Thinking ahead . . .

Year 12 students took the first steps towards planning for life after sixth form as they attended the college’s annual Progression Conference Day at the end of February

Designed to offer an introduction to post-18 choices, students attended a special series of talks and activities that highlighted the range of possible pathways and opportunities available to them, from university and apprenticeships to gap years and routes into employment

Alongside individual conversations with academic tutors, students also had the opportunity to attend live talks from expert guest speakers in a range of fields

Guidance on university applications came from Mike Nicholson, Director of Recruitment, Admissions and Participation at the University of Cambridge, who offered valuable insights into the application process based on his many years of experience in this role

This was supplemented by a talk from our own Mrs Jenkins, who offered specific guidance to those considering applications to Oxbridge, or for competitive courses such as medicine and veterinary medicine

For those considering alternative pathways, representatives from an array of organisations and employers attended our Careers Fair in the afternoon to give students a flavour of the opportunities available to them, including apprenticeships, degree apprenticeships, school leaver programmes and gap years Special thanks to our Careers Lead, Mrs Lawson, for coordinating this part of the day

Students also had opportunities to begin or extend their research and planning into possible next steps during the day, throughout which there was a really positive buzz of activity and excitement

Staff are now looking forward to working closely with Year 12 students in the coming months to build on their initial research and help them plan for the future with confidence

Stephen Leggott, Deputy Head of Sixth Form