Careers Advice (Student Area Post 18)

Here you will find advice for the following areas. Click on the link to jump to that area.

Advice for students post 18

• University and the UCAS Process
• Student Finance
• Gap Years
• Apprenticeships
• Degree Apprenticeships
• Employment
• Additional Learning
• Careers Programme and Feedback
• Key Contacts

This section covers the options available to you after sixth form. The Sixth Form staff have a wealth of knowledge about the university process, apprenticeships and employment that can help. You can also book an appointment with our Careers Adviser to discuss the different options available.

Careers Resources

As a school, we give you the opportunity to use the Careers software Xello. This is a powerful tool where you can explore different careers and how to access them.

In order to use Xello, follow this link which will allow you to log on using their school login information https://auth.xello.co.uk/SAML/Student/61bc869e-ef26-4ab9-9c42-7004e715d5a5. Once you have logged onto the system using this link, https://login.xello.co.uk/ you should be able to access the website using their normal school computer login credentials. 

University and the UCAS Process

One of the biggest choices you have to make during your time at sixth form is whether you should go to university. There are many reasons students decide to attend university, this can include, following a subject they have a passion for, getting a degree as a springboard to get into a profession (some professions still require a degree) and even the social life and independence university life can offer.

Deciding on what degree you wish to take can be difficult, there are over 30,000 degree courses across all universities in the country, not to mention universities in other countries. It is therefore crucial that you consider the options, the schools advice would be.

1. Do you enjoy the subject?
2. What career benefit would the subject have?
3. Do you want a BA or a BSc?
4. You like the university that the course is offered at.

More advice on this can be found here: https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/courses

Once you have decided on a course, the school provides support with the UCAS process. This can be a very challenging time, the schools hosts several sessions to support students with this through registration time, extra-curricular activities and you have the opportunity to attend the annual UCAS conference in March.

Student Finance

During sixth form, we promote the financial opportunities to help study at university through presentations from different organisations.  This will provide you with help for both living costs and tuition.

The options available to you depend upon your family’s circumstances, your preferred course and destination. You will receive loans for tuition fees (which cover the cost of your course) and maintenance loans (living costs), these loans will be paid back once you finish university. There is also the opportunity for you to get grants and bursaries; these are financial support which you don’t have to repay. For more information, please look at the following links:

Gap Years 

Some students decide they don’t want to go to university straight away, instead they want to have a gap year. You may choose to earn some money before you start university, go travelling or do some voluntary work.

There are many benefits to having a gap year, these include developing your transferable skills, earning money and learning a new skill. It is also beneficial for those who don’t want to continue education straight away following A Levels.

There are many opportunities for those taking a gap year, some ideas can be found here

Other advice on Gap Years can be found in the links below:

Apprenticeships 

Thomas Adams School has an established history of exceeding the national average percentage of students who begin apprenticeships once they leave, these include placements at Rolls Royce and Jaguar LandRover.

You can choose from a variety of apprenticeships once you have completed A Levels.

It is important that you check the level of Apprenticeship you are considering. For A Level students we recommend either a Level 3 or 4 Apprenticeship. Level 3 is the equivalent of A Levels, Level 4 is seen as progression. Here are the breakdowns:

Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3) To be accepted onto one of these, you will need 5 GCSE passes or a Level 2 Apprenticeship. Level 3 Apprenticeships are the equivalent of 2 A Level passes so would be considered the option for the majority of students post-16.

Higher Apprenticeship (Level 4 and above) To study a Level 4/5 Apprenticeship, your child will need to have studied an Advanced Apprenticeship or have A level qualifications. A Level 4 Apprenticeship is the equivalent of a foundation degree, which is two-thirds of a university degree.  Level 6 apprenticeships are available, these are the equivalent of a bachelors degree and Level 7 the equivalent of a masters degree.

For more information on Apprenticeships please watch these videos from some of our Careers Fair delegates:

Degree Apprenticeship

Degree Apprenticeships are a new form of learning and training offered by some employers who arrange for university courses as part of their offers, combining work and university teaching, whilst you are employed. These last between three to six years.

These are very new, but are expected to grow over the course of the next few years, as such they are highly sort after. At the end you will have a degree or masters degree.

The most obvious benefit is that the company and government pays for your fees and you have a secure job at the end of the period.

For more information, visit the following links:

Employment

Once you have completed your A Levels, you can find full time employment. The school can provide support, helping you locate and apply for different roles. We recommend the following websites to find a role:

Additional Learning

For those wishing to get ahead in their chosen career, you may wish to complete some online courses to help with your applications, whilst most are free, if you want a certificate for these, you will have to pay. These are also tasters of the types of units and learning you will have if you study at university. Please follow the links to websites that offer free courses.

Careers Programme and Feedback

The school has a careers programme which it reviews every year during the Summer Term. During your time with the school, you will go from learning about the different jobs in the world, learn about what career path is right for you, to learning the skills you will need to apply, interview and achieve the career you desire. The document can be found here.

We also want to know what you think about our Careers Programme. We constantly review this, if you wish to provide us with feedback, please follow the survey link.

Each year we collect data where Year 11 and 13 want to go after they finish their studies and where they end up going. This is so we can see how effective our Careers Programme is.  For the latest data overview for Year 11 please see here and for a more in depth analysis click here For Year 13, please see here.