054 EDUCATION
indexmagazine.co.uk
Schoolreport
There’s more to learning than staying at school post 16, plus the continuing fi ght to get education for all, diary dates, pet power and more…
Caroline Knight
F
urther education after the age of 16 has been compulsory since September 2013 and students can no longer decide to leave their
learning journey altogether at this point. The autumn term in Year 11 of school, which is the beginning of the fi nal year of secondary school, is therefore the time when most colleges and sixth forms will open their application process. Students may stay on at the same establishment for their Sixth Form education, if it is offered and if they are accepted, but there are other choices too. These are options for young people to consider this October: • Stay at the same school. • Swap to a different school. • Go to a Sixth Form college.
• Attend a further education college. • Join a work-based training provider.
So how to decide?
Staying at the same school offers familiarity. Pupils already know the place, the teachers and other students. But it could all depend on the subjects that they might want to study and whether they are available. This is the number one reason why some students decide to change schools. The second reason is to have a fresh start and new challenges within a different environment. Sixth Form colleges tend to be more relaxed and informal than secondary school, with many pupils feeling they are treated as more of “an adult”, rather than schools at which younger children are present. Colleges are often bigger than schools and frequently offer a
greater number of study options. Further education colleges are a step towards a university way of life. These are adult environments where students take responsibility for themselves and they offer a great opportunity to prepare for a working life. In addition to learning, FE colleges generally offer a wide range of sports and leisure opportunities too. Training providers suit those students who respond well to work-based qualifi cations and on-the-job learning. They can lead to NVQ qualifi cations and apprenticeships. Some will focus on particular market sectors such as plumbing, construction, childcare or business administration. Training providers work closely with employers who will generally offer placements and employment. This system tends to be more appealing to students who prefer not to pursue a more academic learning route.
© Lev Dolgachov
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