The Seren Hubs the Programme Seren Spans the Length and Breadth of Wales, Divided Into 13 Regional Hubs
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PAST & PRESENT Hear from past & present students about their experiences throughout FAQs Your questions answered p.10+11 EDUCATION We speak to Minister for Education, Kirsty Williams CONFERENCE Find out about Seren’s annual conference Seren An introduction to Seren Welcome to Seren, a programme specifically dedicated to supporting Wales’ brightest students to apply to leading universities in Wales, the UK and overseas. It gives pupils life-changing opportunities Seren works closely with partner designed to expand their horizons and organisations to help deliver a fantastic develop a lifelong passion for learning. variety of activities and opportunities for each Fully launched by 2016, Seren has made a student during their time on the programme. huge impact on increasing the number of From legal placements with LEDLET to Welsh state school pupils both applying residential visits at Cambridge University, to and receiving offers from Oxbridge. work experience with the Social Mobility This year alone, Cambridge made the highest Fund to tours of American universities number of offers in its history of working with with the Fulbright Commission, I’d the programme (67) to Welsh state-educated urge all students to take advantage of students – an offer rate of 31%. Applications these life-changing opportunities. from Welsh state-educated students to Closer to home, Seren has formed Oxford University have increased by 13% partnerships with leading departments at since 2016 with 69 offers extended this year. the Welsh Universities, all making strides “I found out about the Jesus Summer School at As a result of its success, Seren is in their areas of academic specialism Oxford on the Seren Facebook page and jumped expanding to include younger year and supporting Seren students through groups through the creation of Seren workshops, masterclasses and events. at the chance to apply to go. I was amazed Foundation which aims to develop students We know that Wales’ brightest students have when I got offered a place and enjoyed every academic interests ahead of GCSEs. big aspirations. Seren is proud to support Many Seren students have also gone on those aspirations and make them a reality. second of my week there. It gave me an insight to receive offers from some of the UK’s into life at the university while also giving me leading universities as well as further afield at prestigious institutions including Kirsty Williams AM a flavour of what the course would be like.” Harvard, Stanford, Princeton and Yale. Minister for Education One of the most exciting events in the Darcy Holland calendar for Year 12 Seren students are the summer study schools to the Seren- Jesus Summer School at Oxford University, Harvard and Yale in the US and China. Seren students get a taste of university life during these summer study visits where they live like an undergraduate, attending lectures, seminars and tutorials and completing assignments. Thanks to growing private investment in these schemes, Seren has seen these programmes expand year-on-year. gov.wales/seren 3 Seren The Seren hubs The programme Seren spans the length and breadth of Wales, divided into 13 regional hubs. Each hub has a dedicated member of staff to coordinate all hub events. Seren Academy is for academically able students in Find your hub coordinator’s contact details on the map below. years 12 and 13, offering further support with activities including university admissions workshops, interview preparation sessions and visits to leading universities. Flintshire & Wrexham Divided into regional hubs across Wales, • Workshops from Oxford and Debra Hughes, 01978 295446 Anglesey each Seren hub invites the brightest Cambridge outreach officers [email protected] students from state schools and FE Swansea Flintshire • At least one university visit in year 12 Fiona Beresford, 01792 890714 colleges to join the programme at the Conwy [email protected] start of each academic year. Selection is • Access to Seren admissions test Denbighshire Rhondda Cynon Taf & Merthyr Tydfil based on outstanding GCSE results. preparation workshops such as Stephen Parry-Jones, 07855 186536 Wrexham TSA, HAT, ELAT, BMAT, PAT [email protected] Hubs are led by a dedicated Seren Carmarthenshire & Pembrokeshire coordinator who designs and organises a • Interview support for Oxbridge and Julian Dessent, 01267 246644 Gwynedd calendar of events. There are also cross- other leading universities for MMI [email protected] hub events which allow students to for aspiring medicine students EAS Consortia Siân Farquharson, 07904 644757 attend an even wider range of activities. • Personal statement guidance [email protected] Here’s a flavour of what to • Super-curricular activities for humanities, Cardiff Gillian James, 029 20788392 expect in your hub: life sciences and STEM subjects* [email protected] or [email protected] • Launch event to welcome new • Support for summer activities (e.g. summer year 12 students onto the Seren Neath Port Talbot reading recommendations and reflection) Karen Thomas, 07581 467684 programme – Autumn 2019 [email protected] • Subject specific masterclasses Invitation to the national Seren conference, Conwy & Denbighshire Ceredigion Powys • *These activities may be delivered through held annually each December – 3rd, Christine Wynne, 07785 942 381 day-long conferences or after school sessions. [email protected] 4th and 5th December 2019 Anglesey & Gwynedd Elfed T Morris, 01286 679925 [email protected] Ceredigion Sian Bowen, 07890540395 Lois Williams [email protected] Pembrokeshire Carmarthenshire University: Oxford, Jesus College Vale of Glamorgan Nisha Shukla, 01446 709457 Area of study: French Blaenau Monmouthshire [email protected] Merthyr Gwent Tydfil Neath Torfaen “I used to think Oxford wasn’t for someone like me, I Powys Swansea Port Talbot Rhondda Jayne Bevan, 01597 826695 Cynon Caerphilly hadn’t heard of many people from my area that had [email protected] Taf Newport been through the process of application, let alone people Bridgend Bridgend who had been students there. I remember the long car John Fabes, 01656 642663 Cardiff [email protected] Vale of journey I took not really knowing what to expect. Once Glamorgan there, I realised Oxford was full of students of all backgrounds, young people just like me. I think programmes like Seren are hugely important in dispelling myths, breaking down barriers and boosting the confidence of students just like me.” 4 gov.wales/seren 5 Seren Our partners A word from our partners… Seren provides experiences that go beyond the Dr Matthew Williams, Access and Career Ami Shah, Associate Director for curriculum, raising aspirations, widening horizons Development Fellow, Jesus College, Oxford External Affairs for Yale Young and introducing students to a wide range of the “Seren is a fantastic network. It has been of Global Scholars (YYGS): top universities in Wales, the UK and abroad. enormous benefit to its participants, as well “Expanding the reach of Yale Young Global as being invaluable to academics like me who Scholars and attracting new students from want to meet the brightest and best from across the world are ongoing priorities for Many of the unique opportunities available for Seren all over Wales. It is with the help of Seren us, so it’s been brilliant to work with the students are delivered in partnership, which include: that we in Oxford hosted the first ever all- Seren Network to build new relationships Wales summer school in August 2017, for 22 and promote the YYGS opportunity to Welsh Ongoing partnerships for Seren Academy at Oxford University, gives students the participants. We then more than trebled this students. The YYGS-Seren Partnership • Sutton Trust – An education charity chance to live and study there over a in August 2018 and 2019 for 75 students. We’re offered 30 of Wales’ brightest sixth formers which runs summer schools for state week-long period. jesus.ox.ac.uk now working on exciting plans to fundraise a truly life-changing opportunity this school pupils. suttontrust.com • Overseas summer schools – for a Welsh outreach officer for Oxford summer and has given us at Yale Young University. Without the expertise and help of Global Scholars direct access to some Fulbright Commission – Establishes More information about these • Seren, we would never have made as many of Wales’ very best academic talent.” educational links with the US. The Fulbright programmes will be announced at meaningful connections with Welsh students.” and Sutton Trust work together to deliver a the conference in December. US university summer school trip. In 2019, Other partner opportunities a total of 27 Seren students were selected Lady Margaret Hall Foundation Year – for a funded place. fulbright.org.uk • A fully funded, year-long course Dr Jonathan Padley, Fellow and Dr Anwen Jones, Pro Vice-Chancellor • Social Mobility Foundation – Supports designed to help students from socio- Admissions Tutor, Churchill College, Aberystwyth University: high-achieving students from low- economic backgrounds that are under- University of Cambridge “Aberystwyth University is delighted to work income backgrounds across the represented in higher education to “In the 2019 admissions round, over 30% with Seren on two key strategic projects UK into leading universities and reach their potential. lmh.ox.ac.uk of state-educated Welsh applicants to over