Careers Plan – Year 13 (2024-25)
YEAR 13 AIM: In the sixth form, careers education focuses on preparing students to make good choices, engage in work experience and understand personal development.
RATIONALE: The focus of this year is ensuring that Year 13 students make applications and secure positive post-18 destinations.
Term 1
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Post-18 Career Considerations
In their weekly careers sessions, Year 13 students are taken through a variety of relevant issues such as maintaining professional networks, understanding the value of diversity in the workplace and an update on changes to the local labour market. They are also offered supportive conversations about their progress towards completing their UCAS applications.
Students also update their Morrisby profiles – they add experiences to their ‘locker’, retake the psychometric tests based on any changes in their plans, and refamiliarise themselves with their action plans and routes into their preferred careers.
Continue reading → - Apprenticeship Academy
A six-week programme run online by a level 6 careers advisor, Jess Pieri. This is a weekly session, held on Wednesdays from 4.30-6pm for six weeks, and is designed as a bootcamp to take students through the process of choosing, finding, applying, interviewing and managing their apprenticeship applications. Each weekly session has a specific focus and is supported by a current degree-level apprentice and an employer who offers an apprenticeship programme – these speakers will be available to answer questions. Jess is then available to offer advice, check CVs and answer questions via email. This is a service for which the school has subscribed and links will be emailed to students and parents/carers at the appropriate time in the year.
This programme runs in Terms 1 for Year 13, Term 4 for Year 11 and 13, and Term 6 for Year 10 and Year 12.
Continue reading → - Destination STEM: Careers Mentoring
Year 11, 12 and 13 students are invited to sign up for a mentoring scheme organised by STEM Learning. Students sign up for the secure and moderated online platform, answer some questions about their interests and they get to choose from five suggested mentors, all of whom work in a wide variety of STEM roles. Architects, doctors, astronomers, geologists, economists, data scientists, web designers and much, much more have made themselves available to give careers advice and information over a 10 week period. Students can ask about life after school, including education, university, apprenticeships, or preparing for employment. They can discuss STEM career options, applications and interviews, job hunting, study skills and more.
Continue reading →
- GUEST SPEAKER: Professor Jo Delahunty Barrister KC
Speakers for Schools have selected Wrotham School for an inspirational talk from Professor Jo Delahunty Barrister KC and we couldn’t be more excited.
Jo is one of the UK’s leading family barristers specialising in child protection law rising to prominence, and winning industry awards including the Freedom of the City of London in recognition of her contribution to the law. Jo was part of the legal team that acted for 77 families in the Hillsborough Inquests, her role being to establish that flawed medical response by those in charge at the scene led to avoidable loss of life. Hidden behind these markers of career progression is the fact that Jo comes (proudly) from a single parent family, went to comprehensive schools and was the first member of her family to stay in education beyond the age of 16. She was the first to go to university and the first ‘professional’ in her family.
You can read more about her incredible career here: https://www.speakersforschools.org/speakers/jo-delahunty-kc/
Continue reading → - GUEST SPEAKER: Psychotherapist
Our school’s psychotherapist will be talking to our Year 13 psychology students about different careers and qualifications in psychology, what her role involves, routes into the profession and compare working for an organisation to being self-employed.
Continue reading → - Guidance Interviews
Year 13 students are able to request their one-to-one guidance interviews with our level 6-qualified careers adviser, Mrs Hollinshead, at any point in the academic year, depending on their plans. Students intending to apply for university or degree apprenticeships are recommended to book a meeting in Terms 1 and 2 due to the earlier deadlines.
To support students who may be feeling anxious due to additional needs, they will be sent guides prior to the meeting to help them understand what to expect.
Continue reading → - Higher and Degree Apprenticeships Listing
The higher and degree apprenticeship listing is released in October and January every year. This is advertised to our students in Year 13 so that they can get support in making their applications. We also encourage our Year 12 students to search the listing so that they can start planning ahead for their time in the sixth form by looking at when positions are open and closing dates.
We publish the list on Morrisby as an optional task for our students in their ‘activities’ section. They can also add any relevant steps they need to take on to their action plans.
Continue reading → - Maidstone University Fair
Wrotham Students have been kindly invited to attend Maidstone Grammar School’s University Fair in September.
They will be hosting around 50 exhibitors at the event, representing a wide range of UK universities plus some local colleges and apprenticeship organisations. The following institutions have confirmed their attendance:
Aberystwyth University, ASK Apprenticeships, Aston University, University of Bath, BIMM Music Institute, University of Birmingham, University of Cambridge, Canterbury Christ Church University, Cardiff University, Durham University ,University of East Anglia, University of Essex, University of Exeter, Falmouth University, University of Glasgow, University of Greenwich, Hadlow & North Kent College, University of Hertfordshire, Imperial College London, University of Kent, Kent & Medway Medical School, Lancaster University, University of Leeds, King’s College London, University of Leicester, University of Liverpool, London School of Economics, Loughborough University, Medway School of Arts, Mid-Kent College, University of Nottingham, University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University, University of Plymouth, University of Portsmouth, Queen’s University Belfast, University of Reading, University of Sheffield, University of Southampton, Solent University, University of Surrey, University of Sussex, Swansea University, University College London, University for the Creative Arts, University of Warwick, University of Winchester, University of York.
Continue reading → - STEM Event: World Space Week
Our Year 12 and 13 chemistry and physics students will be joining a live lecture by a Professor of Astronomy and Public Understanding of Science at the University of Sussex about how and why astronomers attempt to simulate entire universes on a computer.
Continue reading → - University Personal Statement Writing OSCAR sessions
In this term, there are opportunities for students who are pursuing university applications to join group sessions to complete their applications. They also have the chance to book individual sessions with our UCAS and level 6 careers adviser, Mrs Hollinshead.
Continue reading → - WORKSHOP: Kent Police and Criminology
Kent Police will be leading a workshop with our Year 13 criminology students that supports their ‘crime scene to courtroom’ unit. They will also be talking about different careers within the police and the different routes for entry to the police service.
Continue reading →
Term 2
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Individual Planning
In term 2, the focus is on students working on their own goals and individual plans with support from the sixth form team. They might be finalising their university applications, writing personal statements, researching apprenticeship opportunities (and even starting applications) or working on their continual professional development through searching for work experience, updating their CVs. Central to this process is their individual action plans, which they review each week.
Continue reading → - ASSEMBLY: BAM Engineering and Construction
As part of their exploration of and preparation for making their post-18 choices, Year 13 students will be learning about routes into the engineering and construction sector from BAM, who are leading the construction of our new school. They will find out about the range of careers within these industries, and have the opportunity to talk to current higher and degree apprentices. They will be able to ask about how they made their choices at 18, what it’s like studying and working at that level, and find out about the different ways that they can apply.
As many of our Year 13 students are applying for or considering their options for higher and further education, this is a fantastic time for them to have this opportunity.
This event supports Wrotham School in fulfilling its statutory obligations under Provider Access Legislation (2023).
Continue reading → - Destination STEM: Careers Mentoring
Year 11, 12 and 13 students are invited to sign up for a mentoring scheme organised by STEM Learning. Students sign up for the secure and moderated online platform, answer some questions about their interests and they get to choose from five suggested mentors, all of whom work in a wide variety of STEM roles. Architects, doctors, astronomers, geologists, economists, data scientists, web designers and much, much more have made themselves available to give careers advice and information over a 10 week period. Students can ask about life after school, including education, university, apprenticeships, or preparing for employment. They can discuss STEM career options, applications and interviews, job hunting, study skills and more.
Continue reading → - Guidance Interviews
Year 13 students are able to request their one-to-one guidance interviews with our level 6-qualified careers adviser, Mrs Hollinshead, at any point in the academic year, depending on their plans. Students intending to apply for university or degree apprenticeships are recommended to book a meeting in Terms 1 and 2 due to the earlier deadlines.
To support students who may be feeling anxious due to additional needs, they will be sent guides prior to the meeting to help them understand what to expect.
Continue reading → - TRIP: What Careers? Live
Year 12 and 13 students are invited to attend What Careers? Live at the London Olympia. There are a range of activities available for students to join; this ensures that they are able to tailor the event to their needs and interests. Activities include: talks from employers and universities, CV clinics, careers advisors, universities and employer stands; a US university zone, and more.
Continue reading → - WORKSHOP: Creative Portfolios
Norwich University of the Arts will be coming to work with our sixth form students in a session about portfolios. Students from art, photography, IT and product design will be invited to the session in order to find out what a portfolio can be used for, how to build the confidence to ‘sell’ yourself and your work, and get some personalised advice on what work they could include in their own portfolios. They will also get the chance to see and review past portfolio submissions, putting themselves in the place of a university or art school admissions tutor.
Continue reading →
Term 3
- Guidance Interviews
Year 13 students are able to request their one-to-one guidance interviews with our level 6-qualified careers adviser, Mrs Hollinshead, at any point in the academic year, depending on their plans. Students intending to apply for university or degree apprenticeships are recommended to book a meeting in Terms 1 and 2 due to the earlier deadlines.
To support students who may be feeling anxious due to additional needs, they will be sent guides prior to the meeting to help them understand what to expect.
Continue reading → - Higher and Degree Apprenticeships Listing
The higher and degree apprenticeship listing is released in October and January every year. This is advertised to our students in Year 13 so that they can get support in making their applications. We also encourage our Year 12 students to search the listing so that they can start planning ahead for their time in the sixth form by looking at when positions are open and closing dates.
We publish the list on Morrisby as an optional task for our students in their ‘activities’ section. They can also add any relevant steps they need to take on to their action plans.
Continue reading → - WORKSHOP: ASK Apprenticeships #NAW2025
Part of National Apprenticeship Week 2025. Emily from ASK Apprenticeships will deliver a workshop to Year 13 students who are getting ready to apply for apprenticeships (degree apprenticeship applicants will have started earlier in the academic year). She will support them in finding apprenticeships and making applications, reviewing CVs and more.
Continue reading → - WORKSHOP: Student Finance and Preparing for University
Canterbury Christ Church University will be leading a workshop with students in Year 13 to help them understand the processes around student finance. This is an optional session for students intending to go to university (either this year or after a gap year) and will also focus on what life is like at university and how they can prepare while still at sixth form.
Continue reading →
Term 4
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Ready for next steps
In these sessions, Year 13 will learn about how to approach interviews as well as the STAR structure for answers to typical questions (e.g. ‘Tell me about a time when you have dealt with a conflict’).
We also look at what happens on results day including processes and how to get support. We then review intended destinations and any additional support that is needed.
Continue reading → - Apprenticeship Academy
A six-week programme run online by a level 6 careers advisor, Jess Pieri. This is a weekly session, held on Wednesdays from 4.30-6pm for six weeks, and is designed as a bootcamp to take students through the process of choosing, finding, applying, interviewing and managing their apprenticeship applications. Each weekly session has a specific focus and is supported by a current degree-level apprentice and an employer who offers an apprenticeship programme – these speakers will be available to answer questions. Jess is then available to offer advice, check CVs and answer questions via email. This is a service for which the school has subscribed and links will be emailed to students and parents/carers at the appropriate time in the year.
This programme runs in Terms 1 for Year 13, Term 4 for Year 11 and 13, and Term 6 for Year 10 and Year 12.
Continue reading → - Careers Fair 2025
Wrotham School’s Careers Fair has gone from strength to strength, building on our relationships with local and national employers, apprenticeship providers, colleges and universities. The fair will feature specialised activities to support our Year 9, 10, 11 and Sixth Form students to make informed decisions about the important transitions they face.
This year, we again welcome our neighbouring school Grange Park School to join our careers fair. Grange Park is a specialist school for children and young people with autism spectrum condition (ASC) from 9-19.
If you would like to find out more information, please visit the ‘Careers Events’ page.
Continue reading → - FSQ: Careers Student Voice
Year 13 students are invited to complete a review of the careers provision that they have received over their time at Wrotham School. This is an important opportunity for us to hear from our students in order to review our plans for upcoming years, as well as direct students to further careers information and advice to help address their own knowledge gaps. We are grateful for their input.
Continue reading → - Guidance Interviews
Year 13 students are able to request their one-to-one guidance interviews with our level 6-qualified careers adviser, Mrs Hollinshead, at any point in the academic year, depending on their plans. Students intending to apply for university or degree apprenticeships are recommended to book a meeting in Terms 1 and 2 due to the earlier deadlines.
To support students who may be feeling anxious due to additional needs, they will be sent guides prior to the meeting to help them understand what to expect.
Continue reading → - WORKSHOP: Careers Support for School Leavers
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Job Centre Plus will be running a workshop for Year 13 students who are either unsure about their future plans or know that they are looking for employment. They will talk through how job centres and the National Careers Service can support them throughout their working lives, including the role of work coaches and disability support.
Continue reading →
