Are Our Students Prepared for University?

The A-level curricula are not preparing students for a university education, concentrating more on knowledge than skills. However, because of aspects such as the modular design of A-levels, subject knowledge can also be lacking in students as they enter university education. Diagnostic tests in maths and literacy for first year bioscience undergraduates show that, although many students write well and handle numbers effectively, there is a worryingly high percentage of students with skills well below what would be expected of those opting for a biology degree programme. Such basic skills should not be taught at university. With this in mind a course was designed, piloted and evaluated to teach sixth form pupils about the skills that will be required of them at university. These included aspects such as structuring, writing, taking notes and acknowledging sources of information. Evaluation of this programme has shown it to be effective in developing an awareness of university-level skills in both school pupils and school teachers. The PreUniversity Skills programme (www.preuniversityskills.com) was launched in January 2011 and has now reached almost 200 teachers across England, with many now delivering the material to their pupils.