POST-16 EDUCATION
want to do and have conversations where you don’t lead them, but you’re asking questions,” says Alex Swart-Wilson, deputy head at Bishop’s Stortford College and head of Sixth Form. Putting the child at the centre of the decision-making process can have a tangible effect on how well they do, he adds. “The most successful outcomes are where the student is driving where they want to go and what they want to do, and they are facilitated and enabled by the parent.” It’s an essential discussion to have because, while the subject choices can be tantalisingly broad, with A-levels remaining the norm (though other qualifications, such as the recently introduced T-levels as well as BTECs and the IB diploma are also available in our area), young people normally have to whittle their choices down to three or four subjects. Students who are, say, set on studying medicine, can find that the strict focus on the subjects that give them the best chance of getting there comes as a huge relief. Not everyone, however, has that level of certainty. Fortunately, starting over can be an option. Abbey College Cambridge, for example, offers considerable flexibility, with options including an 18-month A-level course (overseas students can take a single
PRIORITISING HAPPINESS Framlingham College (top left), Kimbolton (above) and Abbey College Cambridge (bottom left) look after young adults’ welfare as well as their grades
year of A-level study in year 12 followed by an international foundation programme in year 13). “If students find out that they are struggling with subject choices or want to start a totally new subject, they can restart from January without being a term behind,” says principal Dr Ellen Hesse. Support to succeed Subject choices, however, are just one dimension of our schools’ rich sixth form offerings, points out Jacq Paris, head of sixth form at Stephen Perse Cambridge.
“It’s very easy to only think about the subjects, but it’s important for parents to consider wider student needs in terms of making sure they’re looked after.” Her advice to parents researching sixth form provision is to check that schools’ priorities align with their own. “Are they just talking about grades, or about wider student welfare?” she asks. Every sixth former should have a go-to pastoral person who has an overview of everything they are doing, embracing not just their academic performance but also what’s happening outside the classroom. Some students may be taking on too much and struggling to manage, so may need help, Jacq says. That go-to person could also be involved in university admissions, talking to students about what they want to do next and guiding them to make decisions about the next stage. “Look at what the pastoral system is,” she says. “Who will look after them, how often will that person meet them, how well will they get to know them?” The goal is for there to be a future in which the child will thrive, says Alice O’Donnell at Kimbolton School. “It comes back to that parent, child and school triangle, and it’s ultimately led by what’s going to be best for the child.” Schools should use their in-depth knowledge of each child to help steer them on a path that’s going to make them happy. “It’s about understanding that one career path is not better than another and that success can take many different forms,” she says.
No career path is off limits; success can take many different forms
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2025 69
Powered by FlippingBook