5th Form Programme
The School is a member of the Independent Schools Careers Organisation (ISCO) and all pupils are enrolled in the Fifth Form unless withdrawn by their parents. Details of the services offered by ISCO are sent to parents separately at the end of the Fourth Form.
Early in the Michaelmas Quarter enrolled pupils sit the 'Morrisby Profiling Session’, a set of psychometric ability tests and interest questionnaires, arranged by ISCO. This is followed by an explanatory feedback session which parents are also welcome to attend, and by individual interviews for each pupil with an ISCO Careers Consultant to discuss the results and implications of the Morrisby Profile and imminent AS level choices.
In the Christmas Quarter, all enrolled pupils attend an online session with a member of the School Careers Department, during which they respond to their Profiles, and begin to collate their online Journals, showing achievements, skills and areas of interest. The full report and interview report act as a valuable guide to possible and suitable career areas and are sent to parents at Christmas to help prompt discussions at home. Pupils are addressed by the Director of Studies in an assembly which focuses on Sixth Form choices. A booklet containing course descriptions and advice on AS and A Level choices goes home at the end of the Quarter and is available for download here (requires Adobe Acrobat reader).
In January, on the afternoon of the Fifth Form Parents’ Reception, the Careers Department hosts an informal ‘drop in’ session called Ask the Experts. A group of parents, OOs and other contacts from a range of fields is available for pupils to ask about what these various careers involve, how to break into them, what our experts wish they had known before they started and so on. This event is open to all pupils from the Fourth Form and above.
During the Easter Quarter, all pupils attend a CV writing session with a member of the Careers Department in readiness for Work Experience. The Work Experience Administrator, Mrs Helen Stubbings is available to advise and assist in setting up placements, and can be contacted on hstubbings@oundleschool.org.uk. All pupils are encouraged to complete a placement before entering the Sixth Form. For certain careers such as Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, extensive work experience is essential to a successful application. Details of completed placements should be recorded in pupils’ online Journals.
Help and support from ISCO is available to all enrolled pupils until their 23rd birthdays. This includes a further one-to-one interview at any stage, which can be particularly useful on graduation. The ISCO Information Service is also an invaluable resource, and assists with research and guidance relating to Higher Education and careers choices. It is available by email, on info@isco.org.uk or via the website www.isco.org.uk.