A NEW project aimed at preparing students for the highly competitive application process for top university places has begun at Tavistock College Sixth Form.

Master classes with leading professionals and opportunities to visit London-based internationally renowned institutions like the BBC and the Royal College of Surgeons are part of the Aspire Programme for top performing Year 12 students.

The 21 students out of 180 sixth formers were selected following an application process — to qualify they had to have achieved at least six A or A* grades at GCSE.

Students will be put through their paces, taking on an additional qualification — The Extended Project — in which their independent learning skills will be developed through producing and presenting their own piece of research.

They will also be taking on a community-based project, attending a series of master classes from leading professionals over a two-term period and this will culminate in a residential trip to London in the spring term.

Students will have the chance to visit world renowned businesses and banks and top universities and gain a practical insight in the possibilities and opportunities available to them.

Assistant principal and head of sixth form Lucia Gallie said living in Devon was fantastic in so many ways, but students sometimes missed out on some of the opportunities that city kids had like seeing some of the large exhibitions and events.

'We want to make sure our students can hold their own against students who do have easy access to all these things so we are trying to give them the wrap-around experience,' she said.

Principal Helen Salmon said: 'We expect a lot from our sixth formers. The new programme will help them to compete for places at the top universities in the country.

'It is a very challenging and demanding process but we want to ensure that more of our students progress to top universities. All the students involved are academic high flyers already but this programme will give them the added extras to excel.'

Mrs Salmon said it was about opening doors and providing routes into university and really prestigious employment.

'It's also about giving this opportunity to all high achievers, whatever their background,' she said.

Student Eliza Hall said it was so competitive to get into the top universities now: 'We have to do everything we can to stand out and there are a lot more students coming here from countries like Japan and China where there is a better work ethic.'

She said that despite the huge number of university graduates trying to find work, a degree still gave you an advantage when searching for employment: 'I think the Aspire project is great because we can see what opportunities might be out there and what university is like before we go.'