Year 11 students recently benefited from an application support day aimed at helping them to prepare for their move towards post-16 study and future employment.

Whilst their current focus very much remains on study and revision for the summer’s GCSE and vocational exams, Year 11 are also preparing for their next steps thanks to regular events organised as part of the school’s comprehensive careers programme.

The application support day brought together representatives from post-16 college and apprenticeship providers to promote future options and help students write the personal statements that will help unlock these opportunities.

Also attending were representatives from Log on Move on - a free, independent and impartial careers website which supports and inspires young people in Hull and the East Riding to succeed on their education and training journey.

Log on Move on is a collaboration between the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Hull City Council who work together to maintain and update the site. It features helpful hints and tips for creating CVs, a skills passport to log existing skills for the world of work, plus free inspirational and useful resources about employment and education. 

The platform is used by students across the county to apply for college places or apprenticeship vacancies. The one-time set up of a personal profile within Log on Move on enables details to be stored for applications to multiple destinations, helping to streamline and simplify the application process for the site’s users. 

The application support event sat alongside an on-going programme of presentations, delivered in school by college representatives, which have introduced Withernsea’s Year 11 students to the courses and opportunities available to them at key post-16 providers in Hull and the East Riding. These presentations have enabled students to discover the many varied pathways that are open to them, and to learn more about college life.

Opportunities such as these are crucial in equipping students with the knowledge and experience needed to make informed decisions that will ultimately shape their futures.   

Launching the application event was the school’s Careers Leader, Viki Foster, who delivered a presentation on the writing of a successful personal statement, including the dos and don’ts of effective statement writing. This was followed by an introduction to Log on Move on, with a guided demonstration of the platform’s capabilities.

Students were then given time to explore the platform and began creating their user profiles and the personal statements which will form the basis of their applications. Containing useful information such as their predicated exam grades and Year 10 work experience feedback, these profiles are a fundamental asset in the successful application to their destinations of choice.

The day’s activities were supported by the visiting post-16 representatives who were on-hand to offer support, including guidance as to what external providers look for in a successful application. They were also well-placed to deliver information and answer questions about the different pathways available at their respective organisations.

Commenting on the event, Mrs Foster said: “Our application support day offers students a solid starting point for them to make applications in a supportive environment. Year 11 were fully engaged with the tasks that were set and clearly valued the help and support of our visiting post-16 representatives. Feedback from the event has been really positive, with students now saying they feel more confident about completing their applications and showing a real sense of excitement about the post-16 opportunities that await them.”

Year 11 student Summer Grant added: “I found the session very useful as I now know how to access Log on Move on and it helped me to make my personal statement. The visiting representatives asked me what I wanted to do course-wise, but as I don't fully know yet, they talked about the different options available in the subject that I like and may want to pursue. 

Although I'm not sure what I want to do when I leave school, I know I want to base it around Art as that is my favourite subject. I would love to make a future career out of my passion for art and would love to explore working in an animation studio.”

Among the colleges that were represented at the event were Bishop Burton, East Riding, Wyke and Hull College, who appeared alongside engineering apprenticeship provider HETA and St Mary’s Sixth Form – all of which have been popular destinations of choice for countless Withernsea High School students in recent years. 

Commenting on the event from a visitor perspective, Tracey Bourne from Bishop Burton college said: “Withernsea High School’s Year 11 application support day is a unique event in our experience, which gave the students an ideal opportunity to speak with post-16 advisors and complete applications in a supportive environment. It was a positive experience for all who attended and we extend our thanks to the school for inviting us.”

The success of a trial event last year paved the way for this year’s application day. Believed to be the only event of its kind to run in Hull and East Riding schools, the day offers Year 11 students a unique platform to interact with representatives from the destinations they’ll be heading to in September 2023, whilst also receiving support making the steps that will take them there.

Further support for Year 11 will follow in December when they will explore interview tips and techniques in an Interviews Skills Session. This will be delivered by members of the Humber Outreach Programme who, as part of the government-funded Uni Connect initiative, deliver impartial advice and guidance about higher and further education in schools and colleges across the Humber region.

In a follow-up event, scheduled a week later, Year 11 will be given the chance to put their new-found interview skills to the test during a Mock Interview Day. This will see every student be given the opportunity to be interviewed one-on-one by a visiting employer or a representative from a further education provider.

The mock interview scenario will not only evaluate how well students are prepared for the pressures of a real interview situation, it will also create the perfect platform for feedback on their recently-completed personal statements.

To make the experience as authentic as possible, written feedback will be given to students to help guide them with their strengths, and the areas that require further work. This will help prepare them for their interviews to access post-16 providers, as well as the world of successful employment beyond.

Students seeking further support with their applications, personal statements or Log on Move on profiles can speak to Mrs Foster in the P2 Careers Base. She can also be reached via email at fosterv@wscampus.net 

Alternatively, users of Log on Move on can use the website’s help function to contact members of their team for further support and guidance online.

ABOVE: Ellie Walkington, Project Officer with the Education Skills Partnership at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, guided students through the Log on Move on platform.

ABOVE: Students were tasked with setting up their own profiles and beginning their personal statements using Log on Move on.

ABOVE: Victoria Richardson, School’s Liaison Officer at Wyke College, was one of the representatives from post-16 providers on-hand to give students support and advice with writing their personal statements.