Transitioning into the workplace and tertiary education

What do our past students wish we had covered with them at school? What do they say about how well we prepared them for leaving school? I visited some of our 2018/19 students who are now in tertiary education to interview them. I also had online survey responses from approximately 30 past students who are either working or in tertiary education. Overall, most students surveyed or interviewed felt that they  got enough support from staff at Waitara High School to be able to make decisions for their future. Certain staff were mentioned by name - so what happens if those staff leave? What process or systems do we have in place if this happens? So what did we do well? Students said: Making sure we had a CV. Got some cool speakers in to talk about what we could do when we leave school. Getting us in the habit of getting assessments in on time. A.P.A referencing from English. Research skills. Helped us apply for scholarships and courses. Allowed us to work independently and take responsi...

At the start of the year, I asked our Year 13s about what 2021 might hold for them. More students seemed to have an idea than those who didn’t - which I guess is good?! They indicated a possible pathway, e.g. ' Something to do with animals - maybe vet nursing' or that they were aiming for university, e.g. ' Study at university for dance studies or travel or marketing/ business' . A smaller number of students weren't too sure: Not too sure yet I don’t know I have no idea No clue Anything really (suggests not sure!) Idk Not sure Concerns about being in Y13 (include not passing L3, not getting UE, struggling with work, failure) but also: Not too sure what I wanna do after school The responsibility after school finishes  Not knowing what I want to do next year What I’m gonna do after I leave With the disruption to learning from lockdown, and the fact that we are now halfway through the school year, it may be worth checking out the general feeling amongst our Year 13s ...