XL Programme

Every student who joins HNC and commits to our values and works hard will achieve their potential. As part of our mission to ensure every young person is supported to take their next step with confidence, we also offer the XL programme. This is designed to support students to successfully apply to the country’s most prestigious universities, including Oxbridge, where they have the academic grade profile to do so.

We invest in every one of our students to develop their cultural capital, irrespective of their planned destination. Our XL programme specifically works with students who are aiming to apply to Russell Group/ Sutton 30 universities by providing additional insight and inspiration about how they can access these universities. By providing access to relevant experiences, students are better placed to shine during what is often a competitive interview process. Access to the XL programme is automatic based on a student’s average GCSE profile score (for 2024 entry this is 7) and opportunities include: ·

• A lecture series on a diverse and fascinating range of topics, often completely unrelated to a student’s core study programme. Recent talks have questioned if there’s life beyond Earth, how to fill your heart and the links between acid house music and drug use, amongst a range of others
• Visiting lecturers from specialist universities
• Specialist support for students interested in highly competitive degrees such as Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science
• Support if for application to Oxbridge universities, including access to Admissions Officers, mock interviews and general application guidance
• University visits and taster workshops
• An automatic opportunity to undertake the EPQ
• Support to secure summer school and high value work placements

There is no application process to join the XL programme. Students who meet the specified entry criteria for this will automatically have it added to their study programme upon enrolment.

The XL programme at HNC really helped to support my ambitions. The programe encouraged me to become my best self and opened up a world of opportunity beyond my study programme. I particularly enjoyed the university trips and visits as this helped me to choose the right course and university for me

Charlotte Dunn