From their first day in the Sixth Form, we encourage students to be planning for their next steps, whether this will involve further study or employment. Students will regularly use the subscription site Unifrog to explore their post-18 options. This site offers information about a very wide range of career areas and routes of entry into them, as well as activities to match students’ interests, personality and academic curriculum to possible career areas.
As part of our package of independent advice and guidance, all Sixth Form students are offered the chance to have an individual interview with a careers advisor from Services for Young People. These can take place at any point in the year, but we recommend getting it in early, so that there is plenty of time to act on the advice before getting into the swing of applications for university, apprenticeships or employment. Students should see a member of the sixth form staff to arrange an interview.
We run a programme of activities through the two years of Sixth Form to ensure that students gain a full and balanced understanding of the options open to them, and are prepared for the world of work. The key elements to this programme are outlined below.
The start and end of the Lower Sixth year are marked by two key events to support students in their post-18 planning: Get Work Ready Day This is an off-timetable day in the first term, in which students work with around 25 local professionals from a range of career areas, completing workshops to develop employability soft-skills, and experience interview-style situations
Preparing for the world of work
Encounters with employers and employees
| How is it delivered? | Year 12 | Year 13 |
|---|---|---|
| “Get Work Ready” day (employability workshops with local professionals) | Yes | |
| Guest speaker from apprenticeship | Yes | |
| Workshop on employability by local recruitment firm | Yes | |
| Young Professionals webinars about career sectors | Yes | Yes |
Experience of workplaces
| How is it delivered? | Year 12 | Year 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Work-shadowing / Virtual work experience day | Yes | |
| Workshop on the value of work experience | Yes |
Interview techniques
| How is it delivered? | Year 12 | Year 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Mock interviews from local professionals | Yes | |
| Assembly about interview technique | Yes | |
| Interview workshop for apprenticeship applicants | Yes | |
| Mock interviews for apprenticeship applicants | Yes | |
| Mock-interviews for university applicants | Yes |
How to write a CV
| How is it delivered? | Year 12 | Year 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Workshop on session on “Selling yourself” | Yes | |
| Workshop on CV technique | Yes | Yes |
| Use of Unifrog Activities and CV tools | Yes | Yes |
| Students submit CV for review | Yes |
Other employability skills
| How is it delivered? | Year 12 | Year 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Workshop on managing a budget | Yes |
Specific careers advice
| How is it delivered? | Year 12 | Year 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Independent careers interviews with Services for Young People | Yes | Yes |
| Lunchtime careers talks | Yes | Yes |
| Careers information in Sixth Form study area | Yes | Yes |
| Email alerts about relevant work experience | Yes | Yes |
| Contact arranged with recent ex-students | Yes | Yes |
Understanding the range of post-18 options
| How is it delivered? | Year 12 | Year 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Workshops with speakers from university | Yes | |
| Workshops with speaker from apprenticeship provider | Yes | |
| Visit to National Apprenticeship Show | Yes | |
| Visit to UCAS Exhibition | Yes | |
| Use of Unifrog Careers Library | Yes | Yes |
| Post-18 Options Evening for students and parents | Yes | |
| Contact arranged with recent ex-students | Yes | Yes |
| Email alerts about current apprenticeship opportunities | Yes | Yes |
The start and end of the Lower Sixth year are marked by two key events to support students in their post-18 planning:
- Get Work Ready Day This is an off-timetable day in the first term, in which students work with around 25 local professionals from a range of career areas, completing workshops to develop employability soft-skills, and experience interview-style situations
Plan your future Day On this day, which falls at the end of the Summer term, students will gain the benefits of speaking individually to a large number of recent ex-students who return for the day to offer advice and talk of their own experiences since leaving Freman College. In July 2022 we welcomed over 80 ex-students back on this day, giving our Lower Sixth students a first-hand account of university degrees, apprenticeships, Art Foundation courses, employment and gap year experiences.
Applying to University
Applying to university - an introduction
How to research and choose courses
Using UCAS to research courses
Using Unifrog to research courses
What goes in to your UCAS application?
Alternatives to University
Alternatives to university - an introduction
Using Unifrog for non-university plans
