Sixth Form: Futures and Careers
The biggest reason to attend Sixth Form is to set yourself up for the rest of your life. Your choice of subjects and co-curricular activities is the first step towards a satisfying, life-defining career. We’ll help you to work out where you want to go and give you the tools to help you get there, be that via university, further study, the workplace or wider life experiences.
Finding a vision for your future
Throughout your schooling at Woodbridge, you’ll be encouraged to lean into your own identity and play to your talents.
You may already have a very clear idea of what you want to study, either following your creative abilities or aiming for a specific career plan that requires taking certain subjects, such as chemistry for medicine. On the other hand, you may have no idea and could be wondering what will best suit your unique combination of abilities, character and preferences.
Whichever situation you are in, we will help you. Our careers and university advisers provide one-to-one support, giving you the means to find focus for the years ahead and allowing you to learn from mentors who have followed the same path where possible. There’s a well-worn adage that if you find the right career, you’ll never have to work a day in your life.
University advice
A vital part of your education at Woodbridge is securing the best possible opportunity for when you leave. The Sixth Form Centre is home to our highly experienced Heads of Careers and Higher Education who, along with your tutors, can sustain comprehensive and personalised support throughout the decision-making and application processes.
If you’re aiming for Oxbridge, Russell Group universities, or particularly competitive courses such as medicine, then you will benefit from bespoke guidance from dedicated teachers who will help to make your application as strong as it can be. They can also offer expert tuition to prepare for additional exams and interviews.
This said, every student receives comparable support for their individual plans: every single plan matters. Whether preparing a portfolio, practising for auditions, applying outside of the UK, or even something else we haven’t encountered before, we will prioritise accordingly, providing you with the time, guidance and expertise you need to make the right choices and achieve your goals.
In addition to this personalised support we offer a variety of events to make the UCAS and other application processes less daunting for both parents and students. These include UCAS evenings to explain to parents how we work together to navigate the complexities of the system, visits to Oxbridge conferences and colleges, and visits to the Universities of Essex and East Anglia. If you have any questions, please ask.
Careers advice
Students are encouraged to continually consider, research and plan for their future goals. The Careers and University offices in the Sixth Form Centre are always open for drop-in questions, while our internal platform contains a plethora of information on everything from taster days to apprenticeships, CV writing, gap year placements and more.
Careers advice begins well before Sixth Form with initial advice and discussions from Year 7 and specific career topics covered in PSHCE lessons for Years 9-13. Students have access to icould from Year 7 and our Morrisby Careers test tool is available to everyone in Years 9-13. In Year 11 students can use a unique profiling tool with 1 on 1 interviews as well. Once in Sixth Form students also have dedicated sessions where they can learn more about the UCAS process, different careers, interview techniques and CV writing. We also organises Careers Lunches – a unique initiative offering a chance for you to meet and network with professionals in your fields of interest.
An annual Careers Fair also provides many opportunities for face-to-face meetings with different universities as well as national and local business, some who offer apprenticeship schemes. With over 70 exhibitors, you’ll be able to discuss details of apprenticeship schemes, gap year options, school leaver and graduate programmes, and work experience placements.
Old Woodbridgian Network
In addition, Woodbridge School has a network of over 4,000 Old Woodbridgians (former students), many of whom are happy to help current students with work experience or advice.
Although the UCAS and careers journey starts in Year 12, it doesn’t finish at the end of Year 13. With our online platform of the OWs network we can support all OWs and, more importantly, they can support each other on their continuing journeys. Once a Woodbridgian, always a Woodbridgian. This means we are here to help, whatever stage you are at in your career.
Want to see for yourself?
In addition to our open days, we welcome visits from parents and children looking for the right foundation for life ahead. We’ll be happy to show you around and answer any questions you have about our School, staff and the support we offer our students.