Why Choose Abbey DLD?
Since 1931, Abbey DLD has been synonymous with high quality education, strong university destinations and enriching experiences. As an Abbey DLD student, you will leave college equipped with the skills and grades you need to progress in your career, having made friends and discoveries to remember for a life time.
Gold-Standard education
We are part of Alpha Plus Group and follow robust governance procedures. Our teachers are subject specialists, taught at top universities, and with extensive experience of teaching the UK currriculum. Our boarding and pastoral staff are experienced and compassionate professionals.
Strong academic results
Across all 3 of our colleges, 42% of all A-Levels taken in 2019 were awarded A* or A grades. More than one third of our Foundation students achieved a Distinction, 42% of our BTEC students also achieved a Distinction. 36% of GCSEs taken by Abbey DLD students achieved grades 9-7.
Progress to top-ranked universities
Each of our students received personally tailored university application support and guidance to help them join the best possible university for them. More than 70 Abbey DLD students have joined Oxbridge college in recent years, 33 students progressed to a G5 university in 2019 (Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, LSE, and UCL). 19 Abbey DLD students progressed on to study medicine in 2019, the most competitive of all UK courses.
High quality urban boarding in the best UK cities
Experience the best of big city life with the safety and support of our outstanding pastoral teams. Our colleges provide some of the best, highest specification boarding available anywhere in the world, right at the heart of it’s most exciting cities.
Progress to Top Ranked Universities
University success starts with excellent guidance. Each of our colleges offers tailored support before and during the application process:
UCAS advice, help with application paperwork, preparation for university entrance tests and specialist help with applications to Oxford, Cambridge, medical and dental schools. We also look beyond university to help you with work experience and career advice.
Abbey Study Skills Programmes:
Each College offers a specific programme to help students develop skills that are essential to success in university: critical thinking, independent learning, using and quoting research articles etc.
Our Pre University programmes are:
- Pre-Degree Diploma at Abbey Cambridge
- Success in the 6th Form at Abbey Manchester
- DLD Diploma at DLD
Because of the intense competition for places, if you would like to progress to the very top universities, especially Oxford or Cambridge, A Level success alone might not be enough. That is why we offer students extensive support to take additional exams and wider programmes designed to help those aiming for the very highest level.
- Olympiads:
Participation in national and international Olympiad competitions provide students with the opportunity to further test their mathematical and science skills. Abbey DLD students have won several Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards in these events for their efforts in Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics in recent years. - Advanced Extension Awards (AEA):
We encourage our most gifted and motivated students to work towards the Advanced Extension Award. This is like an A Level in terms of content, but the questions are more challenging. AEAs are a useful additional qualification when applying for the most prestigious universities. - STEP and University Entrance Papers:
The most competitive universities increasingly use additional tests to select their students. We therefore offer a programme to teach students individually and insmall groups for these examinations, including Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA), Sixth Term Examination Papers (STEP), Bio-Medical Admissions Test (BMAT) and UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT).
Five Star Urban Boarding and Premium Facilities
The perfect environment to live, study, make friends and enjoy extra-curricular activities from tennis to tai chi.
Specialised Service for International Students
Beyond education, our service includes practical help with VISAs, social programmes to help you make friends and 24/7 care through House Parents and on site Nurses.
Enrolment:
After you have completed your enrolment, we provide you with everything you need to prepare for your new life in the UK. Our Pre Arrival information pack contains everything you need to know before joining us:
- Key contacts
- Term dates and timetables
- We send a pre-course reading list and preparation programme. Our Accommodation team will send a list of what items they (you/the student) need to bring to the UK.
On Arrival:
- We offer an airport pick-up service
- We show you around your new College and city
- We help you open a bank account, register with a doctor and work out your public transport choices
- We help you with applying for your visa and registering with the police
- You will meet the house parents and staff members who live within your accommodation
College Induction
Our students attend a programme over a number of days in the week before lessons begin to tour the College, meet key staff members, formally enrol and receive their timetables.
You will meet your personal tutor weekly. He or she will monitor your academic progress and attendance, as well as deal with any welfare issues.
We monitor attendance through registration at the start of every lesson. We are totally focused on ensuring you have a responsive, supportive environment in which to learn.
We supply parents with regular reports on areas such as general achievement, attitude and any concerns. We encourage parents to maintain close contact with personal tutors and our pastoral team to discuss any aspect of their child’s progress with us. We also communicate by email or text with parents regarding urgent matters, such as unexpected absence or illness.
Delivering “Gold Standard” Education
Part of the Alpha Plus Group, our Colleges are bound by the Gold Standard education vision of the Group. All Alpha schools and colleges have a number of common characteristics that enable them to maintain and enhance the Gold Standard.
These include:
- High aspirations and expectations for all pupils and staff.
- Outstanding leadership at all levels and effective resource management.
- Working in partnership with parents.
- A focus upon and a passion for high quality teaching and learning.
