Leigh Post 16 Progression & UCAS Resources: July 2013

Thursday 18 July 2013

Tutor reference Outline of structure

Paragraph 1
Why they are suitable for Higher Education study and particularly this subject.
Re-enforce what they have accomplished academically and amplify their desire to study this subject from their personal statement

Paragraph 2
Most relevant subject teacher's reference.
Edit this from the comments they have written into a paragraph that reads as such with flow. A basic way to start is:
The Media staff have found **** to be...
Re-enforce academic skills and attendance, independent learning, ability in the subject and skills.

Paragraph 3
2nd Subject Teachers reference

Paragraph 4
3rd Subject Teachers reference

Final Paragraph
This is your advocate comment and is in many way the most important part where you 'warmly', 'wholeheartedly', unreservedly' or just 'recommend' them. How will they cope in an HE environment, or how will they rise to the challenge of academic study. What sort of person are they?
Admission tutors will expect you to know them based on a years worth of close working in partnership - how have they developed?

If their attendance is not great can I recommend:
'despite deciding to stay on in the Academy 6th form, they enjoy the freedom of a college environment'

Hope this helps - please look at the other posts under this label for help & advice.

Regards
R

Example Tutor reference

*** is a pleasant and thoughtful student, one who makes a significant contribution to the academic and pastoral life of the Academy. He is a positive student and is keen to study Psychology at undergraduate level – it is a subject he has consistently demonstrated a personal interest in and his studies at A-Level have enhanced and developed this nascent interest into a potential career path.

In Media, *** is able to analyse a range of texts for meaning and apply some critical theory. He is able to express himself clearly in his written work and confidently in class presentations. **** is a creative thinker and can appreciate the multiplicity of meaning evident in texts, and he has developed the ability to explore texts from a range of different critical and contextual perspectives. **** has developed a strong level of proficiency in video editing and has constructed two high-quality video productions. He is a popular and team-focused student - he has twice put himself forward to perform in music videos reliably preparing for his role beforehand. He is able to work independently with some support and structure to organise and plan a shoot and develop his skills. A reflective learner, **** can evaluate his progress according to assessment and skills-based criteria and responds positively to constructive feedback. **** has been a reliable and supportive student who has responded well to the demands of A-Level.

**** is a committed student in Performing Arts who always engages positively in class, contributing ideas and constructive evaluation of both theoretical and practical aspects of the course. He has good active listening skills and can expand upon ideas presented.

**** engages successfully with the practical and theoretical aspects of Performing Arts. He is a responsive performer who can engage an audience with a genuine sense of character, as he is effective at exploring the psychology of role. **** has demonstrated the ability to work independently to conduct detailed research and he is able to present information clearly both in written and verbal form. **** is able to work successfully as part of a creative team, working in a variety of contexts and time scales.

**** is a conscientious student in Psychology who works hard to complete tasks to the best of his ability. He has the academic capability and commitment to continue his studies of Psychology at undergraduate level. **** works well in class and at home, demonstrating a genuine interest in expanding his knowledge and understanding of the subject. He did exceptionally well in last summer’s exams and the Psychology department was really pleased with the progress that he had made over the whole year. **** works well as an individual and also when he is a member of a group. **** is always the first to propose an alternative suggestion, or to raise a methodological issue in class. He is an excellent student, who has a good imagination and is able to see problems from several different angles. He always asks the right questions and is perceptive and imaginative, which is always a good combination. He is forthright and willing to contribute his opinions and is able to discuss critical approaches. The Psychology staff have enjoyed teaching **** over the past two years and they wish him every success for the future.

I am confident **** will respond positively to an undergraduate environment and I warmly recommend him to you. He has a keen interest in his chosen courses and he has both the skills and academic ability to be successful in the field. He is an independent learner with the capability of making the transition to degree study with ease.

Example Tutors reference - Psychology

**** is a hard-working and perceptive student who has developed a keen interest in Psychology over the course of her post-16 studies. This interest, combined with a good work ethic and an improving set of academic skills, have come together to make **** a viable candidate for her chosen course. **** works well in class and at home and has an excellent grasp of the key themes and issues in psychology, improving her knowledge and understanding of key psychological concepts and ideas and improving her ability to challenge and discuss them in academic discourse. **** is enthusiastic, genuinely enjoys psychology and is stimulated by the course content. **** has worked hard during the time her Psychology teachers have taught her and has shown consistent progress throughout that time.

**** works well in a group and as an individual in Sociology. She is highly motivated and is always the first to volunteer an answer in class or suggest an alternative perspective. She has an inquiring mind and is a pleasure to teach. She is also polite, kind and respectful to both staff and fellow students. **** is interested and enthusiastic in lessons, eager to learn more about the subject and drawing interesting links with her other subjects. She enjoys discussion and often makes pertinent comments. Her essays are well constructed and evaluative in nature. Importantly, **** takes a keen interest in current affairs relating to sociological topics and can comment with knowledge on these issues. She has demonstrated good subject knowledge in her essays and in her verbal contributions in class. She is supportive of her peers and works well in groups - **** is confident and demonstrates good interpersonal skills in her dialogues with staff and her peers. She works well with her fellow students and enjoys intellectual debate.

**** is able to analyse a range of media texts for meaning and purpose expressing herself clearly in both discussions and in writing. She is a very able student who has contributed towards two successful video productions that have explored concepts drawn from her study of Psychology and Media and realised with some technical excellence. **** is a fully engaged and valued contributor to class discussions who confidently negotiates with critical theory and has engaged enthusiastically with the course both academically and creatively.

**** is able to make connections between her learning on other courses to engage with a critical approach towards the study of media texts and concepts. She has been able to develop her practical skills and creative ideas through research and develop them with minimal support. She is able to work supportively as part of a team and responds effectively to feedback. **** is a very confident contributor to class discussion and can offer arguments and insightful opinions based on theory or interpretations of academic writing.

**** has developed a good critical style in Literature this year and has developed the confidence to challenge the ideas of others when exploring text. Her progress in her other subjects has undoubtedly improved her ability to support her ideas with reference to critical theory and she is increasingly aware of the different interpretations that texts can be subjected to. ****’s academic writing has improved and she is now able to articulate her ideas in a fluent and cogent style.

**** already possesses a good understanding of Psychology and will embrace the opportunity to further her interests and knowledge of this subject. She has a good range of academic skills that can be transferred to undergraduate level and possesses a healthy and welcome independent streak that will serve her well in her degree.

Example of Tutor subject reference 1 English Student

**** is a popular and forthright student who has developed a range of academic and interpersonal skills to meet the demands of A-Level study. He is an able and intelligent student who has progresses significantly during his time in Post-16, particularly in English Literature – his favoured subject. We believe he has the academic skills and knowledge, and the correct attitude to learning and independent study to be successful at undergraduate level and we warmly recommend him to you.

**** is an able and hard-working student who shows great enthusiasm for English Literature. His written work is both perceptive and analytical, indicating a clear aptitude for the subject, and drawing out interesting and sustained explorations of theme, character and language. He has become very intuitive with text and has developed a more confident approach when discussing contextual factors and issues that affect the production and reception of meaning. He is well-read, both within the set syllabus and outside the set curriculum, and is developing the ability to bring in these intertextual references to his assessed responses. **** works well both in both team and independent work. His oral contributions in class are excellent, demonstrating the ability to synthesise and combine ideas from a range of different critical positions and perspectives and he always meets deadlines, demonstrating his ability to work under pressure and to manage his time appropriately.

**** is able to analyse a range of media texts for meaning and purpose, appreciating the multiplicity of meaning in the texts studied in class and increasingly developing his ability to draw out effective contrasts and comparisons through genre and context. He can apply his understanding of critical approaches to film language in his practical creative work. He has been fully involved with two successful video productions, developing a range of practical and creative skills (including video editing and sound design) and he can also express himself clearly through his written work, using technical terminology and theoretical ideas to support his analysis. **** is a cooperative student who makes good use of feedback to achieve aims, responding well to oral and written guidance to improve his outcomes. He has been able to meet a final deadline consistently and can work independently with minimal support. He is able to contribute his opinions and ideas confidently and has engaged well with the course.

**** works well in class and at home. He is dedicated and committed and throughout the time I have known him he has approached Psychology with an enthusiasm that is rewarding to see, an attitude that has helped his progress. **** has made fantastic progress in psychology and got a very respectable set of results last summer, a performance we fully expect him to replicate this year. He works well as an individual and also when he is asked to be part of a group. He is always the first to ask questions if he is unsure about something, and has demonstrated academic curiosity throughout the course.

**** will make a fantastic undergraduate student. He is bright, engaged and able and has shown consistent dedication and initiative during his time as a post-16 student. I highly recommend **** for a higher education course in English Literature; he has already demonstrated the potential to do well in this subject and this, coupled with his enthusiasm and genuine academic ability in the subject, make him an ideal candidate.