Students
In Years 7 and 8 you will get the chance to experience a range of subjects across the curriculum, and later be able to select some of the subjects that you would like to go on and study in Years 9, 10 and 11. We appreciate that things may look different following the and that you are going to be making decisions about subjects and courses that you may not be familiar with. Some important things to consider are:
- Which subjects are you good at?
- Which subjects do you enjoy?
- What assessment methods suit you? (Think about exams, coursework, practical assessment). Although most GCSEs are assessed by exams, practical work forms an important part of certain subjects.
- If you have a particular career in mind, have you investigated which subjects are required? If you are unsure about which career you may want to follow, are you choosing a broad enough range of subjects to keep as many options open as possible?
- What wider interests do you have? Certain subjects, such as art and design, music, and PE, can be taken at school or continued as hobbies.
- If you have already decided on some subjects, what are you basing your decisions on? Are you choosing a subject for the right reasons? (Not because you like the teacher or your friends have chosen it)
- Are there any subjects that you think you may like to continue studying post-16? (At college when you leave school)
At this stage some students do not know what they would like to do for a future job or specific career pathway. At ALNS we have the knowledge, staff, and resources to support you as much as we can with your choices. The key is to find out as much information as you can about any new courses you are considering, email teachers, speak to staff in the Information Centre and use the internet to do your own independent research. Below we have set out some useful tips, guides, and links to website to help you make your decisions.
- Going to college to do BTEC’s, A Levels or T Levels (if you do not achieve Level 4 in English and/or Maths this will be included as part of your course until you pass at this level or until you are 18)
- Going to college and then getting an Apprenticeship
- Getting an apprenticeship. This is employment with training and the training will be either through 1 day a week at college or training provider or presenting a portfolio to show evidence that you have or are doing the work
- A traineeship, which is a skills development programme that includes a work placement. It can last from 6 weeks up to 1 year, though most traineeships last for less than 6 months
- Some jobs that you will apply for might not be available now, however, the job market is developing all the time, some existing job sectors will continue to grow
- Thriving in the Future video clip (this video clip is a couple of years old but encourages to look at the future)
Labour Market Information (LMI) is a useful tool to help research future jobs in the local area, understand the skills needed for certain roles and the demand for future employment.
LMI helps to break down the complex ‘world of work’– ranging from descriptions of different careers, their entry routes, promotional prospects, salaries paid, skills and qualifications needed, etc. Crucially for young people, LMI also covers future demand – what kinds of jobs will be in demand after leaving school and what kinds of skills will be needed.
Click below for the latest LMI from the Solent region