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Careers Information 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 these reasons, Backwell Sixth Form places a high value on the information, support and guidance we offer our students.  They have access to dedicated careers advice, regular careers 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 to 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 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 Wi-Fi is slow one day why not get out the mobiles and take 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.