Success story: How Fast Track let William fly

How Fast Track a Level Physics took William where he wanted to go

The problem a good school could not solve

William came to Cherwell College Oxford from a large and highly regarded boarding school. He was academically strong, and he knew exactly what he wanted: to fly. Commercial aviation requires Physics, and Physics was the one subject his school timetable could not accommodate.

This is a more common situation than it sounds. A large sixth form builds its timetable around a year group, not around an individual. Where a student’s ambition sits slightly outside the pattern, the pattern usually wins.

A tutorial college works the other way round.

A large school builds a timetable around a year group. A tutorial college builds one around a student.

What Fast Track actually is

Our Fast Track A Level compresses two years of A-level study into one, taught one-to-one and in small groups. It suits academically mature students who already have serious grounding — those changing academic direction, or completing the specific qualifications a university course requires.

We say honestly that it is not the right route for most students. Before offering a place we look carefully at academic background and at English, because the pace is genuinely demanding. But for a student who is ready, and who knows why they need the subject, it is an enormous advantage.

William was exactly that student. He was not exploring whether Physics interested him. He needed it, and he knew what for.

Teaching built around one person

Because lessons are individual rather than class-based, the year began with his starting point rather than with a scheme of work. Where he was strong, we moved quickly. Where there were gaps, we stopped and closed them properly.

In his own words:

“Studying Physics has been a real delight. The lessons were not only engaging, but genuinely enjoyable, and I always looked forward to them. The patience, knowledge and encouragement I received throughout my studies gave me confidence in my learning and made the whole experience incredibly rewarding.”

That word — confidence — recurs in almost every account our students give of the tutorial method. It is what happens when a student is taught as an individual rather than as one of thirty.

The part nobody plans for

The academic acceleration was the reason William came. It was not the biggest change.

Large boarding schools run on instruction: where to be, when to be there, what happens next. They teach many things well, but they rarely teach a young person to manage themselves, because the system does it for them.

At Cherwell he became responsible for his own timetable. Nobody was following him from lesson to lesson. He was also studying alongside people at a different stage of life — undergraduates, and students already at university through membership of the Oxford Union, which all our full-time students join.

The effect on a seventeen-year-old is considerable. Within six months he had gone from a capable but dependent school pupil to a young man running his own week.

The subject was the reason he came. Learning to run his own week was what changed him.

Everything around the subject

Ask William what he remembers and the answer is not the syllabus:

“What made my time at the college particularly special, though, was everything that happened beyond the classroom. The expeditions will remain some of my fondest memories, and the extracurricular activities went above and beyond my expectations.”

This is what we mean by learning around the subject. An enrichment programme that includes professorial talks, the ATOM Festival of Science & Technology — chaired by our Principal — and trips that take students out of Oxford entirely is not decoration around the timetable. It is where a good deal of the growing up happens.

He is equally clear about the pastoral side:

“I also really appreciated the support and care that surrounded us every day. The wellbeing team was always there when we needed them, and the warmth and kindness of everyone working behind the scenes helped make the college such a welcoming place.”

And, characteristically for a boarder:

“I always looked forward to the meals — they were fantastic — and the friendly faces around the college contributed enormously to the sense of community.”

What he left with

“I am incredibly grateful for all the support, encouragement and care I received. The academic guidance, the experiences outside the classroom and the people around me all had a positive impact on my college experience, and these are things I will remember long after leaving.”

He came for one subject. He left with the qualification he needed, and with the independence to use it.

Watch the story about William on the Cherwell College YouTube.

Is Fast Track right for you?

Fast Track suits a particular profile: academically capable, clear about why the subject is needed, and mature enough to handle a compressed year. Students who come to us on this route are often changing direction after A-levels, completing qualifications for a specific university course, or — like William — filling a gap a previous school could not.

If that sounds like your situation, or your child’s, the honest way to find out is a conversation. We will tell you plainly if it is not the right route, and what would be better. Our Vice-Principal explains the thinking behind it in this interview.

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