PARENTÂ AND GUARDIANÂ AREA
This page is designed to give advice to guardians and parents on how to support their child(ren) with finding their vocation and progressing on from St David's Catholic College!
Scroll down for General Information then further for Apprenticeship and Employment information and towards the bottom for University and Degree Apprenticeship information.
GCSEs/ Level 2 qualifications are an important aspect of progression.
Not only are there GCSE entry requirements for Level 3 (A-levels and BTECs), but the key GCSEs of
ENGLISH LANGUAGE,
MATHEMATICS,
and SCIENCE
are necessary for admission to University, and most Employment and Apprenticeships.
If your child(ren) do not have at least a C GRADE in English Language, Maths, or Science
please seek guidance during the enrollment interview on what steps can be taken to resit the GCSE exams.
We strongly recommend your child(ren) to research their options. During their Pastoral Tutor lessons at the end of the Lower Sixth they begin researching which path they wish to take. No answer is right, no answer is wrong; we guide students to explore their own passions and vocations. The main sites we use are Unifrog, Gov.Wales (Education & Skills and Employment & Work sections) and Careers Wales.
PASTORAL TUTOR LESSONS
These are the lessons students encounter during the final term of Year 12/Lower Sixth.
They help the students learn the terminology needed to understand the next stage in their life. Additionally, they give students a chance to reflect on their personalities, skills, and academic studies and the broad range of options available for progression from College.
UNIFROG - RESEARCH PLATFORM
This is main site used to explore options. It is where the students can collate their information and their tutors can view the paths they are interested in taking.
The site has information on apprenticeships, employment, gap years and university both home and abroad. Ask your child(ren) to show you what jobs they are interested in pursuing.
CAREERS WALES WEBSITE
Careers Wales is a national website to help people of all ages to locate apprenticeships, employment and explore their options. It is funded by Welsh Government.
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An excellent source of information, it has a wonderful section which explores possibilities and paths for those leaving College. It is also a good place to explore job/apprenticeship vacancies.
APPRENTICESHIPS & EMPLOYMENT
Getting into an Apprenticeship or going direct into Employment can be an excellent way for some students to explore their options and learn on the job. Academic study and University are not for everyone but no matter their age, University will always be an option they can come back to! Each year good portion of our College's Upper Sixth cohort decides to explore apprenticeships or employment as the next step toward their career. We work closely with Careers Wales to make sure they get the best opportunities and support.
UNIVERSITY & DEGREE APPRENTICESHIPS
University is often seen as the next step in progression after College. Remember university is not for everyone! Some would be better suited to learn through going direct into employment and working their way up, through an apprenticeship or by doing a mix of an apprenticeship and degree programme called a Degree Apprenticeship. This section explores Degree Apprenticeships and University applications more closely.
PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO THE VOLUME OF APPLICATIONS WHICH MUST BE PROCESSED, THE COLLEGE HAS INTERNAL DEADLINES FOR UCAS APPLICATIONS. APPLICATIONS NEED TO BE SUBMITTED BY THIS DATE TO GUARANTEE THAT THE DESTINATIONS DEPARTMENT CAN PROCESS IT BY THE EXTERNAL DEADLINE.