Careers Advice and Guidance
Careers Adviser and Coordinator
Mrs Charlotte Ball
Email: cball@backwellschool.net
Telephone: 01275 463371
Sixth Form students face great challenges as they plan their future. They have left behind compulsory school education. Although participation in some form of education is now compulsory until the age of 18, be that A levels, an apprenticeship or college course; some form of Further Education is essential for the changing job market.
Furthermore, Higher Education is changing quickly too, with tuition fees and student loans making the economic decision about whether to go to university a more difficult one than ever before.
While the long-term financial benefits of a degree may no longer appear so enticing, young people are increasingly faced with the dilemma that many employers are, nevertheless, looking for graduates to fill vacancies.
Finally, the options other than employment and Higher Education can need explanation, notably the possibility of apprenticeship.
For all of these reasons, Backwell Sixth Form places a high value on the information, support and guidance we offer our students. Students have access to dedicated career advice and regular career events and talks from industry experts.
We dedicate much of the sessions in our tutor and assembly programme to future planning, and we have a Sixth Form Student Adviser to guide individual students.
Most importantly, the Sixth Form Tutors and the Sixth Form Team are always available for students, and parents, to discuss the issues facing Sixth Form students. Please use the materials provided or contact us for further support.
As part of the Lighthouse Schools Partnership, Backwell School works closely with Gordano and Chew Valley schools on our Careers provision. The link below will take you directly to the Backwell Sixth Form section of the LSP Careers website.
Please navigate to the main Backwell School and Backwell Students section of the site for more information.
Useful Documents
Useful Links
UCAS www.ucas.ac.uk
Student Finance England www.gov.uk/student-finance
Not going to university? www.notgoingtouni.co.uk
Apprenticeships www.apprenticeships.gov.uk
Year in Industry www.etrust.org.uk/the-year-in-industry
For more apprenticeship and school-leaver opportunities, please check out our Careers and Work Experience page (under Student Zone) on the school website.
Careersnearhere.com is a free resource for tutors, parents and for young people. It is supported by social media, and it’s mobile friendly, so if the wifi is slow one day why not get out the mobiles and have a look? It provides simple signposting direct to local opportunities in a range of careers whether you are looking for volunteering, work experience or taster days to help guide future choices.