Post 16 Options
Post 16 Options
At the end of year 11, it’s time to make decisions for the next year or! It is an exciting time, but can be daunting, so this guidance will help you make decisions about what to do next.
Things to consider
When looking at your career, you need to consider what’s going to be the best option for you personally. It’s natural to look to your friends and to want to make decisions based on what they’re doing next, but it’s important you choose for yourself.
It’s a good idea to consider other ideas as a backup, in case things change or you decide to do things differently. To make the best choices, you need to be as well informed as possible. You should speak to those around you about your options and how they can support you, for example:
- your teachers
- your parents or carers
- staff or advisers at school, college or training providers
- a careers adviser
- You could learn about your strengths and your passions by taking a skills assessment. If you enjoy what you’re doing in your next steps, you’ll get more out of it.
You might want to consider:
- which subjects you have enjoyed studying so far
- which subjects have not been available to you but could be in further education
- exploring careers to find out which job sectors you might enjoy
- whether you'd like to use the time now to do some volunteering or work experience in an area you feel passionate about, alongside study or training
- Your options
Routes Available
You can leave school on the last Friday in June, as long as you’ll be 16 by the end of the summer holidays. Once you have left, there are 3 main pathways you can take:
- stay in full-time education (A Levels, T levels or Vocational Qualifications)
- start an apprenticeship
- spend 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering, alongside part-time education or training
We are compliant with The Baker Clause which stipulates that schools must allow colleges and training providers access to every student in Years 8 to 13 to discuss non-academic routes that are available to them. We explore all Post 16 options with all students.
