Careers
The King’s Academy Careers Leader: Miss A Harrison-Potts – aharrison-potts@thekingsacademy.org.uk
Careers Plan overview for all year groups
The King’s Academy will support students’ career development in a number of ways, including:
- Information and discussion in tutor time and assemblies to help students make decisions about their future;
- Activities and events such as drop down days, work experience and enterprise events to provide all students with at least 6 meaningful encounters with employers and providers of apprenticeships and technical education by the age of 18;
- Access to a careers adviser for all KS4 and KS5 students;
- Information and updates on notice boards, plasma screens, website and on the year group careers class on Teams.
The following websites are worth visiting for further information:
| General Careers Information | Apprenticeship Guidance | University Information |
| Unifrog Contact School for a parent log in |
Parents’ Pack – Apprenticeship Information For more apprenticeship information and advice for parents, visit the parents page for back issues. |
UCAS |
| National Careers Service | Apprenticeships | The Uni Guide |
| Tees Valley Careers | Amazing Apprenticeships | Unifrog Contact School for a parent log in |
| Careermap | Rate My Apprenticeship | BBC Bitesize University |
| TARGETcareers | Not Going To Uni | The Complete University Guide |
| icould | Unifrog Contact School for a parent log in |
The Guardian University Guide 2020 |
| Find a Job | BBC Bitesize Apprenticeships | |
| BBC Bitesize Careers | The Parent Perspective Podcast – Amazing Apprenticeships | |
| Planit Plus while this is a Scottish site, it contains a lot of useful information |
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| Day of Wrk |
Information for teachers, students, parents and carers
It is never too early to be thinking about the future. Students will need to think about their future ambitions when choosing GCSE options, Post 16 options and also what to do when they finish education or training.
The information in this section has been gathered so that students can find all of the relevant information in one place.
Guide to linking curriculum subjects to careers
National Careers Service – Labour Market Information – Tees Valley
National Careers Service – Labour Market Information – North East
Careers Guide for Parents, Carers and Young People
Find a Placement or Internship
A Parent’s Guide to University Study
Success at School’s Careers Guide for Parents and Carers
The Parents’ Guide to Careers for National Career Week
National Careers Week – The Future of Work Guide
Step into the NHS – help young people discover NHS careers
Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)
Step Into The NHS – Take the test
Parents’ Guide to University 2023
LMI Careerometer
What are the options?
Post 16 Options
Students cannot leave school until the end of Year 11 and at this point there are a number of options available to them. It is important to carefully consider what it is they would like to do after their GCSE examinations.
They must either:
- Stay in full time education (for example at The King’s Academy or college)
- Start an apprenticeship or traineeship;
- Spend 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training.
Examples from all of these options will be available at our careers fair, which takes place alongside Year 11 Parents’ evening each year.
All of these options require a minimum grade in English and maths, or will require further study in each subject post 16.
For information on Post-16 providers in the Tees Valley: https://www.careerwave.co.uk/post-16-learning-in-middlesbrough/
Which option is right for you?
The King’s Academy Sixth Form is highly regarded and many of our students return following their GCSE examinations. Here, students can choose to study a wide range of academic and vocational subject areas in an environment they are familiar with. In order to progress to the Sixth Form, students must have achieved qualifying grades at GCSE before they can study a subject at post-16: these can be found in our Sixth Form Course Guide, which also contains further information about options for study. Students joining our Sixth Form must also have a good record of behaviour and attendance within school. There are many advantages of progressing to Sixth Form at The King’s Academy; the greatest one is that students are supported by skilled staff who know them and help them to manage the transition between GCSE and post 16 study, which requires a greater degree of independence. Students returning to us are also familiar with their surroundings and what is expected of them. Studying at sixth form is a different experience from studying in the main school; students experience more benefits such as independent and directed study periods to help them manage their workload.
Apprenticeship
Another main option students have is to apply for an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships are designed for those people who want to learn whilst working. They usually involve being in the workplace for part of the week and spending time at college to gain qualifications. There are apprenticeships available in different employment sectors and competition is high. There are too many different types of apprenticeship to list here, but if students are interested then they should visit this website: www.findapprenticeship.service.co.uk. It is important to note that higher level apprenticeships are available for those who have studied post 16 (see Post 18 options below) so it is worth thinking about staying at sixth form before applying for one of these.
Should I apply for an apprenticeship or go to university?
It’s a question that plagues thousands of school leavers every year and there’s no right or wrong answer. We’ll look at the benefits and drawbacks of both options to help you decide which is best for you.
What qualifications can I get from an apprenticeship?
OK, so you’ve got the hang of apprenticeships, but what about all the qualifications that come along with them? Here are the apprenticeship qualifications you may be able to work towards in each of the apprenticeship levels.
Six famous people who started out as apprentices
From fashion and food, to acting and sport, apprenticeships can be found in pretty much every career sector – we’ve tracked down some of the most famous former apprentices to show just what you can achieve through an apprenticeship!
How to find an apprenticeship
Apprenticeships can be a great way to kickstart your career, and secure your dream job. But with so many out there, that’s often easier said than done. Here are five steps that can help you narrow down the options.
College
Some students may wish to study subject areas which are not offered by The King’s Academy. There are a number of local colleges offering courses which are more specialist. The entry requirements for college vary as they offer a wider range of qualifications and subject areas, so students should carefully research options with the careers advisor. Open Days are posted on the Careers Class on Teams. For general information on college life: www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/tags/zk9sjhv/college/1
Post 18 Options
On completion of Sixth Form, students also have different options available to them. The most common choices are:
- Progressing to university;
- Gaining an apprenticeship;
- Getting a job.
Aspire – The essential guide to your further education, university and career options
University
A large number of students choose to continue their studies at university, where they focus on a particular area of interest. Students can study just about anything at university, with the type and duration of the course depending on the area of study. Different universities have different entry requirements, so it is important to check exactly what they are before applying. If students have a particular career in mind, then it is also important for them to check the requirements before selecting subjects for KS5. Universities hold open days regularly and students are advised to visit the institutions they are interested in attending in order to ensure it is the best decision. See below for information on the Medicspot Innovation Grant for those interested in pursuing a degree in health care.
Parent, Guardian and Carer Guide 2023
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeships are a popular option for students who complete Sixth Form, but do not want to go to university. Once Level 3 qualifications have been completed, students may qualify for a higher apprenticeship, which allows them to study at NVQ Level 4, HND or foundation degree level. Some even offer the opportunity to progress to Level 7 (postgraduate degree level). There are many exciting career opportunities to be found through this route. Unifrog and the UCAS site have more information about these routes.
Employment
The other main option that students have on completion of Sixth Form is securing a job. The type of job students will get all depends on the skills, experiences and qualifications they have gained. If students are interested in employment, one good place to start is here (www.gov.uk/jobsearch)
Medicspot Innovation Grant
The Medicspot Innovation Grant awards £500 to UK students going on to study a degree related to health, medicine, nursing or life sciences. Applications must be submitted online by 31 January each year. More information: www.medicspot.co.uk/grant
Students at The King’s Academy are entitled to a careers education information and guidance programme which:
- is personal to students and always puts students’ interests first;
- motivates and inspires students to consider all opportunities both within and outside The King’s Academy;
- helps students to gain the skills they need to make their career ambitions a reality;
- provides the support students need to be successful;
- helps students access any additional support they might need;
- is delivered by trained and qualified staff, with up-to-date knowledge and understanding of career pathways and local labour market information;
- protects and respects students’ personal information and shares it only with their consent.
Gap Year
Some students choose to take a break from their studies between sixth form and university and there are a range of options available. Unifrog has an excellent guide in their Know-how Library: www.unifrog.org/teacher/resources/sort/the-gap-year-what-you-need-to-know
The following guide also contains detailed information on:
- The benefits of taking a gap year
- How to organize a year abroad step by step (e.g., accommodation, transportation, entry requirements & travel restrictions)
- Itinerary suggestions and tips for traveling in Europe on a budget
- Volunteering in Europe (10 suggestions)
- How to successfully find and apply for an internship in Europe
There are a host of gap year options and companies which can help with setting up a project.
Information for employers
We are glad to welcome employers to contribute to our careers programme and share their experiences. If you are interested in giving your time to contribute to our careers programme, e.g. through speaking to groups of students, attending careers fairs, letting us know about apprenticeship opportunities or supporting interview practice please get in touch with aharrison-potts@thekingsacademy.org.uk
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