Beyond Holmwood

6th Form Options

Holmwood House has a long and proud record of sending children to a wide range of senior independent and grammar schools across  the Eastern region and nationally. Every year a large proportion of our pupils achieve scholarships to a wide range of schools and we will use this expertise to prepare pupils during their time in the Senior School at Holmwood for entry into a range of 6th Form options.  Holmwood delivers a strong programme of teaching and learning that fulfils the requirements for  6th Form entry and will work closely with all our families in supporting their 6th 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.
Empowering Leadership Roles
Students in all years have the chance to take on leadership roles through the school council and as boarding representatives. However, our unique Element roles, available for application in Year 8, empower pupils to navigate their “Flightpath to the Future.”

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:

1. Notice Boards: Pupils can explore careers notice boards in each department and the library for up-to-date opportunities and guidance.
2. National Careers Week: As a school we participate in National Careers Week in March, integrating it into the Y7-9 Pastoral Program and assemblies.
3. 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.

Year-by-Year Career Development Overview

Year 7
An Introduction to Careers morning in June 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

• Career paths talk by a parent (spring term).
• Work experience investigations and applications (spring term).
• Mock interviews with a parent (spring term).
• GCSE Options Evening (spring term).
• Careers talks by a variety of parents throughout the year.
• Work experience placement in July with an allocated mentor from the school.

Year 10
A trip to the Careers Fayre at Chelmsford Race Ground (September) or Colchester Stadium (February).

Year 11

• Post-16 options exploration as part of the Pastoral Program.
• Open days/evenings advertised for local Post-16 options.
• Interview practice.
• Individual post-16 options discussions with an allocated school mentor.

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