Contextual UCAS information

East Leake Academy (ELA) is a medium size semi-rural comprehensive academy. Students come to ELA from a wide range of backgrounds, including a proportion with no family experience of higher education. We have a small sixth form (120 students) offering 20 A level subjects plus core mathematics and BTEC music.

Sixth form students normally study three A levels and do not sit external AS exams in Year 12. Further mathematics is usually timetabled as a fourth subject. EPQ is offered as an enrichment activity.

Information for university and college admissions teams

Coronavirus has had an impact on our current Year 13 students in a number of ways:

    • The academy was closed for the majority of the Spring Term in 2021. During this period students had no formal lessons in school.
    • A timetable of remote provision was provided during the lockdown period using Microsoft Teams. This involved a blended programme of ‘live’ lessons on Microsoft Teams and uploaded written work. A ‘live’ weekly assembly and enrichment session also took place.
    • During the Summer Term there continued to be disruption to the teaching programme as a consequence of Covid. Year 12 mock exams were planned in but disrupted for many students.
    • Students were not able to carry out personal visits to Open Days and UCAS fairs during the summer term. We were not able to bring in the speakers that would normally support our UCAS programme. Instead we looked to provide this support online.
    • We were conscious of the impact of lockdown on our students’ wellbeing, motivation, confidence in their academic progress, and awareness of their post A level options. We were also conscious of the variety of different contexts which our students were facing in lockdown. Post 16 tutors kept in contact with their groups and the enrichment sessions had a focus on wellbeing.
    • There has been an impact on our usual process of determining predicted grades. The disruption of teaching and learning time, assessments and contact have also been challenging in the context of predicting grades and in their potential impact on expected student progress.