Aim High with the Honours Programme at NSCG

Many of the Honours Programme alumni have gone on to read for degrees at Oxford, Cambridge and those in the Russell Group equipped with a repertoire of core skills vital for 21^st Century professional success.

Honours Programme learners are stretched and challenged beyond the normal limits of the classroom with everything that takes place on the exclusive pathway developed to ensure our learners stand out from the crowd when applying to university.

Students can expect an extended curriculum of enrichment, specialist UCAS support, one-to-one mentorship, application and interview guidance, workshops and talks from visiting academics including opportunities to visit Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick, Lancaster and Durham universities.

Specialist personal tutor groups expertly lead by NSCG’s Richard Simpson, will focus on the development of critical thinking skills and participation in the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) will also expand their world view and improve the ability to engage in academic conversation.

A Level student, Elnoy Greenenko, is currently studying Maths, Chemistry and Physics at Newcastle College and has accepted an offer to study Maths at Cambridge University.

“The Honours Programme is definitely worth it if you want to aim higher,” he said, “there are lots of opportunities and you benefit from hearing from guest speakers which definitely helped firm up my decision on where to apply.”

Fellow Honours Programme student, Robyn Oxborrow is studying Chemistry, Biology and Law at Newcastle College and has accepted an offer to study Law at the University of Edinburgh. She said: “I joined the Honours Programme during my second year and getting in really broadened my horizons and opened many doors for me.

“I originally wanted to pursue medicine but thanks to the visits and enrichment experiences I benefited from, I began to gravitate towards Law.”

Robyn had the opportunity to take part in an essay writing competition at Oxford University's Corpus Christi College in which her entry was ‘Highly Commended’ for strength of argument and clarity of writing. She credits the Honours Programme for giving her the encouragement to apply.

“The support and input from tutors definitely pushed me and encouraged my academic ability so I am extremely thankful for all of the opportunities I’ve had,” she added.

Gloria Neligwa is an A Level student at Newcastle College. She studies Biology, Chemistry and Maths and has accepted an offer to study Medicine at Cambridge University.

She said: “You get lots of guidance during the university application process though you are working a year in advance to ensure your personal statement stands out. The benefits allow you to draw upon many experiences but it is of course a big commitment.

“To be successful on the Honours Programme you have to be 100% committed but you get out what you put in and you can achieve great things.”

Course lead, Richard Simpson, has been instrumental in helping hundreds of students gain places at the UK’s top universities for more than 20 years, he said, “The Honours Programme provides a unique opportunity for the most academically able students to work collaboratively with others of similar ability levels but with diverse interests across STEM, arts and humanities disciplines, in an environment that provides fertile ground for the development of different perspectives.

“Our work with some of the most competitive universities provides direct access for students to academics and first-hand insights into what studying at these universities is like and the opportunities it affords, and students really appreciate the expertise that we are able to offer in terms of guiding them through the complexities of making competitive applications”.

To study this additional programme alongside A Levels, learners will have achieved mainly grades 9-7 in their GCSEs. Places are strictly limited. To express interest and for more information, email: honours@nscg.ac.uk or visit nscg.ac.uk/honoursprogramme