Planning for a bright future

Last week’s Forest in Action Days were a programme of events designed to engage pupils in learning activities outside the classroom, following a model established in 2019.  As part of this approach, each year group had a different focus for their days which built on and developed the five core Co-Curricular principles of: Creativity, Community, Culture, Careers and Challenge.

In parallel with this broad and varied programme of activities, our Y11, Y12 and Y13 pupils participated in a series of sessions specifically focused on supporting them in planning for their futures, both at Forest and beyond the white gates.

Last week Y11 had the opportunity to participate in our 16+ Transition Programme, which is in fact a seven-day programme culminating in a pizza picnic this coming Friday (weather permitting)!  The purpose of the sessions is to give Y11 students a really good taste of what Sixth Form life is like, regardless of whether they are staying at Forest or not. There is something for everyone, including academic sessions, an introduction to the EPQ, taster lessons in the Forest Diploma competencies, and sessions on Wellbeing, coaching, Community Action, and leadership.

Our Y12s participated in Next Steps Apply Days marking the beginning of our Y12’s application process for both universities and apprenticeships that will of course last for months, not just three days. The programme that was delivered was comprehensive as students were walked through the UCAS application form process, attended subject-specific face-to-face sessions, and received guidance on how to get the most out of Unifrog.  Students spent the final day of the Next Steps Apply Days focusing on good personal statement writing, interview skills and leadership, all of which can make a significant contribution to successfully securing university or apprenticeship offers.

Forest is committed to supporting its students by giving them all the tools they need to plan their journey after leaving School.  This was the thinking behind our Year 13 Beyond the White Gates Conference which also ran last week.

The programme began with a presentation from Melissa Scallan, author of Starting University: What to Expect, How to Prepare, Go and Enjoy which was followed by a series of sessions focusing on academic transition, community volunteering as part of student life, mental health training from Natasha Devon MBE and a session on self-advocacy.  The week was rounded off with a talk from universities on student safety, successful learning in lectures and sexual health workshops.  This week will be focused on saying goodbye to this fantastic group of young Old Foresters.