Not everyone is sure what their options are after Year 11.  At Park High School all students are fully supported and guided through the process of planning and preparing for their futures.
Careers education is delivered through our personal, social, health and citizenship education programme (PSHCEe).  In addition our careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) programme is progressive from Year 7 to Year 13 and incorporates the Gatsby Benchmarks for good career guidance.

Mrs Foster, our full time careers and employability coordinator, and Olivia Fiszzon, level 7 qualified, external careers adviser, provide exceptional support to students, parents and carers. 

The Careers & Employability room is based in the Park Block, which has an extensive resource library available to students and their parents/carers. Parents/Carers and students can consult our specialist careers staff at any time currently via email or telephone. 

Park High School is very proud to have been awarded the prestigious Quality in Careers Standard, accredited by Investor in Careers since December 2018, in recognition of our outstanding CEIAG - Careers Education, Information Advice and Guidance provision.

Find out more:

Careers & Employability

What are your options

You must stay in learning until you are 18. There are three main options after Year 11:

• Full-time education​
• Apprenticeships or Traineeships​
• Part-time training with a job, self-employment or voluntary work​

You ​will need to decide which option is best for ​you.

Full time Education

A Levels, BTEC, T Levels and NVQS, are academic or job-related courses to suit ALL ability levels.

You can study at a Sixth Form, College, University Technical College or a Training provider. 

Make sure you research the courses available to find out what best suits you and the career you want. Make sure you attend open days​ to find out more about the institution and the courses they offer​, see what support and guidance is available, check their entry requirements and application deadlines.

Full-time education may be a good option if you are planning to go to university, enjoy studying or want to study further before getting a job or an apprenticeship​.

Apprenticeships & Traineeships​

An apprenticeship is a skilled job with training. Every apprentice is guaranteed a minimum wage linked to their age. They're available at all academic levels - whether you are leaving school without GCSEs or completing your A-levels. There are apprenticeships in industries like engineering, health and accountancy - plus a host of careers you'd never think of. Entry requirements for Apprenticeships vary but generally:

Level 3 apprenticeship ​(Advanced Apprenticeship) = to 2 A levels​ and 4 / 5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above (including English and maths)​

Level 2 apprenticeships​ (intermediate apprenticeship) = 5 GCSEs​, some 4s at GCSE

Apprenticeships may be a good option for you if you want to start work, earn money and gain valuable skills and get a job related qualification. 

Traineeships might be a good option for you if you are not quite ready for an apprenticeship. Traineeships are unpaid but can help you get the knowledge, skills and experience to get you on to an apprenticeship. They are usually between 3 and 6 months long and include help with English and maths​.

Jobs with training

You can work or volunteer full-time after Year 11​ but you must also study or train at the same time. This means that you must study/train for a minimum of 280 tutor led learning hours a year. This may be ​1 day a week over a year, ​or ​through evening or distance learning​.

How to decide?

Deciding on where and how you progress to the next stage of education can be a difficult decision to make. Consider the following:

• Subjects you enjoy and what are your subject strengths.
• Your expected grades​ and what your teachers think you will achieve.
• Do you prefer to learn through studying for exams​, coursework or practical work?
• What are your career ideas/goals and research those careers and the pathways into those careers.
• What you like doing in your spare time and what you do not like doing.
• Keep your options open, research all your potential pathways.
• Try not let anyone influence your decision. It should be yours and yours alone.

Take a look at our student resources page, there is a wealth of information regarding subject related careers and links to more information.

Student Careers Resources

If you are still unsure please visit the Careers & Employability room in the Park block or email Mrs Foster dfoster4.310@parkhighstanmore.org.uk.

Explore your choices

Careerpilot have put together some information about post 16 choices

Your Choices at 16

Start Profile London: What's next for you at 16?

https://london-lmi.startprofile.com/page/post-16-choices

Helpful guides