How to be successful

When you leave Horbury School you will almost certainly have to attend an interview for either a job or a place at a Further Education College.

This page has lots of helpful tips to help you prepare for your interview and how to behave at the interview.

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Preparing for the interview

• Plan what to wear - you will need to look smart and tidy
• Make sure that you know where you're going and how to get there; practice the journey if nescessary
• Allow plenty of time to get there
• Think about what to take with you (your Record of Achievment, certificates etc.)

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Whats all this about "levels"?

Level 2 courses include National Vocational Qualification's (NVQ's the replacement BTEC first award) and General National Vocational Qualification (GNVQ) at foundation and intermediate level.
GNVQ foundation is equivalent to two GCSE grade C's and intermediate is equivalent to four GCSE grade C's.

Most level 2courses last for 1 year.

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• Attend an Interview
• Have at least 4 grade D - G GCSE's

Level 3 courses are aimed at the traditional sixth form student. They include AS, A2 (the old "A" levels), and the new Advanced Vocational Certifictate of Education (AVCE - formally known as Advanced GNVQ)

The VCE is a mixture of traditional academic and vocational work.

Most level 3 courses last for 2 years.

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• Attend an Interview
• AS and A2 - entry requirement is 5 GCSE's A-C
• VCE and other level 3 courses - entry requirement is 4 GCSE's A-C
• As with most of these courses, it is desirable to have passed GCSE English and Maths to at least a Grade C

What do I do if I dont get the entry qualifications that I need?

You have two main options:-

Resit - study for a further six months or one year and re take the exams that you have missed

Continue your studies at a lower level, and resit your missed exams at the same time.

This may mean that you do a one year level one or level two course before continuing for a further year at a higher level.

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Awarding Bodies

There are two main "awarding bodies" (exam boards) that you will come across in FE.

The links below will take you to their main web sites.

They are:-

EDEXEL formally known as BTEC, were set up to award the GNVQ. They now offer GNVQ (all levels) and the new VCSE

City & Guilds is the leading provider of vocational qualifications in the United Kingdom. A City & Guilds qualification assesses actyual skills that are of practical value in the work place.

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Money

Money can be a major issue when you are studying for a Further Education qualification. You may want money for yourself and your parents may find it hard to support you financially.

You may consider working part time to earn some money to support your studies. This is a valuable experience and can enhance your career prospects by giving you real world experience that your prospective employer is looking for.

The danger of working part tim eis that you may harm your studies because you are too tired or havent enough time to complete your coursework.

The EMA provides between £10 and £30 per week. The allowance is means tested which means that you and your family will have to provide details of your financial situation to see what amount you will be awarded.

The allowance is conditional on you having 100% attendance and if you do not attend all of your lessons, you will have your allowance stopped.

Many FE courses need a large amount of specialist equiptment. You will have to buy this before you enrol on your course. Wakefield College ask you to pay for your equiptment in advance. You can either pay the full amount in advance, or pay by installments using a direct debit.

These are the amounts that you will need to pay:

Wakefield College have a policy of not letting money be a barrier to anyone being educated, so provide special grants to students who cannot afford to buy their materials.

Last year the Hardship Fund was nearly £106,000, although this had to be split between 3000 full time and 15,000 part time students.

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I need more help - where can I go?

There is plenty of guidance available to students after they leave High School, but sometimes it is dificult to ask.

It is worth bearing in mind that everyone you meet wants you to be succesful, and you should listen carefully to the advice that they are giving you without pre judging what they say.

Your parents will also be supportive, and you should involved them in your decision at every stage. This is the first major decision that you have made for yourself, and your parents will want you to make the right choice.

You cant also contact the careers department at Horbury School and at your new college, or prospective new college.

Good luck, and welcome to adult life!

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