Next Steps - Guidance for Year 13 Students

Taking the Next Steps Guidance for Year 13 Students May 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No

Introduction

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Higher Education: Continuing Academic Study

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Higher Education: University

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Apprenticeship

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World of Work: Developing Employability Skills

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World of Work: Careers

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World of Work: Finding a Job

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World of Work: Work Experience / Volunteering

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Finance

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Pastoral Support

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INTRODUCTION We have designed this booklet to support your wider development both in and away from your subjects in the time you have left at Warlingham Sixth Form College. It will hopefully provide you with resources and signposts to support your next steps, which for almost all of you will be into Higher Education, the World of Work, or into an Apprenticeship. The resources will allow you to develop wider personal learning both linked to your subjects and in other areas.

The booklet covers Further Education, EAT (Employment, Apprenticeship and Training) and Personal Development. Each section is designed to give you information for your desired next step and how to prepare yourself for this. The Personal Development section will provide you with resources to explore in a wide range of fields to develop your skills further away from your chosen pathway.

Whatever step you take after leaving Warlingham Sixth Form College, we are honoured that you chose Warlingham Sixth Form College for your Key Stage 5 education. We have enjoyed working with you; we wish you every success and hope you enjoy the next stages of your lives! Please do keep in touch to let us know how you are getting on. We would love to have you back in future years to speak to our current students about your experiences since leaving us, just as you have heard from former students during your time with us.

Best of luck!

Mr Scott Head of College

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Mr Leay Head of Year

Mrs Howe Head of Year

Mr Knott Academic Tutor

Mrs Beadle Admin Support

HIGHER EDUCATION Continuing Academic Study Continue to use your time wisely by challenging yourselves and learning more. As the saying goes, knowledge is power!

You can try any or all of the following.

Complete your courses!

Remember that Year 13 students will still have the opportunity to sit exams at a later date so you don’t want to forget everything. Make sure you complete your courses by checking your emails regularly and logging onto SharePoint: https://warlinghamschool.sharepoint.com/sites/TheStudentRoom/SitePages/Home.aspx Then go to : Revision and Homework Projects/Sixth Form/Year 13 There may also be some useful material in the Year 12 folder and don’t forget to check the independent learning folder in the Sixth Form area of SharePoint.

Revise To give yourself the best possible opportunity of success in the event of still taking your exams, it is important not to forget everything you learned for your subjects. The resources on SharePoint will help you with revising and make sure you check the exam board websites for each of your subjects as they will have useful materials such as past exam papers, mark schemes and examiner reports, e.g. AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC. You can also try this website called Seneca learning which has a range of useful revision materials for a variety of subjects.

Learn something new!

Why not use this time to learn a new skill, language or complete a course? There are lots of organisations offering free courses on a variety of topics. You can search for a course that appeals to you by clicking the links below:

The Open University

Future Learn

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HIGHER EDUCATION University For those of you planning to go to University in September, the best website to use for help and guidance is the UCAS website. Make sure you continue to check this and your emails regularly. Your chosen University may send you correspondence as well as in the post.

You will also have to consider what type of accommodation you would like e.g. catered or self-catered? Your university should contact you about this nearer the time.

Prepare for your University Course All universities will publish their pre-reading or recommended reading list for all courses. This will be a mix of academic books which will be designed to support elements of your learning over the course of your degree.

It is useful to access these lists early and to start reading some of the texts within it. This will help you to improve your knowledge and understanding of a wide range of topics related to your chosen area of study. You should be able to access this via your chosen university’s website.

Unifrog Remember that you still have access to your unifrog account, which has a wealth of excellent resources on preparing students for university. In particular, take a look at the geek out section of the subject you are intending to study at university. See the separate guide on how to access this. If you have forgotten your login details or are having difficulties then please email Caroline Beadle: c.beadle@warlinghamsixthform.co.uk.

Lectures At university, a key part of your learning will be listening to lectures from your professors who are experts in their field. You can sample what this will be like by searching for relevant lectures from Gresham College or a TED Talk.

Articles You will also be expected to read widely at university, including scholarly articles. You may like to get a head start on this by searching for relevant articles on the TED ideas website.

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APPRENTICESHIP Within this section of the booklet you will find information about obtaining and preparing for an apprenticeship. It will also provide guidance on preparing a professional CV and covering letter, as well as preparing for interviews.

Finding an Apprenticeship There are a significant number of opportunities which are listed on a range of different websites which you have access to. For example, Unifrog has up-to-date live feeds of apprenticeship opportunities as does the government website.

You will have log in details for Unifrog. Please contact Caroline Beadle if you cannot gain access to Unifrog.

Beyond these, there are many different websites which house lots of different apprenticeship opportunities within the local area, for example the Apprenticeship Hub . In addition, you can use the UCAS website to find an apprenticeship. You should spend some time identifying various opportunities before deciding to apply.

Applying for an Apprenticeship You will most likely need to provide a CV, which should be to a professional standard. To obtain support on developing your CV visit this website. This has information on sections to include as well as what to put in each section. There is also editable CV templates, should you prefer to use one. In addition to a CV, you may be asked to write a covering letter; please see the linked video which can provide you with some information on how to write this to a professional standard.

You can also use your unifrog account to write a CV and find guidance on how to do so.

Not Going to Uni Website This website also has lots of advice for students who do not wish to go to university, along with the ability to search for jobs and apprenticeships.

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WORLD OF WORK Some of the information from the previous page on apprenticeships will also be relevant to applying for jobs, as you will need to perfect your CV and interview skills. Employers in particular want to see evidence that you have a range of skills that would suit the workplace. You can develop these through the following.

Employability Skills BeReady is a website which provides a range of different activities for you to engage in, which is designed to develop your skills further. You can complete the free course on topics like how to prepare for interviews, how to conduct yourself in an interview and the types of questions you might want to ask during this process. In addition, it also has a searchable database of job and apprenticeship opportunities. It also provides students with a range of different resources to develop thinking and organisational skills.

Barclays Life Skills You can also sign up for a programme offered by Barclays Life Skills which will help you develop your understanding of a range of topics including personal finance as well as your next steps.

Writing a CV You will most likely need to provide a CV which should be to a professional standard when applying for jobs. To obtain support on developing your CV visit this website. This has information on sections to include as well as what to put in each section. There is also editable CV templates should you choose to use one. In addition to a CV you may be asked to write a covering letter, please see the linked video which can provide you with some information on how to write this to a professional standard.

You can also use your unifrog account to write a CV and find guidance on how to do so.

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WORLD OF WORK Careers Don’t worry if you are still unsure about what you want to do after leaving Warlingham Sixth Form College. Try to get an understanding of different types of careers available and which you would be most suited to. You can find advice and guidance at the websites described below.

Speakers for School Talks Speakers for School is an organisation that provides a range of speakers from many industries and backgrounds to all schools within the UK. They are hosting a number of digital talks which are updated regularly on their website. As well as this, they have a significant number of online work experience placements which you can access . You can also view a day-in-the-life of several careers.

Surrey County Council You can find out a range of information on the different types of careers available on the Surrey County Council website. They also offer further advice and guidance on how to write CVs and preparing for interview and they provide information on apprenticeships.

SACU This is a good starting point for students who are really uncertain about their next steps. Take the careers spartan test by completing a series of questions and the website will give you some suggestions of possible careers that would be suited to you.

Careers Interview Don’t forget that we offer an interview with our careers advisor. These are available over the phone or virtually, whilst the College is closed. If you would like to arrange one then please email Mrs Langley l.langley@warlinghamschool.co.uk) or one of the College Team to set up a meeting.

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WORLD OF WORK Finding a Job Once you know what sort of job you want, we recommend you search in a number of different ways: •

Try online networking. Check out Twitter, Facebook and career networking sites like LinkedIn. Many employers are using these methods to advertise jobs nowadays.

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Ask friends and family who work in industries/organisations that you’re considering. This can lead to you finding out about vacancies before anyone else does so it puts you at an advantage, especially if someone can recommend you.

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Go beyond job listings. If you see a few positions going at a great company and none of the roles are suitable for you, send them a CV and cover letter anyway. It can’t hurt and it should work in your favour that you’ve taken the initiative!

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Consider doing Work Experience or Volunteering. See the next page for more information about these areas.

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Try a recruitment agency. Many agencies will regularly and actively search for work on your behalf.

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Visit Recruitment Fairs. These fairs are a fantastic opportunity to meet and talk directly to employers and recruiters. Make the most of the opportunity to network and be informed about application processes and opportunities.

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Work for yourself. Many young people can feel discouraged from starting their own business due to risk or the lack of security it offers. Although becoming your own boss can seem like a scary move, if you have a big idea and the motivation to push it then this could be the smartest move you ever make.

The National Careers Service website gives you access to resources and helpful information in the following areas: •

Locate job vacancies

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Find a job by networking

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Write a CV

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Write a covering letter

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Fill in an application Form

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Make use of interview advice

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Answer common interview questions

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Develop your soft/employability skills

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WORLD OF WORK Work Experience Gaining work experience is invaluable for students at any stage in their lives but particularly if you are interested in going into vocational areas of work like medicine, teaching or healthcare to name just a few.

The best way to gain experience of different industries is to contact companies to ask if you could work with them for a certain amount of time. You will need to persevere with this and contact multiple companies. Don’t given up if you hear nothing back; instead, contact them again using all available forms of communication, e.g. pick up the phone and ring them!

Volunteering Volunteering is a great way to gain practical and transferable skills of being in the workplace as well as get a warm fuzzy feeling inside for helping others. If you are organising work experience placements or volunteering then please ensure you that you will be safe in that environment and always let your family and friends know your whereabouts when going to work.

If you are interested in volunteering, then you may like to find out more information through the following links: •

National Volunteering Week - 1st—7th June 2020. More information available here.

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National Database for Volunteering—Click here.

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Advice on volunteering—from an organisation called NCVO.

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Local Volunteering Centres—Croydon Volunteering Centre.

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FINANCE Whatever your next steps after leaving Warlingham Sixth Form College, managing your finances is incredibly important. In this section, we highlight a range of help and suggestions on the topic of money.

Student Finance For those of you going to university, you will need to apply for student finance to help you cover the cost of studying and living away from home.

You can find help and guidance to support you here.

This includes videos showing you the type of evidence you will need and will explain the different things needed to apply. Lots of universities are also supporting with a range of webinar events designed to talk students through the process of applying.

There is further information including quizzes on the topic on the following website as well as here.

Student finance is now open for applications. Remember that you need to apply each year of your degree course. Apply now for next year.

Your Money Matters This refers to a textbook created by Martin Lewis about how to manage your money. You can find a copy on SharePoint in the Sixth Form folder or download your own copy here. As part of this programme you will find the ‘Your Money Matters’ digital textbook, which has a range of information and activities for you to work through on a range of personal finance topics such as bank accounts, mortgages, tax and credit cards. This will support your next steps into employment, apprenticeship, training and university. You may like to start by watching the following video to help you in using the textbook. This will again guide you in extra depth with your personal development activities.

Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis is an expert on all things financial. His website offers great advice on all things related to money so it is well worth a visit even if it is just to get your hands on the latest discounts and coupons. Why spend more than you need to!? Also sign up to his alerts to get weekly updates on the latest advice and offers.

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PASTORAL SUPPORT We appreciate how unsettling the current situation is and that being off school can be an anxious time for you all. So we would like to remind you that you can email any member of the College team at any time or Mrs Haynes, who is the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). Their email addresses are given below: Mr R Scott

Head of College

r.scott@warlinghamsixthform.co.uk

Mrs R Howe

Head of Year

r.howe@warlinghamsixthform.co.uk

Mr R Leay

Head of Year

r.leay@warlinghamsixthform.co.uk

Mr G Knott

Academic Tutor

g.knott@warlinghamsixthform.co.uk

Mrs K Haynes

Assistant Headteacher & DSL

k.haynes@warlinghamsixthform.co.uk

You can also search for any member of staff’s email address by surname when writing an email in Microsoft Outlook on the College system.

There are also a range of organisations that can help students at this time. Some of them are listed below as well as being outlined on the College website here.

A free point of contact for children and young people who need advice either online or via the telephone on a wide range of issues, including depression, abuse, bullying etc.

Mental Health support www.mind.org.uk/information-support Tel: 0300 123 3393

Text: 86463

Mental health services are free on the NHS www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/mental-health -services/how-to-access-mental-health-services

Free, safe and anonymous online support for young people www.kooth.com

NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) – Keeping children and young people safe www.nspcc.org.uk

Online support service / Mental health support and advice / Inspiring videos and recourses www.zumos.co.uk

Student log in: STUSEC3900CR6

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