The Russell Group of UK universities have sought to provide advice to those choosing A Levels through their Informed Choices programme for a number of years. The most controversial part of this has been the list of so-called “facilitating subjects”. While intended to help ensure that students took A Levels that gave them the greatest options for post-eighteen study, this short list of academic A Levels has been criticised for causing the marginalisation of creative subjects in schools. In the second half of May, a new Informed Choices website (www.informedchoices.ac.uk) was launched that takes a different approach to guiding student A Level choices, and it is hoped this will address the concerns with the old system. The new website has been well received and is well worth the attention of students in their GCSE years who are considering what to study next. Please click here to read more about this from the BBC.

On May 17^th we played host to Professor Alec Cameron, Vice chancellor and Chief Executive of Aston University along with his colleague Mr David Farrow, Executive Director for their first ever visit to the school.

Professor Cameron and Mr Farrow met with Headteacher Dr Bird, and Deputy Headteacher Mr Conway, before being given a tour of the school by our new Head Boy, Hasnain Sumar and Head Girl Deborah Sepo.

Aston University is a popular destination for many of our students, with over thirty students each year choosing to study there. It has a fine reputation nationally and internationally and has recently opened a new medical school, to help to develop the next generation of doctors.

Professor Cameron and Mr Farrow were both extremely complimentary about the school, and the students whom they met. They were both keen to stress the importance of building a strong, long-term relationship with our school, and we look forward to welcoming them back to HGS in the future.

Mr Conway