Please find below a list of some of the most frequently asked questions we would normally expect to be asked on a face to face open evening- hopefully you may find some answers here!
Q: How many students are in the Sixth Form?
A: NUAST has expanded in student numbers exponentially since we opened in 2014 with just 19 students. We now have around 320 students in Post 16, with around 180 in Year 12 and around 140 in Year 13. It is impossible to project how much interest we may have next year.
In 2019-20 we received almost 600 applications, and we conducted around 360 interviews.
Q: How competitive is it for places?
A: We do not really look at things this way. We will interview anybody who books one with us. We offer a provisional place to a high percentage of our interviewees who have the required predicted grades. Our grade requirements are high and challenging, because we expect high standards of the young people we offer places to.
We will then ask you to accept a place with us, and those who do so before our cut off date (which we will inform you of) will have priority for confirming their place with us after results day in the summer.
Q: If I am offered a place, does that mean I am guaranteed a place?
Not guaranteed, no. You will need to meet the minimum grade requirements for the courses you want to study. We do also have limits on the number of students we can take, and we will offer more places than can actually fulfil; just as with universities, a percentage of students we offer places to will not choose to take that place up, and how high that percentage will be is difficult to predict.
It is possible that we may become completely full and have to turn some latecomers away. This is why it is important to accept your place with us early to make sure you have priority for enrolment, and to enrol with us as soon as you can after you get your A-Level results to avoid disappointment.
Q: How many students are there in a class?
A: This depends on the class. Sizes range from around 5 to a maximum of 28, which is rare. Most classes are in the high teens- low 20s.
Q: What is the percentage of A*-A grades in [subject]?
A: Please see the breakdown of this in our achievement section.
Q: Is there any transport available?
A: Unfortunately, there is no council or school provided transport as our school is not eligible for this and our students come from all over the East Midlands. There are fantastic transport links to NUAST via the tram network and most areas of Nottingham are connected to the QMC by a bus route.
Q: Can I get any financial help with transport costs?
A: We take part in the 16-19 bursary fund scheme, so if your family meets the income threshold for this you can use your bursary for transport.
Q: What is your link to the University of Nottingham?
A: We have a close partnership with the university, who provide a wide variety of outreach activities and access to lectures, labs and other facilities other schools may not have access to. Our students have traditionally been able to join the university gym for the same rate as their students and our students, pre-COVID, could join and borrow books from the library.
Q: What sort of businesses are you linked with?
A: We build links with a wide variety of partners. We have had excellent links with Rolls Royce, who traditionally take ten of our students on work experience per year. Siemens are based just behind NUAST and are one of our original partners, taking part in mock interviews and workshops. We aim to build links with many more local companies as well; our Engineers recently went to visit VRCO in Derby who have designed a flying car; Swiftool Precision engineering last year took on five of our students as apprentices. We are building exciting links with a local software company, Ideagen. Meanwhile, we have links with individuals, including a highly experienced forensic scientist who has lent us his expertise in workshops for the past two years.
