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Exceptional Education at the Heart of the Community

Exceptional Education at the Heart of the Community

Students

When your time with OAJW is complete, you will go on to do at least two further years of education or training before going onto university or the world of work. Deciding what to do can be daunting, but the guidance and resources on this site are designed to help you manoeuvre that tricky process of preparing for the next phase of your professional development.
 

What shall I do?

Identifying what you like and what you are good at are the first steps in knowing what sort of job you may wish to have in the future.

The below websites will help you understand yourself a little better:

And then the below sites have lots of resources giving information on what certain jobs are like, and how certain people got into them:

Where can I do it?

Once you have narrowed down your careers interests, a great way to begin planning the next steps is by thinking about where you would like to be in 10-15 years time and then working backwards on how you get there. This is not an easy thing to do, but having some insight of where you want to work will help you decide on a path suited to get there. For some the best route will be A Levels then university, others may tackle T Levels then go onto a degree apprenticeship and there will also be those who consider an advanced apprenticeship is the best option for them. Whichever route you choose, just be sure first that it is the best route to get you to your intended goals.

The below websites are where to look to help guide you on the best courses for your next phase:

General information on various types of course:

Local Colleges & Sixth Forms

Apprenticeships

Once you complete your post-16 course, there are many options then available to you at 18 to go onto including university, higher level apprenticeships, internships, entry-level job or you might even consider a gap year. From more information on these options, visit the below Career Pilot page:

https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/information/your-choices-at-18
 

Will I be accepted?

All courses will have entry requirements, meaning you will need to achieve certain grades in certain subjects at GCSE to get accepted onto the course. They will also require you to complete an application form, or submit a CV. Most courses will require an interview as well.
 

How can I prepare myself for the world of work?

Although you often do not realise it, many of the skills you learn in lessons every day help to prepare you for the world of work. Solving Pythagoras questions in maths helps develop your problem-solving abilities, you improve your creative skills by painting a beautiful picture in art or by writing a thoughtful poem in English and your listening abilities improve in all lessons by carefully following instructions from your teachers. These skills are a good foundation in preparing for the next phase, but if you would like practice improving them further then below are some links to useful resources you can use to do so:

In terms of preparation directly linked to the courses you have decided to study, make sure you visit the college or sixth form website after your GCSE exams and they will have resources to help prepare you for your chosen courses.
 

Can I get financial help to continue my studies?

The thought of an extra two years in education or training can be hard for some students as it means they will not be able to earn money that would help support themselves and maybe other family members. If you are worried about anything to do with money whilst studying, be that to support yourself or to buy key course materials, then visit the below sites who are there to help:

Alternatively, if you are thinking of going onto study at university but are not sure you will be able to fund the costs, the below sites help to explain how student finance works and how you can access the money available: