How to help your child prepare for UK university while they're in Year 11

Preparing to apply to a UK university can feel daunting – for both students and their parents. Wendy Heydorn, co-author of An Educator’s Guide to University Applications, explains how you can support your child to plan ahead and make informed choices while they’re in Year 11.  


If your child is considering university, Year 11 is an ideal time for researching options and preparing to make a competitive application. 

As a parent or caregiver, you can encourage your child to explore questions like: 

• What are my options?
• Which of these options are suitable for me and why?
• How can I prepare to make a competitive university application?
• What do I need to do and when?

Understanding what to do and when

Speak with your child’s school or college to find out what careers guidance they offer. Every school in the UK offers Careers Education Information and Guidance (CEIAG), and all schools are required to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks – the eight elements of good careers guidance. 

They might offer individual advice or a post-18 options programme for your child’s year group. They might have recommendations for what students should be doing at specific times, like work experience or researching careers, apprenticeships, or university programmes. 

Schools and colleges will also set their own internal deadlines for UCAS applications. For example, the internal student deadlines are likely to be well before the external UCAS deadlines.

What to do in Year 11

Focus on achieving strong GCSE grades
 

Students in Year 11 need to focus on their GCSEs, as good grades will keep doors open. Universities want to admit students who show academic ability and potential, and their GCSE grades are likely to be one factor in a university’s selection process. Encourage them to have a revision plan with rest breaks built in, and help them to develop effective study skills and techniques.
 

Decide what to study in college / sixth form 
 

Year 11 is a good time to attend sixth form and college open evenings together. There are many qualifications your child could pursue in Years 12 and 13, including BTECS, T levels, A levels, IB, or even a combination. Help your child to think carefully about the curriculum that will suit them best and how it is taught and assessed. 

The qualifications and subjects your child pursues in Years 12 and 13 will influence the courses they can apply for at university, so check university entry requirements and any essential, recommended, or helpful subjects. As an example, maths and science are typically required for quantitative degrees like medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, maths, economics, biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology.

Tip: use Unifrog’s UK universities tool and university websites to check entry requirements for specific degree programmes. 

However, your child’s academic strengths and interests should also influence their choice of subjects. It’s essential that these are their own choices, as it is them who will need to study these subjects. In short, encourage them to choose subjects that: 

• they will enjoy
• they are good at
• will keep their options open for university courses and future career paths

At the bottom of this guide, we’ve linked to some websites you can use to support your research. 

Year 11 strategy: a checklist 

• Focus on GCSEs and any equivalent qualifications. Help your child to get the results they’re capable of achieving.
• Research university options and any required or recommended subjects.
• Attend sixth form/college open evenings. Learn more about the options on offer and which ones will suit your child’s goals and interests.
• Develop interests and skills. Encourage your child to read around their subject and develop their interests. This doesn’t have to be books – articles, podcasts, documentaries, films, and visits to museums all count too.
• Apply for work experience. Draft a CV and covering letter and research work experience options for the end of Year 11.
• Build a long-term strategy. Create a plan for their future with multiple pathways: an option A, B, and C. 

Unifrog tools and resources to support you
 

• UK universities tool (your child can use this to research university programmes and entry requirements).
• Courses tool and MOOCs tool (browse online courses related to the subject(s) your child is interested in).
• Read, Watch, Listen tool (look for books, podcasts, films, and music related to a specific subject)
• CV tool and Writing tool (these will help your child to create a strong CV and cover letter for any summer or part-time jobs).  

Resources from elsewhere: 

• Informed Choices. A Russell Group website that provides guidance on choosing the right subjects to study post-16.
• University of London free Taster course on preparing for university and the transition from school.
• Advice for parents by My Future Choices.
   

By Wendy Heydorn, Director of Higher Education at Sevenoaks School and co-author of An Educator’s Guide to University Applications.

For monthly guides for students in Year 11, 12 and 13, recent graduate profiles, and other resources, please subscribe for FREE at: https://wendyheydorn.substack.com/