GCSE Mathematics

My time at Ashbourne was incredible! I made lifelong friendships and learnt how to be independent and manage my time well. For me, Ashbourne was a stepping stone between school and university where I was treated as an adult but was still given the guidance I needed to achieve the results that I wanted to get. During my time there I learnt so much, not just about my subjects, but about myself. I came to Ashbourne with a dream to study Music at university and, I am unbelievably grateful that, with the help of the teachers at Ashbourne, I am now a second year Music student at Royal Holloway University of London, my first choice. I have genuinely never been happier.

What I like about Ashbourne is that everyone is enveloped into the really close-knit family, regardless of race or background. The teaching goes beyond simply imparting skills and knowledge, but also extends to encouraging and inspiring students, which makes learning a lot more enjoyable. The amount of passion that everyone has and the amount of individual attention the college gives to every student creates a pleasant and stimulating environment. Ashbourne has exceeded my expectations in so many ways, and I have really enjoyed my time here in the college

Ashbourne has broadened my academic and personal horizons beyond any expectation I may have had when I first arrived here. I think a good school gets you where you want to go, but an outstanding school takes you to a place beyond what you would ever have envisaged for yourself, and therefore I can only describe Ashbourne as an outstanding and incredible place to study. As planned, having finished my A levels, I am now entering into my gap year in order to pursue my entrepreneurial ambitions. I intend to gain work experience in the business sector im entering into, in hope to build a strong foundation of authentic understanding and knowledge of the industry, on which I hope to build a successful business in the near future

Ashbourne has provided me with the platform, the time and the space to grow intellectually. We are encouraged to read widely and since Ashbourne offers extra curricular critical theory, I have found my subjects being independently stimulated and motivated by cross disciplinary links. Aside from academic growth, Ashbourne has offered me a chance to feel a part of something. The opportunity to be the co-editor of Ashbourne Identity, the college’s student magazine, has given me a sense of responsibility, creative freedom and pride toward Ashbourne’s diversity. From Ashbourne’s Christmas Revue to its annual European trip, the college’s nurturing and collaborative atmosphere will remain a highlight of my time at Ashbourne

I was drawn to apply to Ashbourne at first based on their phenomenal reputation in the UK, but the reality far exceeded my expectations… No single teacher had the same approach to teaching a subject, which was much more refreshing than the standard lecture & questions approach. From team quizzes during revision period, to weekly workbooks matching the syllabus – the organisation and creativity of my tutors really helped the content stick in my head, which made revision easier when exams came around. My personal tutor was extremely supportive throughout my UCAS application. He would reply emails near instantly if I had any questions, be on hand for regular support when I needed it and loaned me materials to read directly related to my chosen course – Law. Albeit slightly frustrating with the constant tweaking required to my personal statement every week, this was more of a fine tuning process as he would not stop until he knew my personal statement was as perfect as it could be, and I am very grateful for his determination! The hard work and determination required of you at Ashbourne really set me up for life at university as I knew what I had to do to stay ahead and still even applied revision tactics and tips from Ashbourne tutors to my final year of my law degree

Honestly, I had the best two years of my life as an A level student at Ashbourne. While attending music classes at Royal College of Music Junior Department on Saturdays, the flexibility of the time-table each of us gets from Ashbourne gave me plenty of time to practise on violin/harp. Not only did Ashbourne prepare me extremely well for the A level exams, the music opportunities I was exposed to during my time here really helped to develop myself into a better musician. We had at least one music concert every term, plenty of opportunities to play in ensembles as well as having our compositions performed by professional musicians! Ashbourne really focuses on bringing out the individuality and independence of its students. I am currently studying Instrumental Performance at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and am loving every second!

My time at Ashbourne was a fun and exciting experience. It had a very relaxed atmosphere which helped me settle in very well. The College’s approach to teaching in the classrooms was very different to traditional 6th form Colleges and a lot more informal which I believe was a great aid in developing my skills in independent study. During my time as a student at Ashbourne, I was passionate about physics and maths as well as music. My teachers and other staff members were very supportive of this and were an incredible assistance in helping me find an ideal course at university which catered to my interest. Thanks to Ashbourne I went on to do a joint degree in Physics and Music at Cardiff University. I graduated in 2018 and have remained at Cardiff to do a masters in Astrophysics.

I loved the casualness between teacher and student and also I loved the fact that I was essentially, the one responsible for myself and parents were not frequently contacted for any reason i.e to sign up for clubs etc. The responsibility- to turn up on time, to hand in homework on time, to revise effectively- all being left to me, really spurred on me to be productive and hard working. I hope to eventually be working in the city as a trader for a large bank, after doing this in the short term I hope to take money I have saved and open a fashion retail store that stocks up and coming brands in London somewhere. I genuinely feel like Ashbourne has given me the confidence i once lacked to be able to do this

My time at Ashbourne was everything I hoped it would be and more. In the space of just two years my technical understanding and appreciation of music have rocketed higher than I ever thought possible. Thanks to Piers’ outstanding and engaging teaching, I’ve fallen in love with opera and have now, since leaving Ashbourne, written my own, incorporating all the musical devices and tricks we learned about in lesson. So thanks to Ashbourne, I now have the confidence and knowledge to not only apply to my own shows but to the musical developing company called ‘Wishful Thinking’ I now work with as a creative development assistant. I cannot recommend Ashbourne enough for anyone with a drive and a passion to succeed. You will thrive.

Choosing to study at Ashbourne was one of my best decisions because I was so well cared for both academically and personally. This was especially true in preparing for my interview at Cambridge, for which I received a lot of help from my Personal Tutor