time in a student’s life.  There are many decisions that carve out specific pathways in their future, making this a difficult period for them. As an international school, Alice Smith offers students dedicated resources and support, designed to help them make these decisions. Here are just a few ways we can help support your child’s decision-making process.

Dedicated college and career planning resources

Each student in year 10 and above at Alice Smith has access to our college and career planning platform called Cialfo. It’s an online platform that students and parents can use to help in planning their educational and career pathway.

Cialfo allows students to:

• Complete career and personality assessments.
• Explore different career pathways.
• Enter their extracurricular activities to start building a skills profile.
• Prepare and create a CV.
• Research and build lists of potential universities, worldwide.
• Attend university fairs and information sessions online.
• Apply to chosen universities and manage their applications.
• And much more!

As students move through their school years 10-13, the ways in which they use Cialfo change. This platform gives students a chance to reflect on their skills, interests and passions in the context of their career and university goals. It helps broaden their horizons whilst ensuring they get the most out of their education at Alice Smith. 

Also, parents can use the platform too through its innovative guardian account feature, allowing them to see notes on any applications or CVs, any tasks assigned, access to their child’s applications and university shortlists and attend any fairs or events hosted as well. 

Personalised support for Oxbridge applications

Oxford and Cambridge universities, more commonly referred to as Oxbridge, are highly competitive, world-class institutions. They are often the goal destination for many excellent international school students worldwide, including Alice Smith School students.

Alice Smith School offer a personalised support programme for students that are preparing their Oxbridge applications. We cater to each students’ individual needs and goals to ensure they have the very best opportunity for success, so they can achieve their dreams.

We do this through specialist sessions with tips, application help and preparation for entrance exams and interviews. We set tasks and activities to help broaden their skillset – as Oxbridge requires successful applicants to possess excellent communication, problem solving and critical thinking skills. Students are coached through the process, and we enlist specialist tutors to help with this.

Personalised support for STEM applications 

As part of our provision for Higher Education, we support each and every one of students on their educational journey. For students hoping to pursue careers in STEM (Maths, Economics, Science, Computer Science, and Engineering), university applications require dedication and skills and knowledge often beyond the standard A Level curriculum. 

At Alice Smith, we offer extracurricular classes, entrance exam preparation and support from expert teachers with exceptional technical knowledge. As STEM courses are competitive, this support presents a unique opportunity for students to practice and engage with the kinds of questions presented at interviews and entrance exams. 

It also allows them to access study materials and exam questions, and to undertake study assignments to help them prepare. All with the guided support of our teachers and experts. Learn more about our provision for STEM course progression in our blog.