On 27^th January 2026, it was great to be joined by parent and pupils from Year 9-12 who engaged in a webinar about how to prepare for competitive university places.  It is never too early to start to prepare for these courses; early preparation reduces stress and ensures excellent coverage of relevant content.  The webinar covered:

• An overview of the university application process 

• An introduction to Subject Pages on UCAS (https://www.ucas.com/explore/search/subject-guides?query=) 

• An overview of a website designed to support pupils in identifying a future career: https://sacu-student.com/  

• How Etone’s Padlet resource (https://padlet.com/sleftwichlloyd/securing-your-place-at-top-universities-a-comprehensive-guid-zlveqqulqvq2c48a) can support the demands of the personal statement / entrance examinations and make you a more competitive candidate.  The resource is packed with lnks, ideas and examples to start pupils off in their university preparation journey, it is being updated all the time: 

• Super Curricular 

• MOOCS (use google and the term MOOC and the area you are interested in) 

• Academic reading / research / engagement (including books, articles, key websites, podcasts, documentaries) 

• Work Experience (both online and actual) 

• Widening Participation courses / opportunities 

Feedback from participants was all positive with a range of questions asked and answered and many positive comments, for example, “Thank you , this session has been very useful and informative.” 

On 13th January, Etone Exceeding Excellence welcomed our first lecturer for 2026, Prof Dr Gill Cooke from Warwick University delivered an inspiring talk about the breadth of engineering, her unconventional career journey and quality assurance engineering. 

Her talk was packed full of career advice and information, especially with regards to apprenticeship routes. Gill repeatedly reminded our pupils and carers of her roots in Nuneaton and the winding nature of her journey into academia. 

Gill left listeners with clear top tips for a career in engineering:

1) Be an early adopter to maximise training opportunities and to build your reputation.

2) Be reliable, collaborative and deliver when you say you will. 

3) Take every and all opportunities to build your transferable skills to maximise future options. 

4) Create a LinkedIn profile and follow people whose careers you aspire to to build a network and develop your career aspirations. 

5) If you’re not sure then research options.  

6) Be prepared to adapt and weave and wind through your career to find your niche.