Careers - For parents and carers
You can help your child prepare for their future by having conversations about careers as well as their
post-16 and post-18 options. The Joseph Rowntree School has a full programme of Careers
education from Year 7 to Year 13, with a full time Careers Advisor available for students, parents and
carers to talk to at any stage. If you have any questions or just want to talk through your child’s
options, please contact Ms North at ajn@josephrowntreeschool.co.uk
What you can expect:
Year 7
- Citizenship lessons: qualities, skills and setting personal career goals
- Assemblies about different kinds of careers eg: STEM
Year 8
- Citizenship lessons: thinking about the world of work
- University visits
- Assemblies from different work sectors eg: engineering and hospitality
Year 9
- Citizenship lessons: challenging gender stereotypes
- University visits: York St John/University of York
- GCSE options: options assemblies, options evening and guidance about future career
pathways - Visits from speakers in non-traditional roles
Year 10
- Preparation for work experience: assemblies, parents’ evening, careers interviews and 1 to 1
support - Work experience week
- Routes To Success residential visit
- Visit to the University of York
- School Careers Fair
Year 11
- One to one career guidance interviews
- Apprenticeship group work with NYBEP and CoYC
- Taster days including Sixth Form, York College, Askham Bryan College and selected
apprenticeship venues - Access to online resources highlighting the different post 16 options
- Routes to Success progression conference for students with an EHCP
- School Careers Fair
Sixth Form
- Career Ready: regular masterclasses throughout the year and contact with a mentor.
- School Careers Fair
- University visits
- Enrichment Lessons: Speakers on topics including work, university and apprenticeships
- 1 to 1 careers guidance appointments
- Support for CVs, cover letters, personal statements, interviews and applications
Post-16 options
After Year 11, you have the choice to stay on at Sixth Form or continue your education at
college, through an apprenticeship or in work based training.
A Levels
A (Advanced) Levels are academic qualifications which can lead to university, higher level
apprenticeships or work. A Levels let you choose several of your best subjects to study at a
higher level than GCSE, or to explore completely new subjects. They take two years to
study, and you’ll be able to take 2, 3 or 4 alongside each other - or combine them with a
BTEC.
What A Levels should I choose?
BTECs
BTECs (Business and Technology Education Council) are work-related qualifications
that combine work based learning, subject knowledge and theory. You may already be
studying BTEC Level 2 courses alongside GCSEs.
BTEC Level 3s are at a similar level to A Levels, but they focus more on practical skills.
Some BTECs you can do include Applied Science, Sport and Health and Social Care.
To take A Levels and BTECs, you can stay on at Joseph Rowntree Sixth Form, move to
another Sixth Form or go to college.
Can you get into university with BTECS?
T Levels
T (Technical) Levels are an alternative to A Levels, where you study a practical or work-
based subject in your chosen industry, such as Marketing, Business, Construction or
Agriculture. You study one T Level over two years, which is equivalent to three A levels, and
is made up of 80% study and 20% work experience. You can study T levels at York College
and Askham Bryan College.
What's it like to do T Levels?
Other Vocational Qualifications (VTQ)
VTQs (Vocational Technical Qualifications) include T Levels, Cambridge TEC, NVQs and
VRQs. They’re designed with the workplace in mind, and will prepare you for a career in
your chosen subject, an apprenticeship or further studies. These qualifications can allow
greater flexibility, as alongside mandatory units, some of them allow you to choose units
according to your interests. There is a huge range of VTQ subjects, including Business,
Digital, Hospitality, Construction, Hair and Beauty and Engineering, many of them based at
least partly in a workplace. You can study VTQs at Joseph Rowntree Sixth Form (IT), York
College and Askham Bryan College.
Apprenticeships
An apprenticeship allows you to train while doing a job and getting paid. You’ll be working for
80% of the time and studying for 20%. There are different levels of apprenticeship, from
Level 2 (equivalent to GCSEs) right up to Degree apprenticeships, which you do after A
Level. You can apply for an apprenticeship directly with your chosen employer, or through
York College or Askham Bryan College (up to level 4) where you apply for the course and
are placed with an employer.
Higher and Degree apprenticeships
What's it like to be an apprentice?
Find out more
These are some useful links for parents and carers. You can also find careers information related to
school subjects on our student careers page.
Parents' advice and resources
Talking Futures - how to have Careers conversations
Guide to apprenticeships, T Levels and HTQs
Help a young person to make career choices
Careers advice for young adults
Advice for students with SEN or a disability
CYC post-16 pathways guide
How2Become - Resources about career entry routes
If you’d like to know more, please contact:
Ms A North
Careers Advisor
ajn@josephrowntreeschool.co.uk
01904 552126