Whatever path you choose you will be offered advice and guidance to help you plan for your future. Whilst the majority of our students progress into Higher Education, increasingly more students are taking alternative routes into employment. You will be encouraged to explore all options and take responsibility for your decisions.

You will be supported throughout by a team of experienced staff. These include:

• Sixth form tutors – fully up-to-date with subject and curriculum options and with all aspects of UCAS
• An independent careers advisor – Mrs Underdown
• Access to the UNIFROG website. This is an award winning careers platform which helps students to make intelligent choices about their future while allowing teachers to track their progress.

The tutor team will ensure that you are provided with a range of activities to support progression. These include:

• Progression events – a comprehensive programme of activities, designed to prepare students for higher education, employment or apprenticeships.
• Sixth form careers experience – all year 12 students are expected to find a placement during the Summer term
• Guest speakers from a variety of employment sectors and HE institutions
• Visits to Universities
• Volunteering opportunities

STUDENT PASSPORT

Passports will be introduced early in the first half term. The aim of these passports is to help students to identify how they have developed their personal, social and independent learning skills and to record their understanding of cultural capital and their experiences.

LEARNING FACILITIES

There are areas for quiet study situated around our new sixth form area where you can plug in chrome books and work in peace. Study periods will be supervised by a member of staff who will be on hand to support and guide as required.

TUTOR GROUPS

You will be assigned to a tutor group which you must attend every day for registration and form time activities. During this time, you will learn about study skills; your strengths and weaknesses; produce or update your CV; citizenship; budgeting; applying for university and employment. See also the visiting speakers section.

VISITING SPEAKERS

There will be a range of speakers throughout the year. If you would like us to invite a speaker in to cover a particular topic, we are open to suggestions.

INDEPENDENT GUIDANCE AND ADVICE

Your time in the sixth form prepares you for future success. We provide unbiased information about your next steps. In the first instance this will be provided by your tutor. Careers guidance is available by appointment with Mrs. Underdown. You will also have high quality opportunities to understand the world of work.

NURSE

The Nurse is available for drop-in sessions every week. Please check the noticeboard for days and times. This is a confidential service.

WELLBEING

At Chilwell school, we take mental health very seriously. We invite outside speakers into the sixth form to talk to students about ways to cope with stress. Having a tutor who meets with you everyday has been found to be invaluable in terms of noticing signs of stress and changes of behaviour. This is why we ensure students have regular morning meetings and a 1-1 interview at least once a term with their tutor. Being a small sixth form means we have time to speak to individual students and we are able to sign post them to appropriate agencies or websites.

EXTERNAL EXAMS

Students are responsible for ensuring they are entered for all their exams. They will be required to sign a statement confirming correct entry for each unit. These should be returned promptly to the Exams officer. Failure to meet deadlines may result in non-entry or possible late entry fees.

If you drop a subject after being entered for the examination, it is vital that you inform the Exams officer immediately. If it is too late to obtain a refund from the exam board, you will be charged for the wasted fee.

Failure to attend an exam will also incur a fee. A Sixth Form calendar of key dates will be produced and distributed during the first half term