Applicaa is a leading provider of digital admissions and enrolment solutions, supporting 2,200+ schools and colleges across the UK. Our platforms streamline student recruitment, onboarding, and data management, making admissions more efficient for staff, students, and parents.
Admissions+ automates data collection, integrates with school MIS systems, and enhances communication, improving efficiency and accuracy. For Sixth Forms and Colleges, ApplicaaOne helps Year 11 students research and apply for post-16 courses with features like Quick Apply and Matching Hub—similar to UCAS Clearing.
We also offer Bursary16+, simplifying bursary applications and funding distribution to ensure eligible students receive financial support.
Committed to innovation and customer success, Applicaa empowers schools and colleges to enhance their admissions processes with seamless, digital solutions.
Testimonials
Mrs Y Lloyd, Exams Officer and Data Manager, Gloucester Academy
Applicaa is a great tool for schools. Setting up the application form is easy to do and adding policies and Head of school statement is completed at a tap of a button. We are now in our 3th year of using Applicaa and it makes enrolment for year 7s and in year admissions a smooth process. Our MIS system is Bromcom and to export data is easy and the mapping of contacts is a great tool to match parents with pupils already in school. Thanks for all the work that you do behind the scenes to improve our experiences.Thomas Blundell, Admissions Manager, The London Screen Academy
Since implementing Applicaa, our admissions process has been significantly streamlined, enhancing both efficiency and effectiveness. The platform has allowed us to optimise our workflows, create better processes, and improve the overall learner journey. Its customisable features have enabled us to tailor sections of the system to align seamlessly with our brand, delivering a more personalised experience.Marc Clement, Data, Exams and Systems Manager, Ridgewood School
We use Applicaa mainly for the Y7 and Y12 intakes. We have had excellent and very rapid support from various levels of the team, from immediate telephone help through to hosting coffee/networking meetings with the CEO. The platform is very customisable, perhaps a little too much on the face of it at first, there's a lot to take in - but the knowledge base contains a wealth of information and the customer support has been fantastic so far. We are only in our second year but we are learning all the time and have been happy so far with Applicaa.Lynne Horder, School Office Manager/Clerk to Governors, Belper School and Sixth Form Centre
We have used Applicaa's Admissions+ for two years now and it has helped us to vastly improve communications with our new secondary school parents and to efficiently collect information from them to import over to our student MIS. It has taken time to familiarise ourselves with how Admissions+ works, but the support we have had from Applicaa along the way has been incredibly helpful.Case Studies
From Vision to Reality: How LDE UTC is Revolutionising Student Enrolment - Sonya D'Arcy-Kilroy, Admissions Manager & Outreach, London Design and Engineering UTC
From Vision to Reality: How LDE UTC is Revolutionising Student Enrolment
The Journey Begins
Sonya D'Arcy-Kilroy from London Design and Engineering UTC (LDE UTC) has an incredible story of vision, persistence, and innovation. What started as an idea to create a cutting-edge college in London has turned into a reality - one that continues to inspire and transform students' lives.
"I never thought I'd be here," Sonya admits. "School wasn't my thing. But I used to sit in class and think, ‘If I ran my own school, I’d do things differently.’ And now, here we are!"
Since opening its doors in 2015, LDE UTC has been on a mission to provide a forward-thinking, hands-on education focused on engineering, design, and architecture. However as any school leader knows, getting students through the door is just as crucial as providing an excellent learning experience.
Enrolment Challenges & The Power of Branding
When LDE UTC first launched, there was no fancy building to show off. Instead, Sonya and her team met prospective students in cafés, asking them to believe in a vision that hadn’t yet materialised.
“We literally started in portable cabins before moving into our current state-of-the-art facility opposite London City Airport,” she recalls. “Students had to trust us when we said, ‘This will be something special.’”
Establishing a strong brand was crucial in standing out in the competitive London education landscape. Parents often question whether a new institution can truly deliver. To build credibility, LDE UTC worked on making their identity recognisable and their mission clear.
Engaging Future Students
Reaching prospective students requires more than just an open day. Sonya and her team take a proactive approach:
- Community Outreach: Visiting local libraries and schools with their interactive robot that waves, dances, and invites students to open days.
- Hands-on Learning Experiences: Hosting Lego-building events to spark creativity and problem-solving skills.
- Social Media & Word of Mouth: Encouraging students and parents to share experiences online, making recruitment efforts organic and widespread.
“Word of mouth is the best form of advertising,” Sonya emphasises. “Nothing beats a student telling their friends, ‘You have to check this place out.’”
The Role of Technology in Enrolment
Before using digital enrolment tools, Sonya and her team were drowning in paperwork.
“The amount of time spent processing applications was overwhelming,” she says. “We had stacks of paper applications, then hours of manually inputting them into Excel before transferring data into SIMS. On enrolment day, we’d be stuck in the office late into the night.”
Enter Applicaa’s Admissions+, a game-changer for streamlining applications, automating personalised communication, and ensuring a seamless enrolment process.
“Now, we can personalise emails based on students’ course interests,” Sonya explains. “If a student wants to study psychology, we send them content relevant to that subject. It’s not just a generic bulk email—it feels personal. That makes a huge difference.”
Overcoming Resistance from Traditional Schools
One of the biggest challenges for any University Technical College (UTC) is gaining access to students. Traditional schools don’t always welcome UTCs, as students transferring out means losing funding.
To work around this, LDE UTC leverages local authority letters—official notices informing students of their right to apply. While not always perfectly executed, these letters help spread awareness about alternative educational opportunities.
Virtual Engagement & Post-COVID Adaptations
Like many institutions, LDE UTC had to rethink student engagement during COVID-19. With open days cancelled, they invested in a 3D virtual tour, allowing prospective students and parents to explore the college remotely.
“If someone says they can’t attend an open day, I send them the link to our virtual tour,” Sonya says. “They can ‘walk’ through the building, explore different floors, and see our facilities up close.”
They also introduced virtual open evenings, featuring live interviews with staff and students to provide an authentic insight into life at LDE UTC.
Communication is Key
Engagement doesn’t stop at recruitment—it continues throughout the enrolment journey.
“Students forget things instantly,” Sonya laughs. “You have to keep them engaged through constant communication.”
With Admissions+, LDE UTC can send automated follow-up emails, reminders, and personalised messages, ensuring prospective students feel valued and supported throughout the process.
Final Thoughts
LDE UTC’s success in student recruitment isn’t just about marketing—it’s about building relationships, leveraging technology, and staying true to their mission.
“For us, education is about more than just teaching,” Sonya says. “It’s about guiding students, preparing them for the real world, and making them feel like they belong. When they walk through our doors, they’re not just students—they’re future engineers, architects, and designers.”
By continuously refining their approach, engaging with students on a personal level, and embracing technology, LDE UTC is setting the standard for how schools can successfully attract and enrol students in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Ensuring Sixth Form Students Feel Confident in Their Choice: Expert Insights from a Seasoned Educator Tom Maric, Former AHT & Head of Sixth Form, Bentley Wood High School for Girls
Ensuring Sixth Form Students Feel Confident in Their Choice: Expert Insights from a Seasoned Educator
September is here, the time when Sixth Form students return, settle in, and adjust to their new academic environment. As head of Sixth Form or admissions, you’ve worked hard to get these students to commit—through conversations, open houses, parent meetings, and countless reassuring messages. Yet, as the term begins, some may feel doubts creeping in. How can you help them feel certain that they made the right decision? A seasoned educator, Tom, recently shared his strategies for creating a supportive, enriching Sixth Form culture that ensures students feel they belong.
Building a Cohesive Culture: The Backbone of Retention
Creating a distinct Sixth Form culture is essential to engaging students, from Year 11 and even earlier, so they’ll want to stay through to Year 13. Tom emphasised that as the head of Sixth Form, you are the driving force behind this culture. But it’s not just about your leadership; it’s about fostering a community where students feel like they’re part of something special. This requires a culture built on shared values and goals, where everyone, including your team and the students, feels aligned.
“Culture,” Tom explained, “is a way of life for the people involved.” For him, it was essential to instill values of kindness and compassion. This wasn’t just lip service; his door was always open to students, whether they needed advice on academics, personal matters, or even financial aid. When students know they have a safe space to voice their concerns and a support system to lean on, they’re far more likely to feel secure and remain in the program.
Finding Your “Turnip”: Creating a Unique Sixth Form Identity
What is the “turnip” of your Sixth Form—the unique trait that sets your program apart? Tom shared a story about a Cambridge University applicant who brought a turnip to his interview, unintentionally setting himself apart from other candidates. The lesson? Sometimes, it’s the unique, memorable aspects of your program that leave a lasting impression.
Your Sixth Form’s unique identity might be rooted in its approach to career preparation, student engagement, or extracurricular opportunities. Make sure these distinguishing features are visible, not only to prospective Year 11 students but also to younger students in Year 8 and Year 9. This will inspire them to stay in-house rather than seek alternatives when they reach Sixth Form age.
Engaging the Team: Staff and Students as Key Allies
A cohesive, motivated team is critical to any successful Sixth Form. Tom highlighted the importance of having a hand-picked team that shares your vision. A strong, collaborative team of tutors, teachers, and student leaders can help carry out your initiatives, and when they are all aligned, the culture you’re striving for takes on a life of its own.
He also underscored the importance of engaging students as advocates for the Sixth Form. Current Sixth Form students can be mentors, event organisers, and ambassadors, showing prospective students what it means to be part of the Sixth Form community. When younger students see Sixth Formers as role models, they’re more likely to aspire to join the program themselves.
Knowing Your Students: Building Bonds That Retain
Knowing each student personally is a game-changer. “Know your students,” Tom advised, emphasising that when students feel genuinely seen and understood, they are far more likely to stay. This means understanding their aspirations, challenges, and even personal lives. He made an effort to get to know all 300 Sixth Form students at his school, even if it meant learning about their personalities, strengths and weaknesses. Building these connections creates trust, which, in turn, solidifies their commitment to the Sixth Form.
Embracing Diversity and Inclusion
Today’s Sixth Forms must be inclusive spaces that embrace diversity across class, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. When students feel accepted, understood, and respected for who they are, they are more likely to stay engaged and succeed. Tom highlighted the importance of fostering a space where diversity is celebrated and students feel they can freely express themselves.
Communicating Values to Parents
Parents play a critical role in supporting students’ decisions. As Tom pointed out, regular parent meetings, open evenings, and parent-teacher conferences provide valuable opportunities to share the Sixth Form’s values and goals. When parents trust the Sixth Form team and believe in its mission, they are more likely to encourage their children to stay in the program.
Going Beyond Academics: Preparing Students for Life
While academic performance is key, Tom stressed that Sixth Form is not just a “factory” for churning out grades. It’s about equipping students with life skills that prepare them for university, careers, and personal growth. Bringing in guest speakers, organising career fairs, or introducing clubs and societies around issues like climate change, social justice, or technology awareness can give students a sense of purpose beyond academics. By connecting them to real-world issues, you’re helping them see how their education can make a meaningful difference.
Leading with Consistency and High Standards
“Consistency is key,” Tom emphasised, explaining that maintaining high standards in both academic and behavioural expectations fosters respect. Students notice and appreciate a steady, supportive environment, and this consistency helps create a secure and motivating atmosphere.
Leveraging Technology: Streamlining Admissions and Retention
Tom noted that effective Sixth Forms must be equipped to handle administrative demands efficiently. Online admissions and data tracking can be invaluable tools, ensuring you have accurate enrollment numbers and feedback for planning. With a streamlined process in place, you’re better able to focus on nurturing the student experience, which ultimately drives retention.
Creating a welcoming and inclusive culture that inspires students to stay engaged is a year-round effort. By building a unique Sixth Form identity, engaging your team, knowing your students, and establishing a consistent, values-driven approach, you can ensure that students not only stay but thrive in their final years of school. As Tom so effectively illustrated, when students feel like they belong, they’re more likely to stay the course, confident that they’ve made the right choice.
Revolutionising Sixth Form Taster Days: A Digital Approach - Sam Gale, Ks5 Progress Manager, Central Foundation Girls’ School
Revolutionising Sixth Form Taster Days: A Digital Approach
For years, organising Sixth Form taster days has been a logistical challenge. From managing student registrations to ensuring they attend the correct sessions, the traditional process was often time-consuming and paper-heavy. However, with the rise of digital solutions like Applicaa, schools are transforming how they run these important events, making them more efficient, engaging, and transparent for students, parents, and staff alike.
The Evolution of Taster Days
Historically, Sixth Form admissions and taster days relied on a mix of paper-based and rudimentary online systems. Schools would send out registration forms via post, manually log reply slips, and assign students to sessions without much flexibility. The shift to digital has dramatically improved this process.
Sam Gale, who has worked in Sixth Form admissions for nearly 20 years, recently shared her experience of moving from a manual system to a streamlined, digital-first approach using Applicaa. With over 400 students attending their two-day taster event, the administrative burden was significant. By leveraging Applicaa’s automation features, they successfully eliminated the need for physical paperwork and provided a seamless experience for students and parents.
Key Benefits of a Digital Taster Day
1. Simplified Communication
Traditionally, students would receive event details via post, often missing key information due to exam stress or general disengagement. Now, with automated emails and parent notifications, everyone stays informed. Parents, in particular, appreciated being kept in the loop, ensuring their child attended on the correct days.
2. Student Choice & Autonomy
One major improvement was allowing students to choose their own sessions based on the subjects they had been offered. Previously, timetables were assigned manually, limiting flexibility. With Applicaa, students could tailor their own schedules, attending only the sessions relevant to their Sixth Form pathway.
3. Timetable Optimization
Using a dedicated options system, the school was able to recreate a timetable specifically for taster days. Students were restricted to choosing only the subjects they had been offered, ensuring they attended relevant sessions. Additionally, session capacity limits were set, preventing overbooking and making classroom management easier.
4. Efficient Registration & Attendance Tracking
Managing student arrivals was another significant challenge. Previously, schools relied on manual check-in lists, leading to long queues and potential errors. With Applicaa’s event features, schools could explore QR code sign-ins in the future, further streamlining the registration process.
5. Paperless Approach
Going digital meant reducing the reliance on paper timetables and handouts. While some schools still printed schedules due to mobile phone restrictions, others encouraged students to access their timetables online. This shift not only saved resources but also aligned with sustainability goals.
Overcoming Challenges & Looking Ahead
While the transition to a digital taster day was largely successful, there were some hurdles. Sam Gale noted that they still had to manually adjust timetables for subjects with multiple class groups, such as Biology. However, future software updates could help address this issue.
Another common challenge was dealing with students who turned up unregistered. Some schools pre-generated timetables for all invited students, ensuring they could accommodate last-minute attendees while maintaining security protocols.
Final Thoughts
Digital solutions like Applicaa are revolutionising the way schools manage Sixth Form admissions and taster days. By automating key processes, enhancing communication, and giving students greater control over their schedules, schools can provide a more efficient and engaging experience.
As more institutions embrace these tools, we can expect to see even greater innovation in Sixth Form admissions, making the transition from Year 11 to post-16 education smoother for everyone involved.
Have you transitioned to a digital approach for your school’s taster days? We’d love to hear about your experiences!
Sixth Form Enrolment: A Discussion with Tom Kennedy Fowler, Nathan Hatch, and Robin Dearing
Introduction
Enrolment day for sixth forms is a crucial event, shaping the experience of incoming students and ensuring a smooth transition from GCSE to A Level studies. In a recent discussion, three experienced leaders—Tom Kennedy Fowler from Urmston Grammar, Nathan Hatch from London Academy of Excellence, Tottenham, and Robin Dearing from St. Dominic’s Sixth Form College—shared their insights into managing enrolment efficiently using Applicaa.
Robin Dearing – St. Dominic’s Sixth Form College
Robin, representing St. Dominic’s Sixth Form College in Harrow, explained their unique enrolment process. As a standalone Sixth Form College without internal students, they manage around 1,500 students across Years 12 and 13. Their enrolment process differs from schools with internal students, as they do not enrol on GCSE results day. Instead, they start their process a week earlier on A Level results day by communicating with offer holders, sending good luck emails, and reminding students to submit their results online.
Results submission opens on GCSE results day and remains open until Friday morning, after which the team verifies who has met their offer criteria. Over the weekend, they issue invitations to enrol, and by the following Tuesday, staff return for training and preparation. The in-person enrolment process resembles an airport check-in system, with document verification, subject discussions, course enrolment, and waiting list management. Enrolment spans two days, followed by induction and timetable finalisation before classes begin the following week.
Tom Kennedy Fowler – Urmston Grammar
Tom, from Urmston Grammar School in South Manchester, described their well-refined enrolment process, now in its sixth cycle using Applicaa. Urmston Grammar, a selective coeducational grammar school, enrols around 190 students each year, with a mix of internal and newcomer students.
Their process begins the day before enrolment when their data manager uploads internal students’ GCSE results. They also send a "best of luck" e-card to all applicants as a friendly touch. On results day, staff arrive early for a briefing that includes reminders about specific enrolment restrictions, such as course availability.
Internal students arrive at 9:30 AM, open their results, celebrate, and then move to one-on-one enrolment discussions. Most simply confirm their original course choices, but some require subject changes based on their grades. By 10:30 AM, the internal students are typically enrolled.
Newcomers arrive from 11:00 AM and first upload their results and confirm course selections before their one-on-one enrolment discussions. The school prioritises customer experience, knowing that students often apply to multiple institutions and may ultimately choose the one that provides the best enrolment day experience. The team ensures a welcoming and friendly atmosphere, helping to secure student commitment.
Nathan Hatch – London Academy of Excellence, Tottenham
Nathan, IT and Operations Manager at the London Academy of Excellence, Tottenham, shared insights from their school, which has no internal students and enrols around 400 students annually. Their process is designed for efficiency and fairness, prioritising looked-after children, those from their local feeder schools and those with the highest grades in the early morning slots.
Unlike some institutions that enrol over several days, they aim to complete enrolment on a single day, managing overflow cases the following week. One key operational strategy is involving all teaching and administrative staff in the enrolment process. This ensures that students move through the process efficiently, reducing bottlenecks.
To support feeder schools, the academy adjusted its start time to 10:00 AM, allowing top-performing students to celebrate their results at their previous schools before heading to enrol. Staff check eligibility upon arrival, ensuring only offer holders proceed through the process.
Managing Queues and Maximising Throughput
One of the key challenges on enrolment day is managing queues while maintaining a positive student experience. Tom emphasised that a completely queue-free system might make the event seem underwhelming, so they aim for an optimal balance, ensuring a lively atmosphere while keeping wait times reasonable.
At Urmston Grammar, the team assigns staff to engage with students in the queue, celebrating achievements and fostering a sense of belonging. Nathan’s approach at LAE Tottenham involves deploying a large number of staff across multiple stations, ensuring a steady flow of students. Robin, managing a larger volume at St. Dominic’s, relies on a structured check-in system and subject-specific discussions to prevent bottlenecks.
Future Improvements
A recurring issue across all schools is students enrolling at multiple institutions. To address this, Applicaa is exploring solutions to prevent multiple enrolments and improve data sharing among sixth forms.
Conclusion
The discussion highlighted that while enrolment processes vary significantly depending on school size, student demographics, and logistical constraints, the core principles remain the same: efficiency, clarity, and a welcoming experience. Each institution has refined its approach over time, leveraging technology and staff engagement to streamline the process.
With continuous improvements in digital admissions platforms like Applicaa, schools can expect even smoother enrolment cycles in the future, ensuring students start their A Level or Vocational Courses journey with confidence.
