WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR OUR YEAR 11 GIRLS?
Full steam ahead – staying on at St Mary's School, Cambrige Sixth Form to take A Levels
There is no doubt that the state school sector is currently facing pressures over funding, especially at post 16 study, and one of the main ways in which this affects students is in the number of teachers per student: not only are class sizes affected but some subjects may be dropped as they are no longer viable without a full-to-bursting class. Thankfully for those able to send their children to an independent school such as ours, this is not an issue. We are grateful to be able to promise that class sizes won’t exceed 12, and we often run A Level subjects with only a handful of students, allowing us to satisfy all of our students' selected subject combinations as required for her future plans.
By staying on at St Mary’s Sixth Form our girls also receive an excellent standard of pastoral care which, as a continuation from younger years, also benefits each individual girl by their genuinely being known – by subject teachers (one parent recently remarked that her daughter’s Geography and History teacher has taught her since Year 7, and was delighted that she has just chosen to study both subjects at A Level – both of which will continue to be taught by the same teacher (alongside other teachers – most subjects at A Level being taught by two teachers at our school), pastoral members of staff, boarding staff, and just as importantly, by their peers.
What’s more, when it comes to university applications, such as Oxbridge, for which the deadline is 15 October, students who have been with us since Senior School are already settled in to their course, have teachers who know them well enough to provide exceptionally detailed references, and benefit from tutors who can suggest historical achievements for personal statements and application forms. The sad reality is that in Sixth Form colleges the teachers are not able to provide the depth of personal and tailored support to students who have only had a half term in which to settle in. What’s more, in co-educational Sixth Form colleges, places will be appointed according to gender to ensure balance, which can sadly mitigate against strong applications. Boarding at Sixth Form is also an option, even for local students, and can ease the later transition to university.
Changing course – taking the roads that are becoming more and more well-travelled
For those who are feeling uninspired, apathetic and confused, it is our job to highlight a clear suite of options, and to gently encourage and reassure them that they are not alone, and to help them create a workable plan. We want to facilitate each girl’s own development and progression in the route most suitable to her and her aspirations and, although we clearly believe that our Sixth Form is an excellent proposition, we acknowledge that it will not suit all of our girls, for a number of reasons.
Post-16 apprenticeships are an excellent option for students who don’t wish to pursue pure academia after GCSE; whether they are keen to start earning money, are more suited to learning by doing, or whether they wish to pursue a career or passion which is only available through an apprenticeship. The old-fashioned and negative perception of apprenticeships as only being in manual areas for those who cannot achieve academic success is rightly being challenged and eradicated, whilst concurrently the ‘university for all’ approach has led to claims that a university education is often not as satisfactory or satisfying an experience as it once was. Evidently, neither option is better than the other; rather, the right option for the individual is the best option, without exception.
At the recent Year 11 careers day the students welcomed a panel of representatives from organisations which offer apprenticeships, as well as a number of university graduates. The panel presented to the girls the benefits of each route as well as some of their personal highlights and perceptions about each as a career path. The girls were able to ask questions about both options and asked about the best route to success in different careers, about the cost of training and starting salaries, the age ranges of other apprentices (in terms of making friends), the duration of an apprenticeship, and the recognition of any qualification awarded at the end of an apprenticeship.
The girls were also given the chance to investigate Unifrog – an online resource that helps students to choose degree courses or apprenticeships that suit their aspirations and personality types – and as is frequently the case I was delighted to receive heart-warming feedback from Unifrog representative Adrienne Briggs, who commented: “How lovely it was to meet your colleagues… how impressed I was with your students. The girls were lively, polite and engaged. It is always really refreshing to see schools that are putting forward a really balanced view of apprenticeships and universities.”