Advice and Guidance
Work Experience
"Gaining experience of the world of work whilst studying is vital for the future job chances of young people" - Institute of Public Policy Research
At Didcot Sixth Form we, along with employers, (locally, nationally and globally) recognise the invaluable part that high quality work experience can have for a young person in improving their employability. This is why each July we allocate a whole week to work experience for our Year 12 students.
Students are encouraged and shown how to source their own placements, then spend a week in a wide range of sectors, (mainly across Oxfordshire) including Science & Research, Computing, Education, Finance and Engineering. We encourage this to be linked to a future career interest and/or university or higher apprenticeship course.
Increasingly, research shows that the value, impact and legacy of such experiences cannot be underestimated. Each student is contacted and ideally visited whilst on placement to check on their progress and completion of a work experience planner which contains students’ aims and objectives for their placement. Feedback to-date from employers, visiting Didcot Sixth Form staff and the students themselves shows how useful the week has been and the impact our students are having on their hosts including bringing some fresh thinking and creativity to established companies. Over 85% of our students stated that it will help them with their planning for life after sixth form and over 80% that it has made them more ambitious in their future career goals or choices.
Business Mentoring and Apprenticeships
At Didcot Sixth Form we are very lucky to have the support and engagement of a range of industry and business specialists who support and further the career planning of students through the established Business Mentoring Programme.
The Mentors work weekly over the course of several weeks with students to share their expertise on a range of career related issues including future career choices, networking, personal statements, employability skills and qualities, the fostering of entrepreneurship, and apprenticeships guidance. This input goes alongside the National Apprenticeships Convention visit, the apprenticeships workshop, our apprenticeships guidance programme.
Russell Group and Oxbridge Guidance
The Russell Group is made up of 20 of the top universities in the UK, including Oxford and Cambridge, and competition for places at these universities is extremely high. Didcot Sixth Form has a strong track record of students achieving places at Russell Group Universities every year, including Oxford and Cambridge. If you are predicted to achieve mainly Grades 7, 8 and 9 (or equivalent) at GCSE then you are someone who should consider applying to these top universities.
Didcot Sixth Form has a dedicated Russell Group and Oxbridge Coordinator. The job of this lead teacher is to identify potential students early in Year 12 and to provide them with university visits, relevant enrichment experiences, guidance on university and course choices, organise admissions test tuition and mock interviews, and walk students through the UCAS process. Each year, the programme becomes more successful – we have over 25 students applying for Oxbridge and Medicine this year!