Life Beyond Holmwood

6th Form Options

Holmwood House has a distinguished history of preparing pupils for successful entry into a wide range of senior independent and grammar schools across the Eastern region and nationally. We also maintain strong connections with local Sixth Form Colleges. Each year, many of our pupils earn scholarships to diverse schools, and we draw on this expertise to guide and prepare our Senior School students for a variety of Sixth Form pathways. Holmwood delivers a rigorous teaching and learning programme that meets the requirements for Sixth Form entry, and we work closely with families to support and advise them throughout their Sixth Form choices.

Careers at Holmwood House

At Holmwood, we are dedicated to providing our senior school pupils with comprehensive support and opportunities to explore and prepare for their careers and next steps in education. Our approach focuses on fostering essential skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving, both within the classroom and through extracurricular experiences.

Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance

Our careers program aligns with the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance, ensuring a well-rounded and effective approach:

Stable Careers Programme
Learning from Career and Labour Market Information
Addressing the Needs of Each Pupil
Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers
Encounters with Employers and Employees
Experiences of Workplaces
Encounters with Further and Higher Education
Personal Guidance

Holmwood Careers Highlights:

National Careers Week: As a school we participate in National Careers Week in March, integrating it into the Y7-9 Pastoral Program and assemblies.
Curriculum links: Throughout each subject’s delivery, students are guided toward potential associated careers and inspired to foster curiosity about the diverse paths these subjects
may lead them towards. Curriculum trips inspire pupils by connecting classroom learning to real-world opportunities and sparking interest in future careers.
Interview preparation, with mock interviews conducted by an HR professional.
Responsibilities are a key part of preparing pupils for their future careers. Pupils across all years can develop important skills by participating in the school leadership position, school and eco-council.

Year-by-Year Career Development Overview

At Holmwood, we are committed to providing a holistic and enriching career development experience, ensuring our pupils are well-prepared for their future endeavours.

Year 7

An Introduction to Careers morning with talks by a variety of professionals.

Year 8

A Careers Enterprise day with an entrepreneur guest, followed by Apprentice/Dragons Den challenge during the summer term challenge weeks.

Year 9

Careers talks by a variety of parents throughout the year.
Work experience investigations and applications.
Mock interviews with a parent.
GCSE Options Evening.

Year 10

Work experience placement in July with an allocated mentor from the school.
A trip to the Careers Fayre at Chelmsford Race Ground or Colchester Stadium.
A trip to Colchester 6th Form College, as part of the Move Up experience.
Post-16 options exploration as part of the Pastoral Program.

Year 11

Open days/evenings advertised for local Post-16 options.
Arrange personal tours of local 6th Form Colleges.
Interview practice.
A trip to the Careers Fayre at Chelmsford Race Ground (September) or Colchester Stadium (February).
Individual post-16 options discussions with an allocated school mentor.