Make real progress at a tutorial college

Life can feel very gloomy in the first few days after results — the future now uncertain, friends about to go away — and deciding what to do next can almost feel as hard as the A-Levels themselves, with the clock ticking into a new academic year.

A-Level improvement now could mean so much later on - that dream university place and improved A-Level grades — a key factor when recruiters are offering contracts with top companies. A tutorial college is the answer.

Cherwell College has been helping students overcome what seemed huge setbacks on Results Day for nearly 40 years.

Our main method of teaching is individual tuition, focusing on your exact needs for retake, with a week-by-week programme of revision teaching and testing through mock exams.

If you hope to find a late university home through Clearing you are probably going to find it a lot harder this year.

At best, Clearing has only ever offered limited choice, but this year the credit crunch has made quite a dent. Even before Clearing, the Government put pressure on universities to fill places with first-time offers (made before students sit exams). Facing penalties Make real progress at a tutorial college for over-recruitment, universities have been cautious in making offers, and, to save money, have cut back on places available.

It is even harder this year — with many mature students applying to go back into education to re-skill (or just take shelter from the recession).

You are competing against adults with significant work experience, and the best courses at the best universities are even less likely to find room for extra people at Clearing.

Parents supporting children through the big move to university face extra pressures, with grants and loans frozen and tuition fees rising. It is more important than ever to make the right move.

A false start at university will be a very expensive mistake, so do not jump onto the Clearing bandwagon only to drop out of university weeks later: it pays, in every way, to get it right first time.

Every year, at Cherwell, we also help students who come back to A-Levels having tried university — but beware. If you are in this position in a year’s time, you will be in for a shock. A-Levels have changed, and this year is now the last retake opportunity for the old-style exams (known as Legacy).

If you suddenly decide to retake next year, after a gap, you’ll be back at square one studying for A-Level exams from scratch again.

If you decide to take advantage of this last opportunity to retake old A-Levels, you may find, as in the past, that your school is happy to make the exam room available, but not willing or able to offer further teaching to you. This time it will be even harder for schools, as they will be very busy teaching the new generation of A-levels.

At Cherwell, we meet your needs and help you turn average grades into outstanding ones.

Students love the chance we offer to attack problem areas of study — even topics you may have missed at school — with the guidance of an experienced tutor whose flexibility of approach can help you learn and build your confidence in your ability to work alone — key for university success.

Exam technique is also essential. Many students approaching exams still don’t know how best to revise, or, in some cases, how to revise at all.

Cherwell is all about flexibility. Some retakes do not need a full year, but only one more term's work. Final exams in January mean you can still pack and prepare for GAP year travelling before heading off to a university you are really excited about.

The college can look after up to 150 students taking A-Levels and GCSEs, is co-educational and offers boarding opportunities for up to 70 students living in one of our owned and run halls of residence in Oxford.

If you would like more information or to visit, you can e-mail secretary@cherwellcollege.

co.uk or call 01865 242670.