Your Future

Through an extensive range of university, apprenticeship and career initiatives, programmes and partnerships, we ensure every student is prepared for university life and the world beyond education.

Careers Week (8th-12th February 2021)

Careers week (8-12th February) this year has been a great success. We have had guest speakers talking to groups of Year 12 students (and some Year 11s) about their jobs and career paths. Due to the pandemic the talks this year took place using Google Meet and we were lucky enough to have a barrister, an accountant (specialising in insolvency), a civil engineer, a consultant dermatologist and an investment banker deliver this year's talks and answer students' questions.

The calibre of guest speakers was particularly strong this year and we are incredibly grateful to them for giving up their time in order to benefit our students. A special thank you should also go to our sixth form team for working so hard to arrange and schedule the talks and also to the students themselves for engaging so enthusiastically with them and embracing the opportunities put their way. I am incredibly proud that we have still been able to provide such a worthwhile event for our students in the midst of this pandemic. Careers week signals the beginning of our students journey to the next phase of their education and training for the future.

They will continue to receive guidance and support throughout Year 12 and into Year 13 to ensure they have the best chance possible of achieving their goals.

The school organised a Career’s week which called upon guest speakers to talk about Criminal Law, Insolvency (Accounting), Structural Engineering, Dermatology (Medicine) and Investment Banking. Students from Year 11 and Year 12 chose as many topic areas that interested them, and then some.                                                    
In the Accounting talk, the speaker talked about how he worked in a small accounting firm with about 70 employees. His day to day work involved dealing with bankrupt companies and how they would manage their assets to resolve these issues. He then explained that to get into a similar profession, you don’t even have to take an accounting degree at university.
                                                                                                                             I was particularly interested in the talk about medicine after binging all nine seasons of House M.D. So when it came, I was baffled by how you would specialize in the medical field. I found that apart from the 5 years of university, you would need to spend two years in a foundation course and experiment around with various specializations to see which one interests you the most and then think about post-graduation. It sounds like all the doctors are trained for an exhilarating episode of House M.D.
                                                                                                                              The talks enabled people to know more about the various career opportunities and I’m sure that even Mr Scott and Mr Nielsen learned a thing or two! Career’s week has been
quite educational and helped show the path to university.
                                                                                                                      Thank you to the teachers and guest speakers that made all of this happen. - Mukunda Krishnian, Year 12

University Programmes

For many of our students, the aim is to go on to higher education and every year, they are successful in securing places at a number of notable universities. To help students make the right choice and ensure they are in the best position for entry into their desired university, we have a substantial number of initiatives and support on offer.

• Visit to UCAS exhibition
• Attend taster and open day at Universities
• A working partnership with Universities, where students visit and their Admissions department comes to CCF to present to the Sixth Form students. 
• A Higher Education Evening and guidance sessions are held regularly supporting students and parents
• Access to the unifrog platform to create shortlists and write personal statements. 
• Individual mentoring when completing their UCAS application

 Careers Programme

Our Careers Programme is designed to ensure that every student is supported in developing the skills and knowledge they need to make successful educational and career choices. This includes:

• A one-week work placement in Year 12 which the students are encouraged to source and apply for independently
• Careers week where the students participate in seminars with over 20 different employers
• Occupational workshops rub by local professionals
• Employment seminars are offered to Year 13 students who are considering employment on the completion of their studies. Activities include mock interviews and guidance on writing exceptional CV’s

Our careers programme is reviewed annually, using feedback from Parents, Students, and Student Destinations as a measure of its success. The link to Student Destination data can be found here.

 The next review of the careers programme will take place before January 2022.

 Apprenticeship Programme

Apprenticeships are a great option for getting on the job ladder and a number CCF Sixth Form students are taking advantage of this. Our apprenticeship programme includes:

• National Apprenticeship week
• Visits to Apprenticeship fairs with a range of employers from various industries.
• Guidance on how to search and apply for apprenticeships.
• Access to the unifrog platform where students can source industry specific information.