On Tuesday our Year 12’s took part in their UCAS launch day. This event is set to offer our students the chance to consider their next steps post Sixth Form. An important cornerstone of their career education and in supporting their value of ‘Self-Belief’.

Across the day students attended five different sessions geared towards supporting them in understanding what is next. In some cases our students are clear on pathways into the next phase and for others, it offered some consolidated time to consider their options;

Session 1; Students were given the chance to consider alternatives to university in the form of “Apprenticeships”. The focus of this session gave students an opportunity to look at what kind of careers might exist out there for them in the world as an apprentice. For some this involved dispelling myths such as, apprenticeships are only for people looking to complete a trade, you are likely to earn less than someone with a degree and of course that apprenticeships mean you will not get a degree.

Session 2; Students had the chance to explore how UCAS operates in “Setting up UCAS”, navigate the site and get some hands-on experience of how to use the systems to ensure the information required is accessible. Often a barrier to deciding on a pathway is getting the right details. UCAS and it’s user-friendly system, is a great way for pupils to access this.

Session 3; Following this students explored what made a strong personal statement with a chance to put together the framework for their personal statement in “Personal Statement” writing. With a limited word count and an often awkward task of writing positively about yourself, it was a great chance for pupils to consider the different activities they have taken part in over the years.

Session 4; In “Student Loans and Accommodation” students were able to explore what finance actually means for pupils. Often another barrier is students wanting to avoid debt, however with the many different schemes out there a ‘student loan’ can sometimes be a great way to support future wealth growth for your own careers. Something which our pupils were able to consider as they completed this session.

Session 5; Finally with the information fresh in their minds, students had the chance to begin to write their own personal statements in “Writing my Personal Statement”. This is a great opportunity for pupils to get a head start on their statements and consider it over the summer.

Overall the students had a fantastic time and the feedback from Sixth Formers has been overwhelmingly positive. With some pupils stating this has helped them see that University is not the big scary adventure it seemed to be before the day. For more information see below

Careers: Etone College – Matrix Careers Guidance

Sixth Form: Sixth Form - Etone College