Winter 2014-15
Gaeaf 2014-15
St David’s Catholic Sixth Form College Coleg Catholig Chweched Dosbarth Dewi Sant
in partnership with Mary Immaculate Catholic High School
Principal’s Message
Neges Y Pennaeth
University, making the College the
largest single provider of undergraduates to Cardiff.
Welcome to our Mary Immaculate
partnership newsletter. This
publication has been designed
to showcase the successes and
achievements of St David’s
students, who are former students
of Mary Immaculate Catholic High
School. All articles have been
written by the students themselves.
Applicants for entry in 2015 will
be recruited to the College’s new
‘learning portfolios’, which are based
upon distinct industry and career
pathways. An applicant’s choice
of A level or vocational course
will result in a focused curriculum
designed to facilitate learners’
progression to the best universities
or training opportunities. The
College’s learner support team
will also ensure students have high
quality guidance from the College’s
team of dedicated learner coaches.
The emphasis on maximising learner
achievement and progression to the
top universities or training providers
ensures that our students have the
best possible foundation for their
future.
The academic year 2013/14 was
hugely successful for St David’s
Catholic Sixth Form College. On
average, 44% of the College gained
A grades at A level (including
Welsh Baccalaureate). The College
successfully placed four hundred
and seventy students at university
in 2014, with over a quarter
progressing to the most prestigious
Russell Group universities. St David’s
sent sixty four students to Cardiff
Mark Leighfield, Principal
Outstanding Success at St
David’s College
Llwyddiant Arbennig yng
Ngholeg Dewi Sant
appealed to me most.
I studied Chemistry, Biology and
Psychology at St David’s College
between 2011 and 2014 and I have
now moved on to study for a degree
in Biochemistry at the University of
Southampton.
The friendly advice and assurance
of my teachers helped me to push
myself to apply for top Russell
Group universities. The constant
support available for all aspects of
my student life was key to ensuring
that my college experience was an
educational but also enjoyable one.
I chose to progress to St David’s
College after completing my GCSEs
at Mary Immaculate High School
for a number of reasons. The most
important of which was because the
college gave me the opportunity
to focus on the areas of study that
With the help and support of all of
my teachers, I was able to achieve A
level grades that were beyond what I
expected of myself.
St David’s helped to become a
mature, responsible and confident
person and gave me the right
support and guidance to be able to
achieve what I have. I made many
IMPORTANT DATES
DYDDIADAU
PWYSIG
Applications open
November 2014
Open afternoons
Wednesdays at 2:20pm through
January and February 2015
Applications close
Monday 2nd February 2015
Interviews
January – May 2015
Taster sessions
July 2015
Enrolment
End of August - September 2015
great friends during my time there
and have only the students and
staff at St David’s to thank for the
memories I was lucky enough to
make.
In the future I hope to be able to
use all the knowledge I have gained
throughout my education to do
further study in the form of a PhD,
followed by
research and
development
in the
pharmaceutical
industry.
- Alexander
Lester
Lourdes Group
Grŵp Lourdes
You’ve probably heard your Religion
teachers talk about Lourdes, a great
town and one of the most important
Where are they now?
Ble maen nhw nawr?
I chose St David’s because I knew
it would be the best place to help
me achieve my goal of going to
university. I made the right choice
because I am currently studying Film
and Television Studies in Aberystwyth
University and I couldn’t have
achieved this without the support I
had from my tutors in St David’s. They
encouraged me to strive for the best
in my coursework and exams, and
gave me excellent guidance whilst
applying for universities.
I enjoyed the opportunities I was
given by the media department to
record and edit my own short films
An Evening of Music
Noswaith o Gerddoriaeth
On Thursday 27th of November,
students from AS and A2 music
hosted a performance evening for
their family and friends.
We had
decided
to hold a
performance
evening
because
many of the
students have
not had much
performance
experience
and were
very excited
to show each other, as well as the
audience, our skills and talents.
places of pilgrimage in the Catholic
faith. What makes Lourdes even
more important for us at St David’s
College is our part in the annual
Welsh National Pilgrimage. Every
year, a group of elderly, sick, and
disabled people are given the
chance, by us, to have an enjoyable
and spiritual holiday in Lourdes.
We work hard to give them the best
time possible, and through this, we
gain unforgettable experiences.
Friendships are made that will
last for the rest of our lives. The
skills and training we are given
also makes the pilgrimage great
for CVs, interviews and university
while making new friends along the
way. Eventually, I hope to break into
the film or television industries and
possibly even go on to teach media
studies or film.
- Alessandro Cavarra-Weyman
I chose St David’s College after Mary
Immaculate as I visited while in high
school. My sister also attended St
David’s and very much enjoyed it.
I am currently working as a health
care assistant in a care home which
is a difficult but amazing job. St
David’s has supported me both as a
current student and past student. I
am currently applying for university
and my old tutors have helped me by
checking my personal statement and
What made it such a wonderful
evening was the variety of
instruments and styles. We had
classical piano, vocal solo and duets,
classical and rock guitar, trumpet,
keyboard, drums played in a rock
style, and reggae played on the steel
pans.
To start the evening off, we had Josh
Dickins on electric guitar playing
‘Little Wing’ by Jimi Hendrix which
was played beautifully and was
the perfect opening to our show.
Following Josh in the first half of the
show, Shu-Ying Gan played a piano
piece called ‘Canzonetta’ by Frank
Bridges. This piece played by ShuYing was 2 grades above the required
standard for A2. Shu-Ying now
currently studies with the Royal Welsh
Conservatoires which we are all very
proud of.
We then had a range of brilliant
applications. For many of us,
nothing can stop us going again,
and again, and again.
From your first year in St David’s
you will have the opportunity to
join our community. By fundraising
throughout the year, we make sure
that anyone can come to Lourdes,
no matter how religious you are, or
how much you think you can afford.
Lourdes is not like other school
trips. It is the experience of a
lifetime, and we believe everyone
should have the chance to go. We
hope to see you there!
- Meg Harrington
UCAS application.
What I most enjoyed about being in
St David’s was joining the Lourdes
group. We would begin our travel
to Lourdes each year not really
knowing each other, but throughout
our time there working as teams to
care for the elderly and disabled and
spending so much time together, we
come back as a
big family.
In September I
hope to start at
university and
train to become
a nurse.
- Sarah
Carpenter
performances on the drums,
keyboard and the trumpet. Nicole
Placide performed ‘Three Little
Birds’ by Bob Marley on the Steel
Pans, accompanied by her father, a
performance which went down well
with the crowd.
As well as covers, I performed my
own composition on the piano. Some
of the students showcased some of
the pieces that they will be playing
for their performance exam in the
spring term. Overall the night was
a huge success and very enjoyable
for both the performers and the
audience - thanks to our wonderful
music teacher Miss York. We all look
forward to the next performance
which will be at Christmas time for
our carol service held in the St David’s
College chapel.
- Wojciech Przybylski
We are offering free performing arts workshops to the students of Mary Immaculate High School.
Please contact Mr Crowley on 02920 498 555 or [email protected]
for more information.
Academic Achievement - Scholarship Winner 2014
Cyflawniad Academaidd – Enillydd yr Ysgoloriaeth 2014
My name is Paul Murphy and I came to St David’s College
from Mary Immaculate High School. I chose St David’s because
I saw that the college had high achievement scores and pass
rates. The open evening was an excellent introduction to the
college, showing me that it had a calm, friendly and inviting
atmosphere, and that the teachers were approachable,
welcoming and professional.
Another factor which helped me in my decision to attend
St David’s was the offer of an Academic Achievement
Scholarship. This was based on the high GCSE grades I gained
while at Mary Immaculate. The posibility of winning a scholarship put St David’s
leagues ahead of other institutions as it demonstrated that St David’s was willing to
reward its best students. This was something which was of particular interest to me,
increasing my desire to come to St David’s.
Scholarships at St
David’s
Ysgoloriaethau yng
Ngoleg Dewi Sant
At St David’s College, we
believe that education is
about transforming lives
and allowing learners to
reach their full potential,
and we are committed
to attracting the most
talented and dedicated
learners, regardless of
their geographic, social
or financial background.
Now that I am here I enjoy a friendly, competitive and hospitable environment in
which I can grow both academically and emotionally. The staff at the college have
given me great help and support and were instrumental in helping me to settle into
the college.
We are offering two
types of scholarship
for 2015/16; one for
academic achievement
and one for contribution
to the community.
I am currently studying AS History, Chemistry and Biology, and in the future I would
like to attend a Russell Group university to further my study of History. I believe that
chosing St David’s as my sixth form has given me the best chance to achieve my
future ambitions.
A scholarship application
form is available on our
website, or by calling
02920 498 555.
- Paul-James Murphy
Completed applications
can be posted to the
College address, for
the attention of Mrs L.
Newman, Vice Principal.
Alternatively, applications
may be emailed to
LNewman@st-davids-coll.
ac.uk.
You do not need to
send any copies of
qualifications with your
application form as these
will be shown during
enrolment.
Learner Support
Centre
Canolfan
Cefnogaeth Dysgwyr
Our new Learner Support
Centre was launched in
September 2014 with the
aim of providing advice
and support to students
struggling with any aspect
of College life, and to
those with additional
learning needs.
We work with students
in a number of different
ways, depending on the
nature of the difficulties
and what best suits the
individual student.
For example, we offer:
* Additional, quiet
working space
* One-to-one academic
support
* Group support lessons
* Advisory appointments
* Screenings for specific
learning difficulties
* Coordination
of support and
reasonable
adjustments for
students with
disabilities
* Appointments with the
College counsellor
* Referral to our peer
mentoring scheme
* Referral to external
support organisations
This year we are delighted
to introduce our new
team members: Angela
McMillan, our College
counsellor, and our
new Learner Support
Assistants Samantha
Monks and Paul Waters.
They have joined Learner
Support Manager Dr
Ellie Russell, and Senior
Learner Support Assistant
Leanne Young.
HOW TO APPLY
1
APPLY
2
CONFIRMATION
3
To fill in an online
application visit the ‘apply’
section of our website:
www.st-davids-coll.ac.uk
You can request a paper
application form by calling 02920
498 555.
Students applying online
will receive confirmation of
receipt within 24 hours of
submitting their application.
OFFER
6
TASTER SESSIONS
7
ENROLEMENT
INVITATION TO
INTERVIEW
All applicants will be invited
to interview. These take
place from January to May.
4
5
INTERVIEW
At interview we will discuss
your application and your
course choices. Please
come to the interview ready to
discuss your career ambitions.
If you have any further questions about
admissions, please do not hesitate to
contact us on 02920 498 555 or email us
at [email protected].
All being well, we will
make you a written offer
of a place at the College.
This offer will be conditional on
you achieving GCSE (or equivalent)
grades which meet our entry criteria.
We will ask you to confirm your
acceptance of the offer in writing.
In July, the College arranges
taster sessions in order for
you to experience your
chosen courses at AS level before
you commit to them. This also gives
you the opportunity to try courses
you may be interested in but have
not experienced at GCSE.
Enrolment will take place
shortly after your GCSE
results are released. We
will write to you with details
of your enrolment date
and time during the summer. It is
important that you attend enrolment
as failure to do so may put your place
at the College at risk. Your studies
will begin shortly after enrolment.
THE APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR
SEPTEMBER 2015 ENTRY IS
2ND FEBRUARY 2015
St David’s Catholic Sixth Form College | Ty Gwyn Road | Penylan | Cardiff CF23 5QD
Tel: 02920 498 555 | Email: [email protected]
www.st-davids-coll.ac.uk