For Teachers and Advisers

The Sutton Trust Summer Schools are hosted by a number of leading universities each year to enable students to experience university life and explore their chosen subject in depth, supporting them in making informed choices about their next steps. The University of Cambridge offers one of the largest Sutton Trust Summer Schools, with over 480 places across 25 subject strands.

The Summer Schools are aimed at all academically able year 12 (or equivalent) students who have the potential to progress to selective, research intensive universities, including the University of Cambridge.

Teacher verification

Teachers will be asked to verify the information provided on each student’s application form. There is also space to provide an outline of any extenuating circumstances that a student has experienced. For more information, please visit the Sutton Trust website: https://summerschools.suttontrust.com/information-for-teachers/

Can students write about the Summer School in their personal statement?

The Sutton Trust Summer Schools are a good example of a super curricular activity as they enable students to explore their chosen subject beyond the curriculum. When students write about the Summer School encourage them to:

• Reflect on what they learned from the experience, rather than telling admissions tutors what they did.
• Relate their experiences to their motivations for studying their chosen course. What was it about the Summer Schools that have encouraged them to study their chosen course at university?

Do you have any resources to help me promote the Summer Schools to students?

A range of resources are available from the Sutton Trust website: https://summerschools.suttontrust.com/information-for-teachers/

Where can I find out about other opportunities for my students?

We would encourage anyone who wants to visit the University and get a taste of what studying here might be like, to consider booking on to our Subject Masterclasses or to attend one of our many open days and events.

Our Colleges and Departments also host a variety of outreach events throughout the year, you will find further details on their webpages.

For opportunities to find out more about Cambridge, please visit the Cambridge College Area Links page. Here you will be able to find out which Colleges are linked to your Local Authority. If you would like to arrange for someone to come into your school to talk to your students, or to plan a visit, please contact your link College(s) in the first instance.