Study with us

Your application journey

There are many opportunities to find out more about the College and to decide if Hills Road is the right choice for you. Below lays out the various steps involved when submitting an application to us.

Applying to Hills Road

Application to enrolment timeline

Key dates and information...

Timeline	September to November 2026
What's happening?	Post-16 events We attend various post-16 events at Cambridgeshire Area Partnership (CAP) schools, alongside some non-CAP schools. 4 November 2026 We will be hosting a webinar on 4 November 2026 covering how to make your application. Please follow the link below to book your place. Signing up for the webinar also means that we will share updates with you about making your application until the application closing date. Book webinar >>

Timeline

September to November 2026

What's happening?

Post-16 events

We attend various post-16 events at Cambridgeshire Area Partnership (CAP) schools, alongside some non-CAP schools.

4 November 2026

We will be hosting a webinar on 4 November 2026 covering how to make your application. Please follow the link below to book your place. Signing up for the webinar also means that we will share updates with you about making your application until the application closing date.

Book webinar >>

Timeline	5 or 12 January 2027
What's happening?	Apply! If your school is listed on MyChoice16, the deadline to apply is by 12 January 2027. For all other applicants, you must apply by 5 January 2027. To find out more, please refer to the How to apply page on our website. How to apply >>

Timeline	January 2027
What's happening?	Booking online guidance meetings and application closures If you meet the entry requirements for your chosen subjects, or could meet them by choosing different subjects, we may invite you to book a Guidance Meeting. This invitation will be sent after 25 January 2027. If we cannot invite you to a Guidance Meeting and need to close your application, we will email you to explain our reasons. Meeting the subject entry requirements does not guarantee an invitation. If we receive more eligible applications than we can accommodate, we apply the offer decision process set out in Section 14 of our Admissions Policy. Admissions Policy >>

Timeline

January 2027

What's happening?

Booking online guidance meetings and application closures

If you meet the entry requirements for your chosen subjects, or could meet them by choosing different subjects, we may invite you to book a Guidance Meeting. This invitation will be sent after 25 January 2027.

If we cannot invite you to a Guidance Meeting and need to close your application, we will email you to explain our reasons.

Meeting the subject entry requirements does not guarantee an invitation. If we receive more eligible applications than we can accommodate, we apply the offer decision process set out in Section 14 of our Admissions Policy.

Admissions Policy >>

Timeline	February 2027
What's happening?	Online Guidance Meetings If you meet the entry requirements for your chosen A level subjects, you may be invited to a Guidance Meeting. This is an informal opportunity to discuss your subject choices and find out about the support and opportunities available at Hills Road. Attendance is optional, and we do not make offers during the meeting. Parents and carers are welcome to attend with you. The sessions are held online. Please liaise with your school, as they will advise if you can attend during the school day, or if you will need to be at home.

Timeline

February 2027

What's happening?

Online Guidance Meetings

If you meet the entry requirements for your chosen A level subjects, you may be invited to a Guidance Meeting. This is an informal opportunity to discuss your subject choices and find out about the support and opportunities available at Hills Road.

Attendance is optional, and we do not make offers during the meeting.

Parents and carers are welcome to attend with you.

The sessions are held online. Please liaise with your school, as they will advise if you can attend during the school day, or if you will need to be at home.

Timeline	February 2027
What's happening?	Confirming your subject choices You must confirm your chosen A level subjects in priority order within approximately 48 hours of your Guidance Meeting. Once confirmed, your subject choices and their order cannot be changed. If we can make you an offer, it will be based on these choices and your order of preference. If you do not book or attend a Guidance Meeting, we will email you instructions so you can still complete your course confirmation. All course confirmations must be submitted no later than 7 am on 1 March 2027. If you miss this deadline, your application will be closed.

Timeline

February 2027

What's happening?

Confirming your subject choices

You must confirm your chosen A level subjects in priority order within approximately 48 hours of your Guidance Meeting.

Once confirmed, your subject choices and their order cannot be changed. If we can make you an offer, it will be based on these choices and your order of preference.

If you do not book or attend a Guidance Meeting, we will email you instructions so you can still complete your course confirmation.

All course confirmations must be submitted no later than 7 am on 1 March 2027. If you miss this deadline, your application will be closed.

Timeline	End of March 2027
What's happening?	Offers We will email you the outcome of your application before the end of the spring term. If your application is unsuccessful, we will explain why we have not made you an offer. If we offer you a different subject combination from your top three preferences, we will explain why and how you can request a course change at Enrolment. For details of how we make offer decisions, please see Section 14 of our Admissions Policy. Admissions Policy >>

Timeline

End of March 2027

What's happening?

Offers

We will email you the outcome of your application before the end of the spring term.

If your application is unsuccessful, we will explain why we have not made you an offer.

If we offer you a different subject combination from your top three preferences, we will explain why and how you can request a course change at Enrolment.

For details of how we make offer decisions, please see Section 14 of our Admissions Policy.

Admissions Policy >>

Timeline	April to July 2027
What's happening?	Keeping in touch Once you become an offer holder, we will keep in touch with information to help you prepare for Enrolment in August and joining Hills Road in September. This will include: Financial assistance and how to submit your bursary application. How we use digital devices at College Sports trials Music groups and ensembles you may wish to join Auditions for the College's Christmas musical in December 2027 Instrumental lessons How to enrol

Timeline

April to July 2027

What's happening?

Keeping in touch

Once you become an offer holder, we will keep in touch with information to help you prepare for Enrolment in August and joining Hills Road in September. This will include:

Financial assistance and how to submit your bursary application.
How we use digital devices at College
Sports trials
Music groups and ensembles you may wish to join
Auditions for the College's Christmas musical in December 2027
Instrumental lessons
How to enrol

Timeline	30 June or 1 July 2027
What's happening?	Welcome to Hills Experience life as a Hills Road student for a day and take an exciting step towards sixth form. At Welcome to Hills, you will: Try your three offered A level subjects Take part in a Future Ready session with a Progress and Support Tutor Discover clubs and societies you might like to join Find out about your Y12 core programme, including Enrichment and the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). When you accept your offer in March, we will ask which Welcome to Hills dates you can attend. We will use this information to timetable your one-day visit. Welcome to Hills days >>

Timeline

30 June or 1 July 2027

What's happening?

Welcome to Hills

Experience life as a Hills Road student for a day and take an exciting step towards sixth form.

At Welcome to Hills, you will:

Try your three offered A level subjects
Take part in a Future Ready session with a Progress and Support Tutor
Discover clubs and societies you might like to join
Find out about your Y12 core programme, including Enrichment and the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).

When you accept your offer in March, we will ask which Welcome to Hills dates you can attend. We will use this information to timetable your one-day visit.

Welcome to Hills days >>

Timeline	19 August 2027
What's happening?	Enrolment On GCSE results day, you will need to promptly upload your results to our enrolment platform before we can confirm your place at Hills Road. If there is a problem with your upload, or any information is missing, the Admissions Office will contact you. If you haven't achieved the results you hoped for, we may invite you to a meeting at the College to discuss your next steps. You can also request a change to your course if you have changed your mind about your subject choices or would like to study a subject that was not included in your original offer. Please note that course changes cannot be guaranteed. You must meet the entry requirements for any subject you request. We do not use the Higher Admissions Score at Enrolment. Enrolment >>

Timeline

19 August 2027

What's happening?

Enrolment

On GCSE results day, you will need to promptly upload your results to our enrolment platform before we can confirm your place at Hills Road. If there is a problem with your upload, or any information is missing, the Admissions Office will contact you.

If you haven't achieved the results you hoped for, we may invite you to a meeting at the College to discuss your next steps.

You can also request a change to your course if you have changed your mind about your subject choices or would like to study a subject that was not included in your original offer.

Please note that course changes cannot be guaranteed. You must meet the entry requirements for any subject you request. We do not use the Higher Admissions Score at Enrolment.

Enrolment >>

Timeline	Early September 2027
What's happening?	Getting Started day Getting Started is your chance to meet your Tutor, get to know other students, explore the campus and get ready for the start of lessons. Attendance is compulsory. If you have a specific reason why you cannot attend, you must let us know. You will attend on one day and with your tutor group, so we can only consider requests to attend on a different day in exceptional circumstances. The dates for Getting Started in September 2027 will be confirmed soon. Getting Started >>

Timeline

Early September 2027

What's happening?

Getting Started day

Getting Started is your chance to meet your Tutor, get to know other students, explore the campus and get ready for the start of lessons.

Attendance is compulsory. If you have a specific reason why you cannot attend, you must let us know.

You will attend on one day and with your tutor group, so we can only consider requests to attend on a different day in exceptional circumstances. The dates for Getting Started in September 2027 will be confirmed soon.