Careers Plan – Year 12 (2024-25)
YEAR 12 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 12 students fully understand the range of post-18 destinations and that they have the time and support that means they are empowered to make those decisions themselves with an understanding of all of the available routes.
Term 1
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Introduction to 16-18 Careers Education
In weekly careers sessions, Year 12 students are taught a number of topics that are relevant to their continuing professional development (CPD). Planning for work experience is launched so the skills covered in this unit will be put into practice through the year. Topics include networking and why it is important as well as considering wider decisions they will be making this year (e.g. whether university is an option to consider). Students will also attend an assembly introducing the concept of a career and why sixth form is a safe space to explore possibilities and be creative with their ideas about their future.
Students revisit Morrisby in the light of their starting the next key stage; they update their preferences, retake the psychometric tests and review their learning so far.
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.
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- 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 → - 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 → - 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.
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Term 2
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Work Experience Research and Planning Sessions
Year 12 students are offered weekly sessions that allow them to research and apply for their week-long work experience placement in term 6. They are offered support from our Sixth Form Team and encouraged to apply as soon as possible to get the most out of this valuable opportunity.
Topics covered include finding work experience, reaching out, action planning and writing or updating a CV.
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 → - Nuffield Research Placements Applications
Year 12 students who qualify for this incredible opportunity are offered support from our local STEM and Nuffield partner (Canterbury Christ Church University) who will help them with their applications for this prestigious summer programme.
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.
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Term 3
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: National Apprenticeship Week
During careers sessions, students will be encouraged to consider whether they want a degree apprenticeship and whether this option is relevant to their career goals. We will also consider the national employer rankings for 2024 (the most up to date available) and look at the wide range of opportunities as well as trends across the job sectors.
Continue reading → - ASSEMBLY: BAM Apprenticeships
As part of their exploration of their post-18 choices, Year 12 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, whether they need to go to university for certain careers, what it’s like studying and working at that level, and find out about the different ways that they can apply.
As we approach National Apprenticeship Week, this is a fantastic time for students to receive this information, allowing them to make informed decisions about their next steps.
This event supports Wrotham School in fulfilling its statutory obligations under Provider Access Legislation (2023).
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 → - National Apprenticeship Week 2025: Virtual Work Experience
During National Apprenticeship Week, our Year 12 students will undertake a virtual work experience session or opportunity with an employer or apprenticeship provider. In 2024, they had 90+ options to choose from at a range of times throughout the week and 95% of students took part in live online events. If your company is offering a live virtual experience during NAW2025, please contact our careers lead.
Continue reading →
Term 4
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Recruitment and selection processes
In their weekly careers sessions, students will be learning about how to present themselves effectively through online recruitment processes including online applications, video interviews, aptitude tests and online assessment centres. This is especially important following the impact that the pandemic has had on recruitment practices in the labour market.
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
On computers, students will complete two evaluations. One is of their current knowledge of careers and post-18 destinations – that helps us to identify any gaps in their knowledge and to plan sessions that will help in the future. The second is of the careers programme at Wrotham School – we’d like to hear what they’ve enjoyed and what they’d recommend more of for our incoming Year 12 students next year.
Continue reading → - TRIP: Aspiration Digital Sixth Form Conference
Year 12 students are invited to what will, for most students, be their first ever conference. Aspiration Digital is a one-day digital skills conference designed to educate students on the different roles in digital and various career paths. The topics, career advice and industry insights are relevant to all students in all subjects. It includes a range of topics throughout the day including specialist advice like how to use LinkedIn, through interactive panels, talks and exhibitions.
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Term 5
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: UCAS Application Process Begins
Students are introduced to the UCAS Hub with information about university and apprenticeship options. In assemblies and progress time sessions, students explore their own assumptions and influences and are encouraged to be openminded in their approach to different careers, using engineering as an example. UCAS applications are started with advice and support to complete the main part of the forms by the end of Term 6, as well as support with finding and booking open days and events.
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Term 6
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: UCAS Application and Personal Statement Writing Support Sessions
- Alternative Work Experience Week
For students who are unable to complete a week’s work experience placement due to SEN, disabilities or other extenuating circumstances, a programme of alternate activities is offered.
In 2024, this included a LinkedIn workshop, an opportunity for an in-depth virtual work experience placement/project, and a workplace visit hosted by BAM Construction with a challenge related to project management.
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 → - Volunteering: Wrotham Walk and Sports Day
- Work Experience Week
Year 12 students will undertake their week-long work experience placements. They will have sourced these placements themselves (with support from the Sixth Form Team) and will complete a variety of tasks. We are very grateful to all of the local and national employers who make this possible, as well as for the support of our students’ parents and carers.
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