Here at Farnborough we challenge our students to dream big and provide the support and inspiration they need to reach their full potential.

All students with a 7.5 GCSE average or higher will be invited to join our Aspire Programme which offers exciting opportunities and guidance  to those students with ambitions to study at the most competitive and prestigious universities, or for desirable apprenticeships and degree apprenticeship programmes.  

In order to build a strong foundation, the Aspire Programme commences at the start of year 12 and will continue for students until the end of their college career.

The Aspire Programme includes a number of strands within which students receive tailored support. However, all students participating in the Programme will be encouraged to take action to extend and deepen their subject expertise and, where appropriate, go beyond the limit of the subject specifications.  

Opportunities to do this include lectures, workshops, research groups, HE style presentations, webinars, wider reading, practical tasks and enrichment groups. 

This wider knowledge and understanding will help you to stand out from the crowd when making applications to elite destinations and also in some cases offer the opportunity to make connections.

In 2024:

65% of students went on to Higher Education

82.8% were placed at their first choice university

We provide the following support for students wishing to progress onto Higher Education:

• Each student is assigned a Personal Tutor who supports them with their UCAS application and writes their reference
• Personal statement support, workshops and feedback from our fantastic careers department
• Preparation for applications and admissions tests to the top HE destinations and competitive courses
• Interview guidance and mock interviews with both external and internal specialists and in some cases Farnborough alumni 
• Open Days, online activities, talks and HE Exhibition visits.

Extra Curricular Opportunities

We offer a wide range of opportunities to stretch and challenge our students who are aiming for elite destinations. Participating  in these activities is a good way of making your application stand out! 

Recent examples where  students from Farnborough have excelled:

• UK Maths Challenge
• Biology, Physics and Chemistry Olympiads
• Oxford Big Think Competition
• Royal Society of Chemistry Analyst Challenge (practical competition)
• Debating competitions (e.g. Great Debate and Oxford Schools Debating Competition)
  

We also have a variety of student-run societies with guest speakers, student presentations and extra practicals. These include:

• Biology society
• Chemistry society
• Physics society
• Medic society
• Vet society
• History society