In Key Stage 4, students make decisions about their next steps after Year 11. At 16, this could be:
- a course at sixth form or sixth form college
- a course at a further education or specialist college
- an apprenticeship or traineeship
All students can arrange to have a careers discussion in Year 10 or 11 with the careers department.
For any careers enquiries please contact Mrs E Bortoli by e-mail or via the school on 01629 812671
| U-Explore | A free, online careers platform, designed to connect 11-18 year olds with their future career potential and opportunities. You may create a free account, complete virtual work experience and explore skills development |
| icould | watch real life career videos and inspiring careers stories, as well as downloading careers advice and guidance |
| Morrisby | As a school we use Morrisby, an interactive careers guidance platform to help young people understand their aptitudes, interests, and personality for making informed decisions about education and career pathways. Morrisby helps students make sense of their options at post-16 right through to university courses, apprenticeships, and careers. It’s all about giving them the confidence and direction they need to make informed decisions and feel excited about their future.
Your child can add you to their Morrisby Account so you can see their journey and provide all important guidance too. Simply ask them to add your name and email to their account which appears on the bottom of their home page when they log in. You’ll then receive a link so you can access their account. This SHORT VIDEO explains all about the platform, including how to grant parental access.
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| Lady Manners School Sixth Form | Explore the wide range of subjects that we offer here at Lady Maners School Sixth Form HERE. From here, you may also find information on admissions and how to apply. |
| Local Colleges:
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Chesterfield College – Study with us – Chesterfield College Sheffield College – The Sheffield College Buxton – Subject Area Archive – University of Derby, Buxton Campus |
| Specialist Colleges:
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Reaseheath – Courses available – Reaseheath College
Myerscough – Further Education |
| University Technical Colleges (UTCs)
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Derby UTC – Welcome to UTC Derby Pride Park – UTC Derby Pride Park
Sheffield UTC – Making the Future – Sheffield UTC Academy Trust
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| Local Colleges offering T Levels:
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T Level courses – Chesterfield College
T-Levels at UOD – Buxton – University of Derby, Buxton Campus |
We appreciate that it can sometimes be confusing deciding which qualifications to take. We have provided a simple table below to explain some of the more common different routes. You may also see the websites of providers for more specalist qualifications and awarding bodies.
| Qualification | Type | Assessment | Level | Placement/
Work Experience |
Progression | This is a good option for: | Further reading: |
| A Level | Academic | Exams (some coursework) | Level 3 | No | Uni, apprenticeships, employment | Academic students, uni focus, keeping your options open | A levels |
| Cambridge Technical | Vocational | Coursework & exams | Level 3 | Sometimes | Uni, apprenticeships, employment | Practical learners, industry links | Cambridge Technicals |
| T Level | Technical | Exams & work placement | Level 3 | Yes (45 days min) | Uni, higher tech, apprenticeships | Hands-on, want workplace experience in specific industry | T Levels |
| WJEC Diploma | Vocational | Coursework & exams | Level 3 | Sometimes | Uni, apprenticeships, employment | Specialist/practical subjects | Applied Certificates and Diplomas |
| BTEC | Vocational | Coursework & exams | Level 3 | Sometimes | Uni, apprenticeships, employment | Practical learners, career focus | BTEC Nationals |
| Apprenticeships | Apprenticeship | End-point assessment | Level 2 and 3 | 80% workplace, 20% training/ study | Level 4 to 7 Apprenticeship | Feel ready to go into the workplace and have a specific job role in mind | Apprenticeships |
| Apprenticeships and employment | |
| Find an apprenticeship – GOV.UK | Search the national database for local and national apprenticeship vacancies. You may either search by a job title or see underneath the option to ‘browse by interest’. You can also specify whether you would prefer to stay locally or search across all of England. It will then take you to a page where you can filter (left-hand side) by level of qualification you hope to achieve. At post-16, you are most likely to be looking at Level 2 to Level 5 apprenticeships. Note that new apprenticeships are uploaded frequently, so it’s worth checking back even if there’s nothing at first glance. |
| Amazing Apprenticeships | A great website for anyone considering an apprenticeship. There are resources and webinars for both students and parents. From here, you may sign up to receive them |
| Choices Magazine | Choices magazine is the ultimate parent and carer guide to apprenticeships and technical education, and you can download all previous editions HERE. |
| A-Z of Apprenticeship Standards | There are hundreds of apprenticeship standards. This list, organised alphabetically by routes, helps you to explore the different apprenticeship standards available. |
| DCC Apprenticeships | UK’s biggest online community for young entrepreneurs (aged 16-30) who are starting or running their own business. |
| DDC Apprenticeships | Information on support available for self-employment. |
| Top apprenticeship employers in the East Midlands: | Rolls Royce |
| Other Sources | ||
| Mrs E Bortoli, Lady Manners School | 01629 812671 ext 262 | Support available during term time at the careers department in school. Mrs Bortoli will respond to emails requesting careers advice. |
| National Careers Service | 0800 100900 | Careers help and advice – on line and by telephone |
| D2N2 Labour Market Information | Information on Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (D2N2) local labour market information and specific East Midlands growth sectors: construction, visitor economy, transport equipment manufacturing, transport and logistics, low carbon industries, life sciences, health and social care, food and drink manufacturing and creative industries. |
| People in Work | Office for National Statistics website giving national employment data covering employment rates, hours of work and earnings. |
You can read our full Key stage 4 programme here:
Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance in Key Stage 4