Careers

Careers and Employability

Wilmington Grammar Sixth Form (WG6) are committed to the academic and personal development of all sixth form students and want to ensure all students build and maintain the skills and knowledge needed for the next step of their career journey.

The support in sixth form is more specialised as students select their university course or make applications for employment or apprenticeships. Whilst some sixth formers have definite plans, most need guidance. Our guiding principle is that each student must decide for themselves which courses and institutions are most suitable for them: our role is to help them to arm themselves with personal guidance and good quality information that is discovered through personal research.

We encourage and support students to start exploring through research, networking, gaining work experience, and taking opportunities to enhance the skills and knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their next step. Students have access to a wide variety of workshops, online tools and information, and one-to-one personal guidance to help with exploring options and raising aspirations. There is also support for parent/carers during this important phase with information evenings offered to provide answers to any questions and queries.

Employers and Employees
WG6 work collaboratively with other organisations to help students start to build up the contacts and work experience that are so essential as they prepare for life beyond WG6. If you are a provider able to support our programme please refer to our Provider Access Statement on the main school pages.

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Careers Leader
The WG6 Careers Programme is managed by the sixth form staff leaders but reviewed in conjunction with the whole school careers programme. The next review is due in June 2022.

Please contact Mr Watson ([email protected] or 01322 223090) or Mr Atkins ([email protected] or 01322 226351) in the first instance.

Destinations
Every year our students leave to go on to a wide range of courses and universities, many after taking a gap year. Whilst the majority move onto university, increasingly, students are also choosing to move onto degree apprenticeships, learning and earning as they take their first steps into their chosen career. We use this destination data and regular feedback from students, parents, teachers and employers to measure the impact of our careers programme.

Student Support – Scholars

The aim of the Scholars Group is to encourage those students who achieved excellent GCSE grades to stretch themselves academically and to aim high in their university and career aspirations. These students meet on a regular basis to follow a programme of activities designed to challenge and inspire academic achievement. This includes:

● Help and advice on university choices
● Attendance at Oxbridge seminars and other similar events
● The opportunity to discuss and share ideas with other academic students
● Sessions designed to build confidence in speaking and presentation in preparation for interviews
● Guidance on completion of their UCAS application and their personal statement
● Encouragement to participate in taster courses, summer schools and residential courses offered by some universities and other institutions
● Outside speakers and alumni to encourage students

WG6 Scholars Programme

The Scholars Group provides support for those students who wish to access an aspirational university. It gives them the self-confidence, skills and guidance to help them achieve their highest potential.

Oxbridge seminars – assess if students feel much better informed regarding potential the selection process. Feedback from the students who attend a trip to see if they are more confident regarding their applications.

Visit from local GP and medical student – talk to prospective medicine, nursing and midwifery students. This session could be aimed at helping students with their personal statement and interview.

Visit from Admissions Officer – personal statements and really good advice regarding university admissions.
Publicising summer schools and shadowing schemes – ensuring THEO is received more widely using website.

Visits to University (maybe Queen Mary’s or Southampton) – groups of students taken to University for taster day. On both occasions, information given about applying, personal statements, student finance and applications.

Visit to WG6 from ex student – informal talk and QA session or get a group of Oxbridge students to come in.
One-to-one help given with personal statements

Mock interviews – carry out with a range of students but maybe have something specific for aspire students.

After school sessions – these could be held regularly throughout the academic year for both Year 12 and Year 13 Aspire groups. In these, we discuss wider reading, current events, interview techniques, personal statements, debating and give specific advice as and when needed.

Parliament visit – Get a guided tour, talk from the Parliament Education Service and show students the importance of just taking any opportunity available.

Applying to competitive universities – Give ideas for best practice that could be adopted by students

Oxford or Cambridge University visit – ensure a specific brief.

Support for early applicants – Many key universities and courses have an early application date. UCAS deadlines can be viewed here

UniFrog

In Year 12, students receive extensive training in the use of Unifrog, with key tasks built into their PSHE scheme of work and Careers Programme which they continue to use throughout their sixth form career journey. Unifrog brings together every university course and apprenticeship, as well as other opportunities, such as MOOCs. This make it easy for student to compare and choose the best university courses and apprenticeships for them. Additionally, the platform helps students draft a personal statement, applications and CVs and has an extensive Careers Library. Students can access the platform at school and home using their password.

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Careers Research on Unifrog
Unifrog offers three different libraries of information on specific careers, academic subjects and information on career paths.

Careers Library: Over 800 hundred job profiles are featured on the Careers Library and students can search using themes, careers areas, or subjects. Each guide contains career summaries and information on earning potential, future prospects, day-to-day responsibilities and access routes to get there.

Subjects Library: Students can use the smart searching options on the library homepage, or search using their favourite subjects, to access and explore the 100s of subject profiles.

The Know-How Library: The Know-How Library offers 100s of guides and videos relating to different pathways such as UK universities, UK Apprenticeships, Oxbridge, the world of work and universities overseas.

As well as Unifrog, students have access to the National Careers Service website which offers information on a vast array of careers, via its list of 100s of job profiles.

The National Careers Service also has a helpline students can call 0800 100 900, which is available from 8am to 10pm, 7 days a week, and a webchat service.

Interactions Tool
The Unifrog Interactions tool is a tool for both students and teachers. For teachers, it’s a good way to track evidence of all careers guidance interactions; one-to-one careers meetings, employer encounters and visits to universities and FE institutions – for each of the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks. The student side, is a live feed of all these interactions, where they can see at-a-glance which interactions they’ve had and what’s coming up.

How Unifrog helps us to meet The Gatsby Benchmarks – click here

Student Destinations

Destinations for WG6 Students
The majority of our students go on to study in Higher Education, including Russell Group universities. Higher Level Degree Apprenticeships are also a popular route.

We encourage each student to follow their own path, drawing on their strengths and interests to forge a future that will continue to engage and inspire them.

To view a selection of our 2024 student destinations, please click here

A selection of our school alumni career paths can be viewed by clicking here