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Exceptional Education at the Heart of the Community

Exceptional Education at the Heart of the Community

Student Resources

When your time at Oasis Brightstowe is complete, you will go on to do at least two further years of education or training before going on to university or the world of work.

Deciding what to do can be daunting, but the guidance and resources on this site are designed to help you through that process of preparing for the next phase of your professional development.

When you leave Year 11, you must stay in education or training until you are 18, meaning you will study:

  • A Levels
  • BTEC
  • Diplomas
  • Level 2/3 courses
  • For an apprenticeship where work and study are combined
  • T Levels (from September 2020)

What shall I do?

Identifying what you like and what you are good at are the first steps in knowing what sort of job you may wish to have in the future. The following websites will help you understand yourself a little better:

And then the link below has lots of resources giving information on what certain jobs are like, and how people get into them:

Where can I do it?

Once you have narrowed down your careers interests, a great way to begin planning your next steps is by thinking about where you would like to be in 10-15 years’ time, and then working backwards on how you get there.

This is not an easy thing to do, but having some insight of where you want to work will help you decide on a path suited to get there.

For some, the best route will be A Levels then university. Others may tackle T Levels then go onto a degree apprenticeship and there will be those who consider an advanced apprenticeship is the best option for them.

Whichever route you choose, just be sure first that it is the best route to get you to your intended goals.

The following websites are where to look to help guide you on the best courses for your next phase:

You can also speak to a Careers Advisor. This can be very helpful if you aren’t sure what to do. Call 0800 100 900.

Local colleges and sixth forms

Here are your local choices for A-Level courses and future access to university studies.

Download a list of Post 16 college open days 2021.

Further education – vocational courses and apprenticeships

Useful links

Apprenticeships

Once you complete your post-16 course, there are many options then available to you at 18 to go onto including university, higher level apprenticeships, internships, entry-level job or you might even consider a gap year. For more information on these options, visit the below Career Pilot page.

Will I be accepted?

All courses will have entry requirements, meaning you will need to achieve certain grades in certain subjects at GCSE to be accepted on to the course. They will also require you to complete an application form, or submit a CV. Most courses will require an interview as well.

How can I prepare myself for the world of work?

Although you often do not realise it, many of the skills you learn in lessons every day help to prepare you for the world of work. Solving Pythagoras questions in maths helps develop your problem-solving abilities. You improve your creative skills by painting a beautiful picture in art or by writing a thoughtful poem in English. And your listening abilities improve in all lessons by carefully following instructions from your teachers. These skills are a good foundation in preparing for the next phase, but if you would like practice improving them further then below are some links to useful resources you can use to do so:

  • Skills Builder - a site where you can evaluate your current skills and improve those that need practice with easy-to-follow lesson plans
  • Virtual Work Experience Programme with Oak National Academy
  • Barclays Life Skills - a selection of resources to help you choose your next steps, and practise the key skills you need to be successful in the world of work
  • NatWest Money Sense - you have all seen the TV adverts, but here is the site you can use to help you understand how manage your income

Bristol Works - the Bristol City Council outreach programme supporting students in pursuing their dream job. Click the below to access their virtual work experience pages:

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

In terms of preparation directly linked to the courses, you have decided to study, make sure you visit the college or sixth form website after your GCSE exams and they will have resources to help prepare you for your chosen courses.

Can I get financial help to continue my studies?

The thought of an extra two years in education or training can be hard for some students as it means they will not be able to earn money that would help support themselves and maybe other family members. If you are worried about anything to do with money whilst studying, either to support yourself or to buy key course materials, then visit the following sites, which are there to help:

Alternatively, if you are thinking of going on to study at university but are not sure you will be able to fund the costs, the following sites help to explain how student finance works and how you can access the money available:

Ms Melanie Powell  is our Academy Careers Leader.  If you wish to make contact with Ms Powell please do so through hello@oasisbrightstowe.org or telephone reception 0117 316 7330