The Woking Way Excellence Programme

Excellence Programme

The Woking College Excellence Programme gives our most aspirational students the opportunity to engage in a range of extra-curricular activities in order to grow their cultural capital, to pursue their love of learning and to support them with applying to competitive courses and institutions. The Excellence Programme was cited in the latest Ofsted report as incredibly beneficial to students in helping them to achieve their long-term goals.

The Excellence Programme is split into five strands:

The Arts | Millie Collyer

Students receive specialist application support for the leading Performing Arts, Visual Arts and Media schools and creative industries. Experienced staff deliver workshops and sessions to explore the growing arts industries and support students in developing the skills required to enter these, such as creativity, collaboration and a cross-disciplinary understanding.

Staff on the programme have a strong understanding of the ever-changing specialist pathways and requirements to access these industries and students on the programme benefit from support in their progression, including mock auditions, portfolio workshops and personalised guidance. Students also hear from guest speakers from leading Arts institutions such as UCA and UAL, West End performers and those working in a range of fields within the Creative Industries.

Humanities & Social Sciences | Andrew Mountford

Leading academics deliver lectures designed to expand students’ cultural capital and spark interests outside of the curriculum. Students participate and lead workshops discussing political philosophy, postmodernism and a wealth of other fascinating and relevant topics.

Students receive specialist support in writing applications and personal statements, as well as with entrance exams and interviews, to demonstrate the wide range of skills and experiences they will have developed as part of the programme.

Physical Life | Rohan Rutah

Encompassing Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Sciences, and Sport, this strand supports students who are curious about these industries and wish to pursue a future within this field. Students will experience sessions run by Brighton & Sussex Medical School, participate in in house MMI sessions, hear from experienced doctors, vets, dentists, Sports scientists, physiotherapists and many others in the field, as well as be offered specialist support navigating the UCAS application process and UCAT and ESAT admission tests.

The programme is designed to holistically support our sports students, balancing their academic and athletic commitments as well as creating a range of opportunities for those aspiring to either continue on into the area of Sport or those wanting to pursue a different career path but with additional commitments to competitive sport alongside this. Students attend events such as UCFB conferences and benefit from building relationships with St Mary’s, Portsmouth and other sporting institutions.

STEM |

This strand is designed to stretch the most committed and curious scientists and mathematicians. Students will participate in debate sessions, workshops delivered by local universities and workplaces, including Royal Holloway, McLaren and WWF, as well as have the opportunity to hear from a range of academics and industry professionals within the STEM field.

Students hoping to apply to leading universities and competitive apprenticeships within STEM will receive specialist support with this demanding application process. Alongside the STEM Excellence Provision, Woking College offers an Advanced Maths Programme. Click here

Apprenticeships | Helen Taylor

In response to the greater demand and growing industry of apprenticeships, we have launched a brand-new strand of the Excellence Programme designed to support students exploring and applying for competitive degree level apprenticeships.

Oxford and Cambridge Application Support

The Woking College Excellence Programme is very proud of its record in supporting students in obtaining places at Oxford and Cambridge. As part of the Programme, students intending on applying to Oxford and Cambridge will be supported through their individual strands by specialist tutors who understand the admissions process.

We support students through organising a visit to Oxford University so students can hear from and work with admissions tutors. Students also receive comprehensive personal statement support for the UCAS application process. If students are required to sit admissions assessments, then mock-assessments are administered, and students receive timely feedback to improve. Students also receive numerous mock-interviews with subject specialists which focus on academic rigour in order to best mimic the real Oxford and Cambridge interviews.

We have supported students throughout their application process and in securing places at both Oxford and Cambridge on a range of courses, including Classics & Archaeology, History, Medicine and Natural Sciences to name a few. In the academic year 2024/25 we have 4 students who have been offered places to study History, Engineering, Chemistry and Music.