Careers - 'Futures Programme'

Welcome to Wymondham College Futures - the programme aimed at enabling students to achieve their full potential and make informed decisions regarding the opportunities and challenges of life after College.

At Wymondham College, we appreciate the importance of inspiring and informing students, providing effective and impartial information, advice and guidance to enable them to make decisions about their future. We also aim to equip them with the skills, qualifications and experience they need to realise those aspirations.

Careers education, advice and guidance is provided from Year 7 onwards via the school’s PSHE curriculum, supported by a comprehensive range of activities delivered by the Careers Leader.

You can read our school Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance policy and the full CEIAG strategy here.

The College believes that each student should receive:

Clear advice and information about options available to students when making key decisions for GCSEs, post 16 and post 18
An understanding of students’ own skills and strengths
Awareness of key employability skills and opportunities to develop these
Support and guidance to help them make choices and complete a career plan for the future
Personal support and information through individual guidance
Practical support with applications, CVs and interview skills
Opportunities to learn about the world of work and gain inspiration direct from employers and staff

Careers Leader contact information

Margarita Harris

Careers Lead

T: 01953 609000

E: m.harris@wymcol.org

Year 12 and 13 activity is focused on preparing students to make appropriate choices post 18. They follow a fortnightly Futures programme as well as lunchtime talks, individual support and assemblies. Year 12 students are encouraged to apply for work experience during the holidays and attend relevant higher education events to gain a greater understanding of the options available. The programme includes:

Fortnightly year group Futures programme
Information about Higher Education opportunities and research
Year 12 visit to UEA - Introduction to Higher Education
Invitation to visit Cambridge University
Information provided on university taster events and summer schools
Targeted Oxbridge and Medical school support
Speed Networking event to meet employers and employees
Information on employment opportunities, including apprenticeships
Apprenticeships Information Evening
Gap year information and research including guest speakers
Employer engagement through visiting speaker talks and off-site visits, including Aviva Inspiring Careers Day
Information on and assistance with applying for work experience
Using social media to enhance applications
CV and application advice and guidance
Interview skills – mock interviews arranged
Personal guidance through individual interviews with careers adviser
Attendance at careers events and higher education events

Progression Lead

Dr. Cook,

Email f.cook@wymcol.org

Where Are They Now?

Cecily Bradbury

My name is Cecily Bradbury and I am studying Wildlife Conservation & Ecology BSc at the University of Reading. As part of my course I get to participate in cool activities such as reptile handling and placements, my next exciting adventure is a placement year in Costa Rica where I will be deep in the jungle helping with eco tourism and preserving cloud forests.

Wymondham College helped me figure out what it was exactly I wanted to do at university and I’m so glad it took me in this direction as I love my degree!

James Easter

Hi, I’m James Easter and I am currently studying Aerospace Engineering at the University of Nottingham and love it (as I am sure Mr Gregory would be pleased to know).

For the past year I have been a member of the East Midlands University Air Squadron which has been, simply put, amazing. I've been able to do so many opportunities, for example: Last week I was touring a frontline Chinook Squadron, then the next day chatting with the Red Arrows shadowed by fast jets . Last month I was learning to fly and getting paid to do so.

Wymondham College provided me with countless opportunities and simply put, If I had gone to another school I can say with confidence I wouldn't be where I am now.

Jake Saville

I’m Jake and I’m a Solicitor Apprentice at Stephenson Harwood LLP. I’m studying towards a Level 7 Solicitors Degree Apprenticeship at an international law firm based in London.

The Wymondham College Futures Team were instrumental in assisting me through the application process. The futures team genuinely sets Wymondham College apart from other schools in that it adds real-world value to our experience at the College. The holistic application support for all things University, Apprenticeship and Work Experience meant that as students of the college we were in an exceptional position to apply and to ultimately gain positions on programs such as these. Among many other things, the schools push for alternative career options and partnerships with organisations such as Uptree enabled us access to work experience placements which set us in excellent stead to apply to competitive programs. As such, with help from the Futures Team, I was able to secure a place on Clifford Chance’s young talent development programme called ACCESS. From undertaking internships like these, I was able to ultimately secure a degree Apprenticeships. I cannot thank the College enough for the help and support they have given me.

Louis de Bernard

I joined the college in year 7 in 2013 (gosh – that was a long time ago now!) and stayed for sixth form until March 2020, when the pandemic meant my A-levels were cancelled and we were sent into lockdown! I’m now a 2nd year medical student at Magdalen College, University of Oxford. I’ve been doing a variety of things alongside my degree: internships around the UK in major trauma research, time with the University Royal Navy Unit as an officer cadet, and working in intensive care throughout the pandemic and hopefully beyond!

Grace Charvonia

Hi Everyone! I’m Grace and I was at the college from 2013-2020. In my final year at 6th form I was a member of the Head Teacher’s Council (HTC) and I was also Chair of the JCR! I am absolutely gutted that I never got to say a proper goodbye to the college due to Covid, because it played such a huge role in who I am today.

Currently I am in my second year at the University of Nottingham studying Spanish and Russian and I absolutely love it!! Next month I am going to Moscow to work with the British Council in setting up better relations between the two countries and to have better schemes in place where we can share knowledge and set up exchanges between the two countries.

Michael

Hello from Imperial College London, I'm Michael and I'm studying Biological Sciences. Here's me in the lab working with a sample of E.coli bacteria.

My time as a boarder at Wymondham College helped nurture my love for science, but I also learned essential life skills for living independently whilst at university. There were so many opportunities to flourish at Wymondham College, and plenty of support from the college community. I was fortunate enough to hold the position of Head Boy; an experience I will never forget and one that has helped me get to where I am today.