It was Futures Week last week for our current Year 12 pupils who spent the three days taking part in a number of sessions and activities to discover what their options are for life after Shiplake. From occupation and life presentations to speed networking, there was plenty for our pupils to consider for their future!
UK University and Apprenticeship Search Fair
On Tuesday 7 March, a group of Year 12 pupils attended the UK University and Apprenticeship Search fair, held in the Sports Park at Surrey University.
The exciting and informative event provides attendees with the opportunity to speak to several exhibiting universities and apprenticeship providers. The fair also featured a wide range of seminars on offer including: UCAS Personal Statement & Application Advice, Choosing a University Course, Higher and Degree Apprenticeships, and Student Finance.
The event is ideal to inspire and motivate Year 12 pupils who are starting to make decisions about their post-18 education and career choices. Many UK universities were present, as well as employers such as Virgin, Sky, Lloyds Banking Group, O2, Land and Water civil engineers, the Army and the Navy.
Futures Week: Day 1, Monday 20 March
Today was a busy day for the Year 12 pupils as they began Futures Week with a carousel of talks and presentations. Split into their groups, each one attended a session where there were sessions on finance, gap years, apprenticeships, and more!
In the afternoon, the Year 12 cohort assembled in the Lecture Theatre to welcome back five Old Vikings – Milly, Hector, Sam, Henry, and Alex – who came to talk to the current pupils about their time at university. In this informal talk, the Old Vikings dispelled some university myths, and shared their top tips on tackling university life, from application to studying, and from accommodation to cooking!
Following the OVS presentations, the pupils were then straight into a ‘Speed Networking’ event. Here, in their small groups, the pupils had the opportunity to talk to professionals from multiple fields such as marketing, medicine and finance. To add to the ‘speed’ element, groups had seven minutes with each professional before rotating.
Futures Week: Day 2, Tuesday 21 March
The day began with a series of mock interview workshops, before travelling to the University of Reading. At the university, pupils had the opportunity to attend talks on writing personal statements for university applications, in addition to accommodation options at a university. The pupils were also split into small groups for a tour of the campus.
Futures Week: Day 3, Wednesday 22 March
The final day of Futures Week came with it another morning of carousel activities. While Monday was described as more of a ‘life carousel’, today’s carousel was more occupational. Pupils had the opportunity to listen to professionals from industries such as law, physiotherapy entrepreneurship and business, engineering, and IT.
In the afternoon, the Year 12 cohort was split into two groups for an afternoon led by members of The Army. One group attended a session in the Lecture Theatre, while the second completed a teambuilding exercise out on Front Field. As part of the team building activities, pupils had to work together to complete a series of tasks such as navigating through a 'minefield of cones', and transporting objects across a distance. Most importantly, each task required effective communication and teamwork from all members involved. Make sure you check out a highlights reel of the exercises on our Instagram page!
Speaking at the end of Futures Week, Head of Careers, Mrs Rapple Moore, said:
‘It has been a very valuable experience for the pupils as it has enabled them to explore options - universities, apprenticeships, and more - that they might not have heard of or even considered. To have chats with representatives from both universities and employers, the experiences will have been very useful as part of this year's Futures Week.'
Head of Sixth Form, Mrs Farrell, added:
'It was such a delight to see the pupils so engaged in planning for their futures. They were enthusiastic in asking questions and getting involved in the activities. We are so appreciative of all the staff and external visitors who gave up their time to inspire our young people and we cannot wait to see how they apply their newfound knowledge in applying for jobs, university places, and apprenticeships.'
Thank you to everyone who helped with the running of the week, especially to those who visited the school to talk and present to our Year 12 pupils. We hope that the experience proves to be a useful one for our Year 12 pupils when considering their options for the future!
Flickr album: Futures Week 2023 |
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