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Once students have settled in to Year 12 they often
really appreciate the opportunity to follow fewer subjects
in greater depth. They also enjoy the more relaxed atmosphere
and greater freedom that come with post-16 study. However,
students need to be well organised and motivated to
work more independently keeping up with their courses
and the other opportunities open to them.
If your son or daughter starts Year 12 but feels they
have made a wrong decision, encourage them to speak
to a Personal Adviser as soon as possible – preferably
before dropping out of the course!
Again there will be decisions to be made about the future.
If your son or daughter is considering higher education
they will need to start focusing on this in the summer
term of Year 12. If they want to enter employment they
need to begin thinking about it in the autumn term of
Year 13.
Whatever they choose, Personal Advisers will be on hand
to help so encourage your son or daughter to get in
touch.
Help
on offer:
- individual interviews on request with a Personal
Advisers in 6th form or college
- help and advice with applications to further and
higher education
The UniFAQS
(1.32MB Adobe Acrobat PDF) booklet is given
to all Year 12 students intending to go to university
- Unifacts
for Parents (1.35 MB Adobe Acrobat PDF)
is sent out to all parents of Year 12 students on
Advanced level courses
- help with job hunting, vacancies
and for Year 12 students, training
opportunities.
The JobFAQs
(821kb Adobe Acrobat PDF) booklet is available on
request for those looking for work after advanced
level courses
- access to careers information – and more –
in school and at our Centres
- follow up by Personal Advisers until students are
settled
- you can call into our local Centres in Dewsbury, Halifax or Huddersfield for help and
advice too
- also take a look at www.aimhigher.ac.uk/heguide
and www.ucas.com
for more information.
If
your son or daughter is considering higher education
you can help by:
- encouraging them to start researching
courses early - the deadline for university (UCAS)
applications is in the autumn/winter term of their
second year at college/sixth form. This means they
should be looking into courses and visiting universities
ideally in the first year of college or sixth form!
- checking they have received UniFAQS
– a free booklet that covers higher education
in detail. This is distributed in 6th forms and colleges
in the spring term of Year 12
- being positive, open and supportive.
It’s a tense time – not only are there
applications to be made but exams and coursework deadlines
loom
- attending university open days
with your son or daughter. Many institutions arrange
sessions especially for parents that usually cover
student finance and accommodation. It is advisable
for students to see where they will live and study
for the next few years
- being realistic. Talk about their
preferences with regard to their likely results. But
do let them choose!
- persuading them to send off an
early application and not leave it until the final
deadline. Frequently offers are made within days of
the application being received. Students should aim
to send it off by autumn half term of year 13
- adding vital UCAS deadline
dates to the family calendar
- helping them consider taking a year out.
They will need to think about the advantages and disadvantages
of taking a break from study. If they do decide
to take a GAP year, they may need your help to plan
it well. The Year
Out Group website contains lots of useful information
for GAP year students.
If
your son or daughter is considering employment you can
help them by:
- encouraging your son or daughter
to start researching employment opportunities early
- checking they have seen the Connexions
Personal Advisers in sixth form or college who can
help with apprenticeship applications and job hunting
- making sure they get a copy of
JobFAQS – a free booklet published by C+K Careers
that covers finding a job with advanced level qualifications
at 18+ in detail; it is available in 6th forms and
colleges in Spring term, Year 13
- not letting them assume it will be easy
to find work or a job placement; it’s only easy
if you are very lucky. Most people have to put a great
deal of effort into finding something suitable.
There tend to be more vacancies
around for those with GCSE and other entry level qualifications
and for people looking for work after university than
after advanced level courses, as most employers assume
if students do advanced level qualifications they are
going on to do a degree, so there may be fewer vacancies
for advanced level leavers. It’s much easier to
find a university place than it is to find a job after
A levels! Encourage your son or daughter to start
applying early.
Your son or daughter is, of course, able to get
help from Personal Advisers if they decide
to change course or college/sixth form or decide
to leave full time education altogether. If
you are worried you can contact their adviser on 01484
226700.
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