Hounsdown School - A Science College

Where Next for Year 11s

Book an appointment

Find out what your options are by speaking to Mr Curtis, Hounsdown School's careers coordinator or to Hounsdown's School Careers Practitioners Sarita Khosla on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  The Careers Office is in our JET building.

STUDENTS: Please speak to Mr Curtis, Hounsdown School's careers coordinator.

PARENTS/CARERS: Please call Mr Curtis on 023 8086 2981 or email j.curtis@hounsdown.hants.sch.uk

(All 'Career' information is reviewed on an annual basis)

Links to Local College Websites

Apprenticeships

Students:

For more information, please talk to your tutor, year leader or Mr Curtis who is responsible for overseeing careers advice and guidance.

Parents:

As a parent, you know that the decisions your children make at sixteen and eighteen have a significant impact on their future success and happiness and you want to help them make the right choices. 'The Parents' Guide to' site offers guides which are written for parents to help you understand all your children’s options so you can give them the right advice at the right time.

Businesses:

As a school we seek to encourage students to consider a range of post 16 opportunities, including apprenticeships / traineeships. If as a business, you would like to promote potential placements we are happy to give you the opportunity to advertise placements to our students.

Please contact Mr Curtis (admin@hounsdown.hants.sch.uk) or call the school on 023 8086 2981.

Frequently asked Questions

What are my options when I leave at the end of Year 11?

  • Go to a Further Education College
  • Training with an Apprenticeship Contract

What courses are available?

Typically, at a Further Education (FE)College:

  • Academic A levels
  • Vocational courses BTEC Diplomas

At Six Form Colleges:

  • Academic A levels
  • Some vocational courses

What do the levels mean?

  • Level 1 = GCSE Grades 1 – 3
  • Level 2 = GCSE Grades 4 – 9
  • Level 3 = A Level/BTEC Diploma
  • Level 4 = Degree/Higher Diploma
  • Level 5 = Post Graduate Degree

Can I apply for an Apprenticeship and a College course?

  • Yes, however if you accept an Apprenticeship you will sign a Contract of Apprenticeship and you will not be able to attend a college course other than the one provided by your employer.

When do I have to apply?

  • It depends on the college, and you will need to look at the college website for their application closing date.
  • Peter Symonds College and Sparsholt closing dates are usually early December.
  • It is best practice to apply in the Autumn Term (September to December).

How do I apply to college?

  • Visit the Colleges websites you wish to apply to and follow their instructions.
  • You may not know exactly the course you wish to apply for and can be discussed at your college interview.
  • Attach a personal statementPersonal Statement

Can I accept several offers?

  • Yes, you can accept several offers from different colleges.

When do I have to accept an offer?

  • You will accept an offer when you enrol on the Enrolment Day for that College.
  • You will have probably attended a ‘Taster Day’ in June/July.

What happens when I get my results in August?

  • This is when you will know whether you have achieved the grades required for a particular course that you have been offered.
  • It might be that you will need to contact the college if you have not achieved what you thought you would or maybe you have exceeded what you thought you would achieve.
  • Colleges are here to advise/support you and will often help you to get onto an appropriate course.
  • The Careers practitioner from EBP will also be available to support you.

Do I have to do a certain course to go onto Higher Education?

  • No, apart from medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses, there are no A level/BTEC courses that will prevent from studying at Higher Education (HE).
  • Some HE colleges may require one particular ‘A level’ for entry on courses, check their website for details.
  • Check when having a Careers Interview for the college you are applying to.

What happens when I apply to a college?

  • You will receive a reply (text/email) to say they have received your application with the detail of the course.
  • Your will be notified (text/email) of an interview at the college (this maybe online).
  • Interviews for Brockenhurst are usually held at Hounsdown School.

Who is here to support me?

  • Your tutor
  • Careers Coordinator (Mr Curtis)
  • Careers Practitioner from Education Business Partnership (EBP)
  • College Admissions Officers
  • Your parents and relatives

Do I have to pay any fees?

  • Further Education is free for all 16 year olds, but you may need to pay for transport.
  • Some vocational courses may require specialist equipment/clothing, which you may need to pay for/pay a refundable deposit on.

What combination of courses can I do?

  • In theory you can choose any combination of courses.  However, it might be difficult to have a mix of academic and vocational courses, because of timetabling restrictions.
  • Check with the college you are applying to.

How do I apply for an apprenticeship?

  • Create an account on apprenticeships.org.uk. This is a Government based apprenticeship provider and is the best way to search for and apply for apprenticeships nationally.
  • Local employers advertise in local newspapers.
  • Attend our Apprenticeship event in the Spring Term.

What are my next steps?

  • Research colleges websites
  • Request a Careers Appointments
  • Talk with Parents/Tutors/Teachers
  • Write personal statement
  • Apply

Further information

Careers Information and Guidance (IAG)

 

During their five years at Hounsdown, students experience a range of opportunities that help them prepare for their future career.

 

During KS3, the PSHCE programme provides an introduction to the world of work and future aspirations, and students participate in an Enterprise activity during one of the Citizenship theme days. They also learn about gender stereo-typing, and CV writing. In year 8, there is a comprehensive programme of support as students choose their option pathways for KS4, via assemblies, tutor support and information evenings.

 

During KS4, preparing for work experience is a key focus, with students guided through the process, and with students currently having the opportunity to go out on work experience for a week during the summer of year 10. They participate in an Investment Challenge and a Bright Futures workshop, as well as having the opportunity to participate in mock employability interviews and attend a maths-based careers fayre towards the end of Year 9.

 

Every student will get the opportunity to have at least one careers interview during KS4, with one of our careers advisers, who visit the school weekly. In addition, a post-16 careers event in October and an Apprenticeship event in December support year 11 students in considering their options for life after Hounsdown. Most of the local colleges visit school to speak to students in assemblies, to raise their awareness of the opportunities available to them and to explain the college application process.

 

Mr Curtis co-ordinates the careers/IAG provision within school, and can be contacted with any queries.

Careers Library

The Careers Library is housed in the main school library.

Here students can find up to date local Sixth Form Prospectus, information on Job seeking and Apprenticeships. We also have a full range of University Prospectus and a variety of literature on various careers.

 

The Careers Noticeboard is outside the library which gives relevant information for Years 10 and 11 students. Tutor groups are kept up to date via emails and resources as and when appropriate.

 

We currently use an on-line database called Kudos - Students can get the licence code from the noticeboard and from all Year 11 tutor rooms.

Useful Tools

School Careers Provision

The member of staff responsible for overseeing careers and work experience is Mr Curtis.  If you have any questions about our Careers Provision, Mr Curtis can be contacted by emailing admin@hounsdown.hants.sch.uk.

KUDOS 

Kudos gives the information you need to make important decisions about future careers and what subjects, courses and training you can do to reach your career destination.  If you are unsure of what careers you might be interested in, Kudos can also give ideas based on what you like and dislike.

National Careers Service 

The National Careers Service provides career information, advice and guidance, and can help you to make decisions on learning, training and work, at all stages in your career.

Useful Documents

 

 

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