Home » Learning » University & Careers

LEARNING

University & Careers

High Educational Advisory Team

The Higher Education Advisory Team consists of the Deputy Headmistress, Kam Stylianou, the Educational Counsellor, Maria Photiades and two Higher Education Advisors, Lorraine Lynch and Todd Bowen.

It is an innovative team who have accumulated detailed knowledge and experience of admissions procedures. They prepare students for the requirements of different application processes in order to maximise their success. Regular presentations are given to students and parents, as well as talks by visiting speakers and taster lectures by academics and professionals.

In today’s competitive environment, it is essential for students to improve their transferable skills and the team is dedicated to this purpose. Through regular visits to universities abroad and careers conferences, designed to raise the profile of The Grammar School, the team updates their knowledge of admissions and pinpoints exactly what type of student universities and leading employers are interested in.

Educational Counselling

Ms Maria Photiades is a Registered Clinical Psychologist and joined The Grammar School in 2020. Her studies include a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Masters in Clinical Psychology.

Prior to joining The Grammar School, she worked at her own practice, mainly focusing on pre-teens and adolescents. Additionally, she worked as a Trainee Clinical Psychologist at the Nicosia General Hospital, KESY, and Agia Skepi Therapeutic Community.

As the Grammar School Educational Counsellor, her primary responsibility is to promote the academic, personal and social development of all students. Treating adolescents requires a great deal of understanding of human development, as well as a good grasp of social, cultural and biological influences. With such knowledge, she uses a multi-disciplinary approach where she devises strategies for improving the welfare and functioning of pre-teens and adolescents as it pertains in everyday life, education and interactions with peers and family.

Also, as she is in close cooperation with the Higher Education Advisory Team, her role includes advising students and parents on choices of elective subjects and future career choices.

Application Procedure

An Overview

Careers education is an integral part of student self-development. We seek to help students build their self-awareness and decision making skills, allowing them to make informed decisions at key stages in their academic life.

The Grammar School Education and Guidance programme begins when students enter the school through structured activities designed to build interpersonal skills, confidence and motivation. As students progress through the school, careers guidance becomes increasingly focused, as students are introduced to a variety of career paths, professions and skills enhancement. All students have their own account in Unifrog, a leading careers and university platform, and many of the careers activities utilise this platform to ensure that students receive up-to-date careers information.

In Class 3 students have careers lessons designed to facilitate balanced decision making for their IGCSE courses. These lessons focus on subject combinations and the career paths they can lead to, university requirements, motivation and self-awareness. They have consultations in small groups with the Higher Education Advisory Team to ensure they receive the necessary guidance to finalize their subject choices.

In the Upper School students continue to use interactive computer-based questionnaires which are linked to courses offered at university, in order to narrow down their choices for higher education. Students are invited to attend a range of presentations on studying in different countries and a number of universities visit the school to give presentations to students in Classes 5, 6 and 7. Speakers are also invited to school to talk about a range of professions. The Higher Education Advisory Team fully assists students and graduates throughout the university application process.

Procedure

Students and graduates completing their military service are guided through the process of applying to university. They are given detailed advice on researching their courses and career options as well as how to complete the UCAS Form. Click for a step-by-step guide to apply through UCAS.

In addition to UCAS applications, assistance is offered for applications to many different countries such as the US, Canada, Ireland and the Netherlands.

Students applying for courses that require interviews are provided with a series of mock interviews. These are arranged with appropriate staff members and students are given individual feedback on their performance and on how to improve and prepare further.

Individual booklets have been prepared to guide students in key areas and are available from the school:

- Writing an effective Personal Statement
- Applying for Medicine

The Higher Education Advisory Team is available at the School on A Level Results Day in August to guide students through the UCAS Clearing & Adjustment process, should the need arise.

Graduate Destinations

University Placements

Our students enter a wide range of competitive universities in the US, Canada, the UK, including many Russell Group institutions, and in a number of European countries. 

Grammar School graduate destinations are listed below:

University Placements

University Placements 2020

Congratulations to our 2020 graduates on their excellent GCE A Level results.

Click here to see the list of university destinations of our graduates who applied through the UCAS 2020 application cycle.

University Placements 2019

Congratulations to our 2019 graduates on their excellent GCE A Level results.

Click here to see the list of university destinations of our graduates who applied through the UCAS 2019 application cycle.

University Placements 2018

Congratulations to our 2018 graduates on their excellent GCE A Level results.

Click here to see the list of university destinations of our graduates who applied through the UCAS 2018 application cycle.

University Placements 2017

Congratulations to our 2017 graduates on their excellent GCE A Level results.

Click here to see the list of university destinations of our graduates who applied through the UCAS 2017 application cycle.

FAQ

How can students learn more about different careers and applying to university?

All Grammar School students and parents have access to Unifrog, a leading user-friendly platform that helps students make the best choices and submit the strongest applications. Unifrog provides information on universities around the world as well as extensive careers information. In addition, The Grammar School has a dedicated, well-connected and experienced Higher Education Advisory Team who organise university and careers presentations. The Team work closely with students during Class 3 when students take part in the Buzz activity to raise their self-awareness of which professions they might be suited to. Through a series of presentations and small group meetings Class 3 and Class 5 students are given the opportunity to discuss their elective choices. To add to this, an online calendar has been set up for students in order to enable them to sign up to virtual events hosted by universities globally. Finally students have access to application information per country in a UniPrep group on Microsoft Teams.

How are parents and guardians informed about university applications?

The Higher Education Advisory Team has a dedicated Facebook group exclusively for Parents and Guardians where they post a wealth of information and events in order to ensure that parents remain updated and informed. Presentations are arranged for parents when universities visit Cyprus and virtually under the current Covid conditions.

Does The Grammar School provide assistance for students applying to university?

The Higher Education Advisory Team provides detailed guidance and support for students throughout the application process. They have extensive experience of different application systems used for a range of countries including UCAS for the UK, the Common Application for the US, Studielink for The Netherlands and the CAO for Ireland. They work closely with students to ensure that applications are both competitive and punctual.

Does The Grammar School provide help with interview preparation for competitive courses?

The Higher Education Advisory Team ensures that interview preparation is tailored to meet the needs of the students and the courses they are applying for. Our team includes a lay examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons, who has developed relevant knowledge of role play, the required communication skills for the medical profession and general interview best practice. Where subject expertise is required, the relevant teachers participate. Annual success is achieved in competitive placements such as Medicine and Vet Science.

Does The Grammar School provide university application assistance to students serving in the military?

All Grammar School students are provided with full assistance with their university applications irrespective of whether they are at school or completing their military service.

Where do Grammar School graduates apply?

Our graduates apply to university destinations in a range of countries including the UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada, and throughout Europe. Popular universities include those in the Russell Group and the League of European Research Universities (LERU).

Is guidance given on attaining scholarships?

Students are assisted in their scholarship applications with a special emphasis on Sports Scholarships in the USA. For Academic Scholarships, detailed advice and essay reviews are conducted to ensure students send competitive applications. Recommendations are also prepared with great care to assist students in attaining their goals.