Academic, university & personal goals
We explain Virtus through the goals of the Gate-to-Gate Model.
The Vocational Profile that we carry out for each student, together with their personal and academic interests, allows us to design a Roadmap for their school stage at Virtus to develop them on three fronts: academic, university and personal.
The Roadmap is crucial in determining aspects of the educational programme in which the student participates, how the academic support materialises and the areas to work on with the mentor.
University goals
Our Gate-to-Gate Model builds on the results derived from the Vocational Profile, the student’s interests and the A-Level subjects right from the very first day, providing the student with an unparalleled strategy, support and enrichment.
In the first months of Year 12, each student will join two co-curricular options to offer tangible opportunities to discover the implications, skills and concepts of the degrees they want to study. We offer Data Analytics, Coding in Python, Finance, Psychology and International Relations & Politics to expose students to the real-world applications of their A-Level subjects while working on previously learnt concepts in the classrooms and strengthening their interests.
In parallel, our Mentoring Programme gives each student unique tools to discover degrees and destinations, implications of the application process and work on doubts that may arise.
After the first phase, halfway through the year, the students choose the Co-Curricular Club that best suits their university interests and then carry out a project to practise skills and concepts related to the university degree they will study. This could be a critical analysis of the financial model from Amazon, a report on the political situation in Argentina, or a Python model that predicts whether a star will go supernova. This project is definitive evidence for their university application, as it gives students a tangible experience to build their vocation and discuss their achievements. We call this co-curricular enrichment.
In Year 13, our Mentoring Programme helps provide ongoing and individual support with the application process, crystallising the university strategy and guiding the student throughout the process.
At the same time, we continue with co-curricular enrichment to further develop the profiles of those who have made up their minds about their university choices and give those who haven’t or have discovered new interests more support.
Academic goals
At Virtus, we seek academic excellence, so that each student can achieve the best version of themselves and access the best possible university.
Beginning with the choice of A-Level subjects, the continuous contact with the teachers throughout the year allows us to work on the specific needs of each student in the different subjects, from fundamental gaps to the revision of a particular topic.
One of the goals of our Mentoring Programme is for the students to be well-organised in their studies, make the most of the technological resources we offer, plan their exams well and acquire effective study techniques. We combine group workshops with individual mentor-student meetings to develop a unique strategy for each student where we nurture positive study habits and optimise personal organisation skills necessary in obtaining good results.
The student’s academic performance throughout the year allows us to adapt the type of support they receive in the different phases. Each period of internal examinations and their subsequent evaluation generates lines of work between teachers, management and the Mentoring Programme, which match each student’s academic goals.
For example, we organise specific study sessions and weekly tests in some subjects for students who need to be more consistent with their revision. We carry out essay writing, exam technique and reading comprehension workshops for students who show weaknesses in these areas. We coordinate additional classes for groups that go at a slower pace and with specific dynamics for those students with special educational needs.
In this way, throughout the two years at Virtus, our teachers have unparalleled resources for channelling the needs they detect in their classes. Our students benefit from tailor-made support to achieve their academic goals.
Personal goals
The relationship we cultivate with each of our students is extraordinary. The number of students per year group (45) means that nobody goes unnoticed; quite the opposite – Our students enjoy excellent pastoral care and psycho-pedagogical support, motivated by the involvement of the entire Virtus community.
The Vocational Profile we carry out on each student allows us to detect aspects of their personality they need to enhance and areas with potential for improvement. Examples of this are openness to new experiences, the development of leadership skills, and the ability to reflect or be creative.
The Virtus community offers multiple opportunities for the holistic development of every student. From positions of responsibility in the Student Council to excellence in any of the areas of our extensive Co-Curriculum or the participation in and organisation of Clubs & Societies, our students’ interests and abilities leave their mark on our community while they find an ideal ecosystem to further enhance.
Our Mentoring Programme, through its individualised support, puts the wellbeing of the students and pastoral care at the heart of our priorities. Our work with STEER Education allows us to have a proactive agenda for preventing and managing risks relating to the wellbeing of our students. All our teaching and non-teaching staff are trained in safeguarding, ensuring that the school is a safe space
We hold group workshops throughout the year on various subjects, such as nutrition or stress management before exams. In conjunction with our PSHE Programme, which teaches essential life skills such as personal finance management, and responsible sexual behaviour, our students receive an array of tools for personal development outside the classroom.
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