CCSS Inspiring education
An inspiring education gives you the tools to think for yourself, the desire to achieve your dreams, the confidence to influence. An inspiring education provides the opportunity to excel as an individual and the maturity to work in a team. An inspiring education feeds personality and ignites ambition. CCSS‌ inspiring education.
At CCSS we have a straightforward, clear and determined view of what a good education should be. Driven by a passion for learning and a joy in teaching, we are committed to providing our students with an unrivalled platform for academic and personal growth in an environment where aspiration, respect and tolerance thrive. We encourage our students to tackle challenges; to enquire, learn and develop; to find solutions to problems and mistakes; and above all to persevere. Less formal, less institutional than most independent schools, we still have exceptionally high expectations of ourselves and of our students, confident that mutual high regard and working together helps us to achieve our best. Ultimately, we want what we believe all parents want from their children’s education: that they are inspired and excited by devoted teachers, in an environment that is stimulating, motivating, happy and safe. We are CCSS.
Stuart Nicholson MA(Oxon), MBA, PGCE, NPQH Principal
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“ I remember what I learned at CCSS better than anything I was taught when I went on to University. CCSS is a unique learning environment. The individual attention from world-class teachers is outstanding.� Hadley Freeman CCSS alumna and Oxford University Graduate Now a journalist for The Guardian
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1/ WELCOME TO CCSS
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At CCSS you are an individual... in every way. Your courses and learning are tailored to suit your style and your ambitions.
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At CCSS you learn how to think, not what to think. You will be encouraged to question, to explore and to have an opinion.
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Inspiring teachers, small tuition groups and enthusiastic students all contribute to make your learning at CCSS a unique experience.
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Learning at CCSS is more than academic study‌ you are given daily opportunities to challenge yourself and build your confidence.
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As a CCSS student, based in the very heart of the city of Cambridge, you are immersed in the history and culture of this prestigious location, benefiting from access to prized facilities and unrivalled opportunities.
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At CCSS the friends you make, the things you do and the sights you see are all part of the learning that you will value as you start to define your future.
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You deserve a great education, a contemporary approach to learning, the freedom to make choices and an educational environment filled with vitality and ambition. CCSS guarantees this for you. CCSS... inspiring education.
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Student Being inspired
Welcome to CCSS CCSS is an established and leading independent sixth-form College located in the heart of Cambridge. The College provides bespoke tuition programmes for young people aged 15-19 and aims to ensure for each student the highest possible level of achievement. We offer both residential and day courses on our Cambridge campus. All our boarders’ accommodation lies within easy walking distance of all teaching spaces. In addition to an incredibly wide range of A-level subject options we also run a one-year GCSE programme, short courses to support GCSE revision and an academic foundation programme for international students considering A-levels or University applications and requiring an introduction to study for UK qualifications. Our exclusive College is home to around 200 students who mingle with a staff of 100 in a friendly, supportive, sociable and familiar environment. All students benefit from the multi-cultural nature of CCSS, learning and living with friends from around 30 countries whilst enjoying a truly British educational environment in Cambridge city centre. Almost half of our students are UK nationals. We hope the following few pages will give you a good idea of why CCSS is such a popular choice for ambitious minds. A uniquely personal education At the heart of our philosophy is an understanding that each student is different and each has different aims, abilities and aspirations. Many schools claim they treat their students as individuals, but rarely do any come close to matching the time and attention to detail that create the truly personal education we provide.
We sit down with each of our students, and design a structured path for the courses they can take. We make sure we support them through every part of the journey, from admission to graduation. Every student that we look after has a uniquely personal story, and every part of our service is designed to be tailored as closely as possible to that story. Why? Because the difference between a good education and a great education is the attention to detail. We offer places to students who show a drive to succeed and we invest more time and attention in them than any other college we know. Inspiring education We believe that good results depend upon the quality of the academic environment we create for our students and the passion and inspiration of the teachers who teach them. We teach by unlocking our students’ excitement in learning and by igniting their intellectual curiosity for their subjects. In so doing, our students love being in class; they enjoy the time they spend with their teachers; they enjoy the results they get; and they want to study harder and learn more. To assist this, we guide our students in learning the academic and personal skills needed for planning their own academic study. They learn to become independent and to manage their own path to successful study, supported by a close and individual tutoring system. We energise students’ curiosity for study, imbue them with a love for their subjects and help them achieve ever-increasing independence. We help our students achieve their best possible results. This is how we inspire learning. This is what we mean by inspiring education.
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Teachers and teaching We believe that education is about empowering our students to explore what they don’t know, encouraged by passionate, dedicated teaching. We also recognise and embrace the fact that each student’s experience in the classroom is a very personal and individual journey. You will learn that success is as much about attitudes, ethos and commitment as it is about academic study. Our teaching approach is informal without ever being relaxed, and comes with a high level of academic discipline, regular homework and examination practice. Our teaching community has an incredible breadth of experience. They are the teachers that we would all want for our children. Our subject specialists, with impressive pedigree, teach exclusively at sixth-form level. They are great communicators, passionate about their subjects and, most importantly, inspire their students to be the very best they can be. Our class sizes Classes at CCSS are less than half the average for the independent sector in the UK, averaging six students. We pride ourselves on the high level of care we offer to each student. Class sizes this small mean the level of attention we can give to each student is quite remarkable.
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The CCSS atmosphere A place of life and vitality, energy and fun, the great strength of our college is the atmosphere that emanates from every classroom, every corridor and every study. Our students may come to us from all over the world, but they share common bonds and common traits: curiosity, courtesy, energy and a strong commitment to their studies and to each other. Our college is an intimate space where students and staff meet, eat, study and socialise, on a daily basis, creating an incredibly strong sense of togetherness and community. We all share and take pride in the success of others and we are there to help out and support when a friend is in need. CCSS is a genuine home from home and a hugely welcoming and sociable place to be.
On academic success CCSS has an enviable record of achieving grades and university progression that places us highly in the region’s league tables. The great majority of our students go on to university in the UK or elsewhere, with many enjoying success at Cambridge, Durham, London School of Economics, Imperial College and other top universities. We are proud that our “value-added” ranking is frequently in the top 10% of national results.
Your personal tutor The potential of the individual and the commitment of each student is very important to us, but we also recognise that not every 16 year old is always fully ready and prepared to manage their academic career all by themselves. With this in mind, every student has a personal tutor who is available to advise, monitor, and guide a student’s progress, in and out of the classroom, day in, day out. Individual learning plans and weekly one-to-one meetings are an opportunity to talk over study matters, student work, and preparation of the strongest possible university application, as well as any social or personal issues students may have. A student’s personal tutor will also support the relationship between them, the college and their parents and is always available to discuss progress both informally or through formal review meetings.
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There is always more to life‌ You know what they say about all work and no play. We believe that personal growth and self-motivation should be valued as highly as academic achievement, and that they contribute to academic excellence too.
Living with CCSS The boarding community at CCSS is small enough to have a distinct family atmosphere, but large and varied enough to allow everyone to be comfortable in their own space.
We also believe that the many activities our students enjoy in addition to study teach them valuable lessons in life, such as the importance of perseverance, hard work, developing their competitive spirit, and, if they really need it, to learn how to have fun.
If you are a boarder our first priority is to provide you with an environment that is safe, structured and happy, where you can enjoy living with like-minded people, study, socialise and enjoy the increasing independence you need to prepare for the next stage of your life.
This is why we make sure there is an extensive range of sports and creative and cultural activities on offer throughout the college year. As well as footballers, netball players, tennis players, boxers and swimmers, we also have debaters, musicians, actors and actresses, poets, film-makers, trainee pilots and so many more besides.
To do this we have a dedicated team of House Managers, on call every hour of the day and night to provide support, care or advice students may need. Our residential accommodation is impressive and highly sought after.
Our students have invested in the stock market, organised College balls, published magazines and participated in trips to St Petersburg, Marrakesh, New York and Australia, to name just a few.
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Most rooms are single occupancy, all with superfast, fibreoptic broadband. The majority are ensuite and all are within close walking distance of our teaching buildings.
Living in Cambridge Cambridge is perhaps the most famous academic centre of learning in the world. It is also a wonderfully vibrant, open and safe city to live and study in. CCSS is based in the centre of Cambridge, just a five-minute walk from the heart of this world-famous location of teaching, learning and culture. Well known for its architecture and heritage, cosmopolitan population and sense of community, the city has a truly unique and relaxing atmosphere that makes it the ideal place for you to study and experience life.
Apply Our admissions specialists offer you guidance and support from the moment you make contact with us. We will help with your application to make the process clear and straightforward. We are on hand to support prospective students and families with any aspect of moving to Cambridge and are confident that CCSS will deliver the education and experience that will set you up for life.
Recognised as one of the safest cities to live in, Cambridge also has a fantastic choice of high street brands, markets and designer labels for every shopping taste, a wonderful mix of free museums and galleries, and some of the oldest and most beautiful green spaces to be found anywhere in the UK. And getting home Travel links from Cambridge are also excellent. Direct trains to London King’s Cross are every half-hour and take 50 minutes, and to Liverpool Street 80 minutes. The M11 makes London Stansted airport a 20-minute drive or just 30 minutes by train direct from Cambridge station. There are coaches direct to London, Heathrow and Gatwick leaving the city centre every hour.
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“ I am thankful to have such wonderful members of staff and for their patience and compassion not just to teach but also to listen to every single student’s needs. At CCSS with tutoring and small class teaching, I noticed myself not just learning more but also mentally became more mature. I can surely see how tutors making the time to understand each student’s individual requirements speeds the learning process and demonstrates a model for building good relationships.” Wilson PK CCSS alumnus and Central St Martins graduate Now a designer for Alexander Wang
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2/ CCSS VOICES
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I love being at CCSS. My brother was here too, so I knew a lot about the college before I arrived. I was still nervous about being so far away from home but I didn’t need to worry. I live in Batim House and the House Managers are great; they really helped me settle in and are always around if I need any help. The boarding house is very friendly and I soon made some great friends. The support is not only in the boarding house. My tutor is great at helping me organise my work schedule and we’re spending a lot of time at the moment on my UCAS application and looking at university courses. I am so pleased I came to CCSS – it is the first step to fulfilling my dreams. Hafsat Garba Law, Psychology and English Literature
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When I started I was a bit worried about how I would fit in: I was a bit older and a day boy and it seemed that most students boarded. My parents were confident that this was the best choice for me, and it became clear straight away that they were absolutely right. Most of the students here have a great work ethic and we are all here for the same reason – to achieve good grades. The small classes are ideal since they provide opportunities to interact with the teacher and each other and this really helps reinforce a thorough understanding of the material. Naturally my courses have presented challenges but my teachers and tutor have been really supportive and are always available and ready with advice to help me aim for my best. There are lots of activities on offer and last year I enjoyed my weekly sessions at the climbing wall. Studying in Cambridge also means that I can access the University’s public lectures so easily – we have talks from Nobel Prize winners practically on our doorstep! I have made friends with both day and boarding students and the atmosphere here works well for me. It is welcoming, open and friendly. James Topalian Computing, Biology and Chemistry
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I spent a year in a traditional girls’ boarding school in the UK, and found I wanted something different that allowed me to be more individual, have some independence and follow my passion for the arts. As it’s turned out, CCSS is amazing and exactly what I wanted. My English has improved so much, since we all have to talk to each other in English, and it has helped me make some great friends from all around the world. Being an arts student I love the cosmopolitan atmosphere in Cambridge. It’s a great city to study art subjects, with all the museums and galleries. Oh, and it’s a great place for shopping too! Plus London is so close, we go there regularly to help with our studies. My teachers in the visual arts team are great. They let us explore areas of art that interest us rather than stick to a rigid plan, and we are all encouraged to come in outside of lessons to work on portfolios, work together, try new things and just see what the other students are up to. It is a real creative community. That’s why I love CCSS and that’s why I love Cambridge! Anchisa Kungtrakul Photography, Graphics and Business
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I am now studying Electrical Engineering at Imperial College in London and I want to say CCSS was amazing and I really enjoyed my two years studying there. My teachers were a great source of inspiration to me; the lessons were never dull, the small classes were very friendly and they really helped me as the teachers were able to focus absolutely on me, just when I needed it. The university application process (UCAS) can be quite confusing! I was really grateful to my tutor who guided me through the process and I was so thrilled to be offered a place at Imperial. Now I am at University, I can see how a lot of what they did with us was all about getting us prepared for the stuff you have to deal with and the independence you get on a degree course. We were taught how to plan our time, how to decide what to focus on studying, and when it was time just to relax and have some fun. That was a good lesson. Chinomnso Abba Maths, Further Maths, Physics
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Cambridge Centre for Sixth-form Studies (CCSS) is an established and leading independent sixth-form college located in the heart of Cambridge. Our commitment is always to our students as individuals; to inspire curiosity, creativity and confidence. We enrich their lives with an enjoyment and excitement for learning and study, while giving them knowledge, skills and independence of mind that will make them successful and responsible adults.
Design, art direction and copywriting: www.sableandhawkes.co.uk Print: Quadraproof Photographic contributions from: Nick David, Marcus Ginns and Martin Bond
We look forward to meeting you‌ Call us on: +44 1223 707942 Email us: admissions@ccss.co.uk or visit: www.ccss.co.uk