#LongRoadLife Applicant Newsletter - June Edition

JUNE EDITION: VOL. 6

#LongRoadLife LONG ROAD SIXTH FORM COLLEGE APPLICANT NEWSLETTER

FEELING THE HEAT?!

SUMMER WELCOME DAYS & EXAM SEASON Hello from Long Road!

WELCOME DAYS: 7 & 8 JULY 2022

MANAGING EXAM ANXIETY

Everyone is certainly feeling the heat this summer term; a busy time filled with the excitement of summer welcome days and nerves around exams. In this edition we have you covered for advice on how to manage exam anxiety as well as all the

EXTRENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATION

important info you need on our Welcome Days!

SOCIAL SCIENCES We will also be exploring our Social Sciences department, with

DEPARTMENT

a special report from our Politics Course Team Leader, Gavin, on their recent trip to 10 Downing Street!

Good luck with your exams & we can't wait to see you next month at Welcome Days!

Long Road

OPEN EVENINGS 5 & 6 JULY 2022

WE'RE HERE TO HELP

WELCOME DAYS: 7 & 8 JULY

Our friendly Admissions Team are here to support and guide you through every stage of your Long Road application.

with you in mind, the aim is to

What do I need to bring on the day?

make you feel as comfortable,

To ensure you can get the most

prepared and excited as possible

out of your day, we would like you

to join us as a new student in

to bring some pen and paper with

September!

you. You will also need to bring a

Our Welcome Days are created

packed lunch – limited snacks will

If you have any questions,

You will spend the day trying out

be available to purchase on site.

your chosen subjects, getting to

please get in touch!

Heidi Hauser Director of Admissions

know subject teachers, meeting

How do I get to Long Road?

other new students who share

Please click here to visit our

your academic interests and

website for information about

finding out what life is like as a

travelling to and from Long Road.

Long Road student.

The college shuttle bus will be available for pick up and drop off

Julianna Sosnowska Admissions Officer

01223 63 1125

We make every effort to try and

at the Cambridge Railway

ensure you are timetabled for the

Station. The times for this will be

lessons you have been offered

updated on our website closer to

but this may not always be

the time.

possible.

Summer Work admissions@longroad.ac.uk

If you are a Level 2 student, then

One of the most important

you might be invited to general

activities to help prepare you for

Level 2 sessions, which will be

your studies as a Long Road

held throughout the day, rather

student is completing the Summer

than your chosen subjects.

Work tasks for each of your

WELCOME DAYS: 7 & 8 JULY

WE'RE HERE TO HELP Our friendly Admissions

subjects. We will explain this activity to you during our Welcome Days

Team are here to support

as well as share downloadable Summer Work documents, soon to be on our website, to refresh your memory over the summer holidays.

and guide you through every stage of your Long

These activities aren’t here to trip you up or catch you out, they’re designed to give you an extra taste of what you will be learning during

Road application.

your time at Long Road and we hope you have fun completing them!

The Summer Work will need to be completed, ready for your first day

If you have any questions,

with us.

please get in touch!

What will my day look like?

To help you better understand the day ahead, we have included a template of what your timetable might look like below:

ARRIVAL

10:00 - 10:30

Heidi Hauser Director of Admissions

10:00 - 10:30

Julianna Sosnowska 10:30 - 12:00

12:00 - 12:30

10:30 - 12:00

LESSON 1

LUNCH A

LESSON 2B

Admissions Officer

12:00 - 13:30

01223 63 1125

12:30 - 14:00

LESSON 2A

LUNCH B

13:30 - 14:00

14:00 - 15:30

LESSON 3

14:00 - 15:30

15:30 - 16:00

DEPARTURE

15:30 - 16:00

admissions@longroad.ac.uk

YOUR APPLICATION TIMELINE Your application timeline will help you keep track of where you are in the admissions process and keep you informed of what happens next.

Look for the arrow location to see where we are in the process!

OCTOBER 2021

SPRING & SUMMER 2022

Applications Open

Guidance Meetings & Conditional Offer Discuss your options with an experienced member of staff. You'll receive a formal offer via your Long Road Online Services account shortly after your Guidance Meeting.

JANUARY 2022 Applications Close.

Applications made after the deadline may be placed on a waiting list

7 & 8 JULY 2022 Welcome Days & Summer Work Spend the day as a Long Road student; try out your subjects & get a taste of Long

25 AUGUST 2022 GCSE Results Day

Road life. Summer work will be available online & must be completed for your first lesson at college.

Good luck! We're keeping our fingers crossed for you

26 AUGUST - 2ND SEPTEMBER 2022 New Student Enrolment Welcome to the Long Road family!

EARLY SEPTEMBER 2022 Start of Academic Year 2022/2023 Time to start your Long Road life!

STOP ANXIETY FROM RUINING YOUR SLEEP It is often when we get into bed that we really have time to stop and worry – until we're overwhelmed & can't sleep!

Try out these strategies and you’ll be drifting off

MANAGING EXAM ANXIETY Many of you are probably feeling

IMAGERY

more anxious than usual at the

Your thoughts have immense

moment. Not only have we been

power over how you feel. If you

living through a global pandemic

think of something happy and

for the last few years, and

calming, you will start to feel

adjusting to a new normal, you're

relaxed. This is the imagery

also having to sit exams for the

technique and you can harness

first time - it's a lot to deal with!

this inner super-power to reduce your anxiety. Think about a place

peacefully in no time…

THANKFUL THOUGHTS We know that fixating on negative thoughts has a

Whether you are experiencing

you find comforting – use all your

anxiety for the first time, or have

sense to imagine this place in full

suffered from anxiety in the past,

detail

it’s important to find some coping mechanisms that work for you.

Deep breathing is a really simple

negative impact on sleep, so it follows that the opposite is also true! Trying thinking about the things in life that

DEEP BREATHING

We’ve been researching different

technique that is a great way of

techniques for dealing with

managing your emotions and

anxiety and found 5 top coping

anxiety. Breathe in deeply

skills that work for lots of people –

through your nose, for 4 seconds.

you are thankful for and make

and will hopefully work for you

Hold your breath for 4

you feel positive. This will help

too!

seconds.

calm your mind and therefore get a better nights sleep.

Breathe out slowly through All of these techniques are very

your mouth for 6 seconds.

subtle, so where ever you are -

Try and repeat this for 3

even if you're in the middle of an

minutes, or until you feel

exam - you can use them to

calmer.

regain control over your feelings.

MANAGING EXAM ANXIETY PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION

Arms: Make fists and squeeze

WRITE AWAY WORRIES

them towards your shoulders.

Set aside some time before

Progressively relaxing your

Hold for 10 seconds. Relax.

muscles will teach you to spot

Hands: Curl your fingers into

anxiety by recognising the

your palm and make a fist.

feelings of muscle tension. Sit in

Hold for 10 seconds. Relax.

a comfortable position and work

Face: Scrunch your facial

through the list of body areas

features to the centre of your

below, tensing your muscles

face. Hold for 10 seconds.

tightly for 10 seconds before

Relax.

releasing.

Feet: Curl your toes tightly

5-4-3-2-1 TECHNIQUE

into your feet. Hold for 10

This is another really simple

seconds. Relax

technique that you can use any

Calves: Point or flex your feet.

time that anxiety strikes, no

Hold for 10 seconds. Relax.

matter where you are!

Thighs: Squeeze your thighs

First, look around you and

together tightly. Hold for 10

identify 5 things that you can

seconds. Relax.

see.

Torso: Suck in your abdomen.

Now identify 4 different

Hold for 10 seconds. Relax.

sounds you can hear.

Back: Squeeze your shoulders

Next, identify 3 things that

together. Hold for 10 seconds.

you can feel.

Relax.

Then identify 2 things that

Shoulders: Lift and squeeze

you can smell.

your shoulders towards your

Finally, identify 1 thing that

ears. Hold for 10 seconds.

you can taste.

Relax.

STOP ANXIETY FROM RUINING YOUR SLEEP

you go to bed to write all your worries down and plan how you are going to tackle them

PUT YOUR DAY TO BED Engaging in activities that make us feel anxious or stressed just before we go to bed makes it really hard to get to sleep. So while you may feel the need to cram some late night revision, try and avoid this! Put your revision to bed, then put yourself to bed! You can look at it again in the morning when you are refreshed and well rested.

EPQ: KEY INFO

EXTENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATION

Total students currently on course: 77

Current average class size: 11

Assessment: 100% coursework

Exam Board: Pearson

Boost your CV and enhance your

giving you time to think about

personal statement while carrying

your goals after Long Road and

out an independent project on a

tailor your EPQ to help achieve

topic you love. The EPQ is

these dreams.

equivalent to half an A Level, but it’ so much more than an extra

Independence is key with the

qualification.

EQP, meaning you get to choose what you’d like to study and how

The Extended Project

you’d like to study it. The topic

Qualification showcases to

can be related to your other

employers and universities that

subjects or can be something

you’re an independent learner,

completely different and you can

able to manage a project, solve

decide how you present your final

problems, organise your time,

product. You can…

conduct original research and

write a dissertation

produce a high-quality product.

create an artefact

In fact, this additional

produce a performance, or

qualification is so highly valued

carry out an investigation.

that some universities will even lower their grade boundaries for

Although the EPQ is largely

you if you achieve a high EPQ

independent study, you’ll have a

grade!

specialised EQP tutor to keep you on track and regular lessons to

If you decide to carry out the EPQ

help you to understand the

you’ll start at the end of Year 1,

requirements of the qualification.

MURDER IN THE WOODS Every summer, our Criminology

Spending the morning in the

students become detectives and

woods investigating the murder

our woodland walk is transformed

scene, the students then move

into a murder scene! Our students

inside to one of our science labs

put into practice the investigative

where they analyse the evidence

skills they have studied

they have collected for DNA and

throughout the year by

fingerprints.

performing their own Murder in

CRIMINOLOGY LEVEL 3: KEY INFO Total students currently on course: 649

Current average class size:

the Woods crime scene

In previous years our students

investigation.

have been joined by local police

23

officers who have said “This day is To make the event as realistic as

essentially a showcase about

possible students are given full

what we do on the policing side

crime scene kit and follow police

on things. and linking that up with

procedures to locate, identify,

how criminology experts would

collect and preserve evidence

respond on the scene. This is as

that might help them solve the

real as we could possibly get it.

murder mystery.

Our students not only have the

officers, pathologists and forensic

chance to study the body and

psychologists – and this gives

evidence at the scene, but also

them a chance to build a picture

interview a witness of the crime

up of what their job could be

and talk to the press about the

like.”

so far.

50% Exam 50% Coursework

Exam Board: We have potential new police

information they had put together

Assessment:

WJEC

POLITICS A LEVEL: KEY INFO

POLITICS STUDENTS VISIT 10 DOWNING STREET!

Total students currently on course: 95

Current average class size: 19

Assessment:

Back in April, our A Level Politics

legislation that involved a mock

students visited the Palace of

debate over whether or not to

Westminster and the

abolish tuition fees for students

Parliamentary Education Unit. We

at English universities.

were given an audio descriptive tour of the Palace which included

On our way out of Parliament we

witnessing some of the

were shown the Speaker’s House

preparations that are underway

and crossed paths with veteran

for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II

MP Sir Peter Bone, as noted by

for the State Opening of

one of the students.

Parliament on May 10th. Following

100% Exam

Exam Board: Edexcel

the route that the monarch will

After clearing security at

be taking we were shown the

Downing Street, we were met by

House of Lords and then crossed

two of the Prime Minister’s private

through the central lobby to

staff and the students took it in

watch some of the ministerial

turns to get a selfie in front of the

questions for the department of

famous black door, which opened

Trade and Industry from the

on a few occasions (only from the

public gallery of the House of

inside) as the government carried

Commons.

on around us. Sadly the PM was not available but the Chief

Following our tour the students

Mouser to the Cabinet Office,

were met at the Parliamentary

Larry the cat, was on hand for

Education Unit where they took

pictures and a few strokes!

part in the workshop on

ARU PSYCHOLOGY OPEN DAY At the start of this year, 75 of our

The afternoon was formed of a

A Level Psychology and Applied

number of taster lectures focused

Psychology visited Anglia Ruskin

on topics such as obsessive

University for a special Open Day

compulsive disorder and how to

focusing on their Psychology

manage emotions.

courses.

APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY: KEY INFO Total students currently on course: 385

Current average class We were then privileged enough

Students spent the day attending

to meet lots of Psychology staff

taster lectures, exploring the

and current students studying the

university campus and seeing the

ARU who gave our students great

inner workings of a Psychology

insight into what it’s like to study

lab. They were impressed by the

Psychology at university.

specialist psychology labs and

21

Assessment: 50% Exam

had the opportunity to tour an

Thank you to Anglia Ruskin for

EEG Lab, Perception Lab,

putting on such a fantastic day

Neuroscience Lab, Development

for us!

Lab and Psychometrics Lab!

size:

50% Coursework

Exam Board: Edexcel

PSYCHOLOGY A LEVEL: KEY INFO Total students currently on course:

PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS MEET HEADS OF NEUROPSYCHOLOGY

401

Current average class size: 22

At the start of the academic year,

Dr Emma Woodberry and Dr

our A Level and Applied

Heather Condon, Heads of

Psychology students were lucky

Neuropsychology, visited the

enough to welcome the Heads of

college to give a talk to our A

Neuropsychology, Dr Woodberry

Level and Applied Psychology

and Dr Condon, at Addenbrookes

students about memory and their

Hospital to our campus!

work at Addenbrooke’s hospital

Assessment: 100% Exam

with patients with memory The neuropsychology department

disorders.

at Addenbrookes is a small team

Exam Board: AQA

of 12 psychologists and a

Thank you so much to Emma and

secretary. The department

Heather for giving us such an

specialises in the cognitive,

interesting insight into their work

emotional and behavioural

and giving up their time to visit

effects of brain injury and

us!

neurological disease, with particular specialism in memory.

The team receives referrals mostly from neurologists, neurosurgeons and specialist nurses with questions about a patient’s cognitive function and how best to help.

SOCIOLOGY A LEVEL

answer questions about why

KITT CARTER Long Road Class of 2021 Law, University of Bristol

people behave the way they do.

Congratulations to Kitt who

Sociology makes you look at the

achieved an outstanding set out

world around you in completely

results last summer with an A* in

new ways!

Sociology and A's in Criminology,

Sociology is concerned with social behaviour and attempts to

Biology and EPQ.

SOCIOLOGY A LEVEL: KEY INFO Total students currently on course: 401

Current average class size:

Throughout your first year of study you will look at the role and

"My favourite thing about Long

purpose of education, investigate

Road is the opportunities given to

different sociological views on

students. The best trip was

the role of family and the

definitely the Pride Society's trip

changing experience of

to the Houses of Parliaments. We

childhood. You will also learn the

were given a guided tour of the

way in which sociologists study

building with a focus on LGBT

society and the methods they use

legislation and then even got to

to do this.

watch a debate in the Houses of Commons.

In your second year you will investigate the causes, control

I'd like to thank all my teachers,

and punishment of crime. You will

especially Alexis and Alice from

study the social role of religion in

Sociology for helping me achieve

society and the explore

my grades and getting me to my

explanations for the rise f

first choice of university"

religious fundamentalism and extremism.

22

Assessment: 100% Exam

Exam Board: AQA

JUNE EDITION: VOL. 6

#LongRoadLife LONG ROAD SIXTH FORM COLLEGE APPLICANT NEWSLETTER

help@longroad.ac.uk 01223 63 1125

www.longroad.ac.uk

Long Road Sixth Form College @LR6FC @lr6fc Long Road Sixth Form College