Mount Carmel College for Girls Year 11 Progression Parents Information Evening 18 th October 2011

The purpose of tonight’s presentation is to find out…..  What your daughter can do when she leaves Mount Carmel  What types of qualifications/courses she can apply for  What grades she will need to get into college or training  About the different kinds of schools and Colleges  About our 6 th form partnership with City & Islington College

Year 11 Destinations (2010) Y11 Progression Parents Evening Mount Carmel College for Girls

What pathways can be taken? GCSE D-G Other provision GCSE A*-C A levels Foundation Diploma Higher Diploma Advanced Diploma Advanced Apprenticeship Young Apprenticeship Apprenticeship Employment Higher Education Further Education Key Stage 3 IB Foundation Learning Tier

What are the options? Full-time Education A Levels Applied/vocational related course Apprenticeships Employment Work based training – is training which takes place in a training centre for a particular job area Employment with training (You are employed and attend college once a week known as an Apprenticeship) Employment without training

‘A’ Levels: To do A levels …….  You must have at least 5 GCSE grades C or above including English and Maths. Many Centres will require some B’s. Only actual GCSEs will be counted for A level entry.  You must cope well with study and exams  You want to study individual subjects  You are considering university  You study 3 to 5 ‘AS’ subjects (Year 12), then take 2 to3 to A2 level in the 2 nd Year (Year13)  ‘A’ levels are level 3 courses and take 2 years

Applied/Vocational courses….  Are BTECs, Diplomas, City & Guilds, NVQ, CACHE, Applied ‘A’ levels  Can be taken at level 1,2 or 3 depending on your GCSE grades – level 3 is equivalent to A levels and can lead to university courses  Wide range of subjects such as: Childcare, Business, Mechanics, Performing Arts, Art, Hairdressing, IT, Sport Science, Construction, Society, Health and Development, Media, Design Technology etc………..

Applied/Vocational qualifications are suitable for someone who:  Knows what area of study interests them  Likes to learn in a more practical way  Is good at coursework  Level 1 & 2 are usually 1 year courses and level 3 is 2 years  Students can progress from a level 1, to level 2, to level 3 over a number of years

What level should I apply for? GCSE grades LEVEL OF STUDY Mostly E’s - G’s Choose BTEC/ Level 1 courses (1 year study) Mostly D’s Choose BTEC/ Level 2 courses (1 year study) 5 A * - C must include English & Maths (minimum – many colleges will require some B’s) Choose ‘A’ levels/ BTEC Level 3 courses (2 year study)

An Apprenticeship (work with training)  Apprenticeships take place in a work environment  Most apprenticeships are available at level 1 or level 2  You earn (a small wage) and learn at the same time  There are very few apprenticeships for school leavers

Where can you study?  6 th Form at School(s)  6 th Form Centre  Further Education College  Work based training

A School with a 6 th Form  Some 6 th Forms are attached to schools such as La Swap, iC6, Fortismere, Bishop Douglas, St. Michael’s Grammar, Bishop Challoner, Skinners Academy………  Most schools will offer courses to students who have obtained GCSEs grade B and above.  ‘A’ levels in traditional subjects and a limited number of vocational courses (BTECs)are available  Similar to a school environment. More structured than a College. There is usually a 6th Form common room and a range of enrichment activities.

6 th Form Centres  City & Islington 6 th Form Centre, BSix, Haringey 6 th Form, Woodhouse College, Leyton 6 th Form  Only caters for 16 to 19 learners  A wider variety of courses available.  A Levels and vocational courses offered  The entry requirements depend on the institution and course. The requirement for the same course at one centre may be different to another, usually depending on the popularity of the centre.

FE Colleges  There are lots of local colleges such as: City & Islington, Barnet, College of North East London, Westminster Kingsway, Hackney Community college…………  They offer a wide range of vocational courses BTEC’s/ NVQ’s/ CACHE and A Level courses  There will be mixed age of learners, more independence with learning, new environment, bigger building

Work based training  Training providers offer work based training at a centre. To get an NVQ the student will do a mixture of working in a placement and training.  This training is for a particular job and helps the person develop skills for employment

Where is the information at Mount Carmel?  All Year 11 will have a careers advice in their PSHCE lessons  There is a careers section in the LRC  Any updates on Open Evenings will be given to each form as they arrive  The internet is a useful tool – college information is available on their websites, such as Kudos

Advice – what should students do now?  Research the area/job/career you are interested in – use careers library or Kudos  Contact the colleges you are interested in to get a prospectus and go to the open evening. These start now but some are much later.  Think about the course you want to study. Read the course descriptions carefully and ask for help if you are not sure.  Focus on your goals – references are being written by the Year 11 team now. They include attendance, punctuality and general conduct. All Colleges will require a reference from school. The grades on them will be those on your October Report.

Advice – what should students do now?  Check that you have the correct grades for the courses you want to apply for  Apply for more than one college and more than one level of course  Check colleges deadline for applications and send it in good time. Some deadlines are in November/ December, others not until January.  Complete application forms by the end of the Autumn term at the latest. These are either online or paper. Take a copy, if paper, and hand it to the office for the reference to be attached.  Be available in the summer (late August) for enrolment days. Your place will not be saved.

Good Luck !