Post 16 CHOICES

WHAT ARE MY CHOICES AFTER YEAR 11?

Many young people will know where or what they want to do for a career and will know how to achieve that but for some they have no idea at all.  This is where the Careers Team, Year 11 Tutors and Head of Year are here to help.  So what are the options:

Sixth Form - whether is be at SKA or another local school to study IB or A'Levels

FE College - which offer vocational qualification like BTEC or T-Level's

Apprenticeships - available in a variety of different industries and range from Level 1 (lower grade GCSE's) - Level 3 (same as A-levels)

Employment - full or part time work

The time to start thinking about this will be at the beginning of Year 11, chat with Parents and Tutors (especially at PRM's) to see where you are achieving and how to use your studies, skills and interests to achieve your chosen career path.   Things to think about are the subjects they’d like to study, the type of qualification they’d like to obtain, where to study and whether they’d prefer to learn while working or without working. 

Different school and colleges will have open evenings/days and we would recommend going to visit these to get a feel for them and also speak with the staff about the courses that they offer.  Also do research whether through Kent Choices (Kent Choices) or Unifrog.


Prior to completing your GCSE's you should have had an opportunity of chatting with our Careers Advisor, Mrs Marshall and having at least one Careers Guidance meeting in Year 10 or 11 to help you make your choices. If you are still unsure of what you would like to do, the short movie below gives a really good overview to your choices after you have completed Year 11.

As a school we have to report on the destinations of Year 11 Students (as a Government requirement) as all young people need to be in some sort of Education, Employment or Training up until the age of 18.  

As you move from on Secondary School support is available to you to help transition and prepare for adulthood from your Heads of Year, teachers and Careers department.  We want you to reach your aspirations and achieve amazing things. The level of education/further study will depend on the grades achieved in the GCSE exams.

This diagram explains the different levels of education and what you can go onto do with the grades attained. From this you can choose to do one of the following:

SIXTH FORM

Sixth form is the last 2 years (year 12 and year 13) of secondary education.  

You can move into sixth form after taking your GCSEs and often you can stay in the school you go to. If you are unable to or do not want to, you can apply to attend another school. Here at the Academy our sixth Form offers the IBCP only. If you wish to take A'Levels, then you will need to apply to other local sixth forms.

Sixth form classes tend to be smaller and provide more academic subjects, with some offering vocational courses. The lessons taught allow you to study for qualifications, which can be used to get a job or move into university or college.

Depending on your choice of subject, there may be a range of assessments including, written examinations, coursework or skills based assessment to gain your qualifications.

COLLEGE

At College you can study vocational courses including BTEC'S or   T-Levels. The local colleges are North Kent College (previously known as West Kent College), Hadlow College or Mid-Kent College.

Examples of vocational courses are; beauty, business, carpentry, animal management or motor mechanics. At college you can progress from foundation or entry level courses all the way up to degree level and professional qualifications. 

Depending on your choice of course, you will take part in written examinations, coursework or skills based assessment to gain your qualification.

If you have more complex needs, you may be able to attend a local specialist post 16 or post 19 education and training provider.

APPRENTICESHIPS

Apprenticeship, which is where you work but do a qualification in the chosen line of employment.  There are a number of different options to look at and a wide scope of employers offer these now including:

Marks and Spencers, 

Cripps Paralegal, 

Hendys Group,  

Tunbridge Wells Hospital

Hobbs Pharmacy, 

Pizza Express

 

A lot of these can be found via the following websites

Kent Choices (www.kentprospectus.co.uk/courses/employer-apprenticeship-search) 

UCAS (www.ucas.com/apprenticeships)

Indeed (www.indeed.co.uk)

Government website (www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship), 


EMPLOYMENT

You may decide that further study is not for you and apprenticeships don't appeal then there is always the world of work. 

There is a number of different jobs you can look for including retail and hospitality.  Most of these types of jobs can be found online via websites like Indeed or alternatively you can put a CV together and take it to shops in town.

Retail shops like Tescos, Sainsburys or Asda will advertise on their websites or instore so worth keeping your eyes open when out and about. 

BEFORE YOU APPLY

Make sure you find out and do the necessary research on whether a sixth form or college is the right path for you, you can:

HOW DO I APPLY FOR MY PLACE AT SIXTH FORM OR COLLEGE?

In Kent all applications for any local sixth form or further education college can be done either through an online application system called Kent Choices or directly to the school/college. Kent Choices provides details on a large proportion of schools and colleges in the local area, along with the courses that they offer. It will also provide information on Open Days/Evenings and we would recommend that you visit all the schools/colleges you wish to apply to as this will give you a feel for the place. 

By applying through Kent Choices it means that all applications are in one place and  Log in details will be given after the October Half Term Holidays when the system will go live for applications. To access your account click here with the details provided by the school. 

Do check closing dates for applications, different schools and colleges will have different dates. Also some courses will have different dates.  But do not fear if you miss the deadline, there can be an element of flexibility, but the sooner you apply the better. 

Help and support will be given to all Year 11 students in school on how to fill out their applications and use the system. However, it is their responsibility to complete these and apply during their own time at home. If any additional support is needed by students or parents then please contact the Careers Department or your Head of Year to ask for further help and guidance on this.

The Education People are a one-stop shop for education services, supporting the full age range from early years to young adults, run by Kent County Council to provide support to schools and students alike. They also run Kent Choices which is the online Post 16 application service to apply for Sixth Form or College in Year 11 within the county of Kent. Please find further details of their services on their website: https://www.theeducationpeople.org/

This year they have produced a diary of Webinar's which parents and students can attend to help support with their careers choices throughout their time at school. Please do take a look at the up an coming events, organised to support you.

POST 16 EMPLOYABILY GUIDE FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS

This free guide will help you harness your skills to navigate the competitive job market.  

The Employability Guide has been designed to help you navigate your next steps and  answer common questions (remember, if you’re thinking it, there’s a strong chance that lots of others are too!). But most importantly, it’s a guide to ensure that you have all the skills you need to make you employable and stand out from the crowd! 

Please click on the picture to continue to the free guide.