6TH FORM

Sixth Form Information, Advice and Guidance

You are now on the verge of leaving formal education whereupon we all start to take different career pathways, it is important not to let time drift and ensure you have a clear set of post school targets to follow. Maintaining focus and developing plans for future next steps is crucial at this challenging time. We all need to set goals to help maintain resilience, focus and purpose.

We include a timeline below advising you on the action you should take so that you are fully prepared for the next steps in your career and academic pathway.

Your GCE Grades

Your GCE grades will be released in the second week of August, giving you plenty of time to confirm your original plans or develop your plan B strategy. Please talk to the sixth form team if you need help after you have received your results.

Timeline of Actions:

September onwards - If you can book a careers interview by contacting Mr Justice. You need to start to firm up your ideas of what to do next and visit open events as they come up. You should make sure that you have registered for the pathway you want to follow e.g. for an apprenticeship, on the UCAS Hub, or on a job search websiteand you should start preparing your application forms and personal statements. If you want to do an apprenticeship, many of the best ones are very competitive and you must apply early.

As you apply for places, you will start to get offers of interviews. Make sure that you look smart, give a good impression of yourself and have prepared some answers about why you want to study a particular course.

You will hopefully then be offered some places. You can apply to lots of different places and accept several offers then decide on decide results day which to take. If you are applying to an apprenticeship or a competitive course, you must have a back-up option.

June - recheck your plans and take time to consider your broader career pathways. Look at all the links on the schools CEIAG, follow the link below: https://www.rednockschool.org.uk/information-advice-guidance/careers/

June/July - Follow up your application to confirm that you have been accepted to your chosen college. Assume that you are going to attend your preferred University. Ask for preparation coursework and wider reading lists for you to start so that you are ready for September/October.

July - continue with your preparation work, make notes and records in just that same way as you were taught to revise.

August - you will receive your formal GCE grades. Telephone or email your preferred college to report your grades and confirm that you will be attending your courses in September. For University follow the instructions on your Track emails or the UCAS website: https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/results-clearing

September/October - Start your new courses, remember “look forward and do not look back”.

Going to College/University

Check college websites regularly to see how their admission criteria change over the next few weeks and make sure you have completed your application forms and submitted by the end of May at the latest. Keep all letters and emails that are sent and received. Make sure you have completed all of your personal finance application forms and maintain a progress check on them.

Seeking an Apprenticeship/Job

If you already have an apprenticeship/job offer, keep in close touch to find out if they have any revised start dates. In the current situation, your business may cancel their apprenticeships or may not be trading. Keep applying for apprenticeships via https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

If you are going directly to the jobs market, remember to look for those jobs that give training and offer industry specific qualifications that will help you to move forward.

It is very important that you have a plan B. Make sure that you have a place at College or University to attend that supports what you are planning to do in the long term.

Short One year Vocational courses and professional qualifications

The world of work is going to be tough and chaotic over the next year as the world settles back down. So it might be tough getting a job or an apprenticeship. As a holding pattern, you might want to consider the following:

Go to the local Colleges (Stroud, Filton and Gloscol) and look at their professional qualifications courses that can lead to specific jobs. For example:

Accountancy AAT qualifications
Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply
Professional Marketing Qualifications
Human Resources qualifications
Computer programming language short courses
Engineering

Consider One year Foundation degrees (Fd) as well as Higher National Diploma's (HND) and Higher National Certificates (HNC)

Again look at these one and two year courses to help build your specific skill sets so that you are ready for the world of work.

Learning from Careers and Labour Market Information

Understanding Labour Market Information (LMI) is becoming more and more important as the world changes, so that all students can be aware of where different job roles are needed around the country and what types of jobs may need more people in the future. Below is information on what labour market information actually means.

LMI means finding out the following things about different job roles or career pathways:

What do people actually do in this job / industry?
How many people work in this job / industry?
How much do people get paid in this job / industry?
What qualifications do I need to do this job?
What skills or qualities do I need to do this job?
What are the typical working hours for this job?
What percentage of men / women work in this job / industry?
Where can this job / industry take me in the future?
Where are these jobs located around the country?
How many of these jobs will there be in the future?

Planning my future after Rednock

This final stepping stone at Rednock. You are reaching a crossroads in your life where you and your friends will start to take different pathways.

Your have five choices:

Go to University
Go to College
Apply for Apprenticeships
Apply for a Job with training
Take a GAP year

Remember you can always re-enter many different forms of education and training throughout your life. We never stop learning, changing, adapting and improving. You are the generation that will have many different and exciting careers.

Helpful Links

A range of useful websites and resources to use:

GOV.UK

GOV.UK include lots of helpful information about becoming an apprentice.

NGTU

Not Going to Uni is the #1 website for school and college leavers. Search thousands of jobs, opportunities and apprenticeships in UK and find your perfect fit!

PROSPECTS

Prospects guide millions of students to make the right choice. Match your skills and personality to 400+ job profiles.

Keep up to date with the latest job news, career advice and postgraduate study opportunities with Prospects' range of print and digital publications. https://www.prospects.ac.uk/prospects-publications

reed.co.uk

Post 16 advice and information on applying for jobs. Reed advertises vacancies on behalf of employers and recruitment agencies who are looking for staff.

Start Profile

Start helps schools and colleges to meet their statutory duties around careers guidance, combining the most comprehensive source of information with a personalised student experience and tracking capabilities to help teachers monitor student progress and engagement.

TARGET careers

TARGET careers is here to help school leavers make decisions about their future. Explore options for careers, university or apprenticeships and get help applying successfully.

Whatuni?

Whatuni is the UK's biggest university course comparison site! Search 1000s of courses and read 1000s of real student reviews to find your perfect course. Plus use Whatuni to book open days and order prospectuses!

UCAS

UCAS stands for Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. It’s the centralised service that students use to apply to university. Find out your options and start planning your next steps.

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