Reflections on Supporting Student Success: Navigating Educational Transitions

IBSCA welcomed 45 university college counsellors (UCCs) to the University of Birmingham for our conference on higher education, Supporting Student Success: Navigating Educational Transitions.  Activities began with a pre-conference meeting where delegates met with members of the Global Recognition and Product Strategy team from the International Baccalaureate to discuss the challenges and opportunities for development experienced by UCCs working within UK based schools.

The main conference hosted a variety of sessions with insights from academics and admissions officers on popular subject areas such as medicine, allied health, law, economics and business. We were particularly delighted to be joined for the first time by Lynda Doyle from the University of Arts London who discussed how to successfully prepare an application for Arts based courses.

A central theme of the conference was how to help students develop the skills and attributes required for success in higher education and beyond. Professor Tom Harrison, Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education Innovation) from the University of Birmingham delivered an insightful presentation showcasing how the University helps students to grow and enhance their skills during their time at Birmingham, and how IB students are uniquely placed to thrive in a higher education setting. The day’s programme was further enhanced by our panel discussion on supporting students through transitions with contributions from Dr Eleanor Parker from the University of Cambridge; Julia Hilton, Early Careers Manager at Aurora Energy Research; and Sophie Miller, Deputy Director Guidance & College Team from the University of Birmingham. The panel was chaired by Katrina Edmunds from the International School of Lausanne who earlier presented data related to her research on students in transition.