Ben joins university interview masterclass at the London Academy of Excellence Tottenham

Today (Thursday 21 November), Ben Davies visited a group of high-achieving Year 13 students at the London Academy of Excellence Tottenham (LAET) as they prepare to interview for places at top universities.

Ben, who completed A-Levels as a young player and achieved an A in Maths, participated in a session designed to challenge the students and develop their ability to manage the high-pressure environment of a university interview. This involved a practical activity on avoiding the pitfalls of common questions, as well as a mock Q&A focused on helping the young people demonstrate their strengths and attributes to interviewers.

Having tackled some tricky mock interview questions, Ben shared his personal experience of balancing school studies with a youth football career at Swansea. He fielded questions from the students on maintaining motivation, demonstrating confidence and overcoming setbacks, all of which he applied to both education and football. Ben also discussed how academia nurtured his appetite for constant learning, which has enabled him to excel in sport.

Based on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium campus, LAET is a state-funded Sixth Form sponsored by the Club and Highgate School. It delivers expert teaching from eight of the country’s top independent schools to young people in one of the capital’s most underprivileged areas.

Current Year 13 students, including the interview masterclass group, are hoping to follow in the footsteps of LAET’s first cohort of A-Level graduates, who achieved outstanding exam results earlier this year. More than half of these students won places to study at Russell Group universities, with one becoming the school’s first to win a place at an Oxbridge university. This is compared to only 1% of all school leavers in Tottenham when LAET opened two years ago.

As part of the session, Ben also met three LAET students – Krysten, Alican and Gulizer – who are currently preparing for interviews at elite universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and UCL. He heard how LAET has supported them, both academically and beyond, and given them the belief that they can achieve their potential.

Speaking at the masterclass, Ben said: “The drive and determination of the young people I’ve met today has been inspiring. Combined with their obvious talent and passion for learning, I’m sure they’ll go on to achieve great things at university.”

Jan Balon, LAET Headteacher, said: “Our work with Tottenham Hotspur has been transformational for local young people, who are now able to access a first-class education right on the Club’s doorstep.

“It has been fantastic having Ben here to meet LAET’s future university students and offer valuable advice as they prepare to take the next step on their education journey.”

For information on LAET open events, please visit https://www.laetottenham.org.uk.