Education and training

We are committed to supporting you to aim high and achieve in your education, training, and employment choices. We know how important it is you receive help to find what you are good at and get support where things can perhaps be harder.

Whatever you choose to do, we will support you to achieve your educational and employment goals. Our support can continue until you are 25 years old.

If you are interested in employment information, see our Employment and volunteering section.

What support do we offer?

Social workers, personal advisors (PA), keyworkers, foster carers and virtual schools are professionals who are here to support you thinking about your education, training and employment choices.

They can also arrange for you to receive advice from the right people and services and arrange for you to receive your financial entitlements from us.

What you need to know

Personal Education Plan and Pathway Plan

Everyone who is in care from nursery age up to 18 (Year 13) should have a Personal Education Plan (PEP). From 16 years of age, you will also have a Pathway Plan that captures your educational needs, goals and aspirations. These plans are developed over your school years with you, your college or sixth form tutor or designated teacher, your social worker and PA. Some of the things it will include are:

  • your age
  • where you live
  • your school history
  • if you need additional support
  • your views
  • academic achievements and targets
  • career targets
  • how your education is at the moment
  • your strengths and achievements

You will have had termly meetings to update the PEP and regular meetings after that to review your plans as part of your 6 monthly Pathway Plan reviews.

Virtual School

The Virtual School is here to ensure all children and young people in care are supported to achieve their best education, are pursuing their ambitions and supported with all education and training needs.

We work with schools and colleges so that they understand what support you need. We are a team of experienced education advisors who will support you to find up-to-date information about careers, jobs, education courses, volunteering and training opportunities.

What happens after Year 11

We know getting to the end of Year 11 and thinking about your options is both exciting and perhaps daunting, there’s so much to think about. When you’re thinking about your future remember that you are young and you have lots of time to try new things, gain new experience and we are here to help you.

Between the ages of 16 to 18 working alongside the Virtual School, your PA and social worker will work together by:

  • planning your next steps for education and training
  • ensuring you are receiving support to search for courses
  • linking you with training providers, colleges, and universities
  • making sure you have a personal education plan (PEP), right up to when you are 18 (Year 13)
  • ensuring your PEP is included in your pathway plan

Your post-16 options

After Year 11 there are lots of different pathways you can follow. You should have been talking about these pathways with your school from the age of 14 and your ideas should be in your PEP. If they are not, ask for some help at your PEP meeting.

Post-16 you might do more GCSEs, A Levels, a Traineeship or Apprenticeship focused work, like building, mechanics, social care, office work, IT and so on.

Colleges offer a number of different courses and qualifications, so many that it would be a lot to list. Colleges can offer vocational courses – focused on job areas and A Levels. Some specialise in one more than another.

Support for Asylum-Seeking Young People aged 16 and over

We want to support you in your education pathway. Unfortunately, whilst you await a decision on your immigration status, this can limit what you can access. There are still lots of opportunities available to you and your social worker and PA can talk to you about these.

Below is the pathway available:

  • ESOL – (English for Speakers of Other Languages) qualifications are designed to help learners to develop English skills and build confidence in using English in everyday life, education and employment
  • Entry Level 1 Maths and English – Asphaleia and Chichester College
  • Entry Level 2 Maths & English
  • Entry Level 3 Maths & English
  • Level 1 Maths and English – you can begin to be assessed for suitability to start GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education)
  • Level 2 Maths and English – you will be working towards or starting GCSEs

You can now follow the regular educational pathway from this point forward, but there are some restrictions that may impact on your choices until decisions are made on your status.

  • Unfortunately, you cannot go to university unless you have Leave to Remain.
  • There are no college bursaries available after turning 20 if you are still awaiting home office decision.
  • Some level 3 NVQs require job placements which are not possible without Leave to Remain being granted.
  • Some courses such as construction require employment insurance which UASC can’t get even if working for free.

For more information see our Finance section.

University

University is a great option and there are many courses available for you to choose from. If you’re thinking about university there are a few things to consider:

  • what subject you want to study
  • which university you want to go to
  • care leavers offers
  • applying for university
  • student finance

When applying for university everything is done through the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) We will make lots of references to them throughout this section of the offer.

Selecting a subject

You should have an idea about what you want to study, this could be anything from psychology, art, music, aerospace engineering, zoology and more. There is so much to choose from you will have a variety of subjects that will feed any curiosity any interest.

Visit UCAS to find out about available courses.

Choosing a university

Now you have an idea about the subject you want to study, now it is time to think about the university you want to study at. When considering this it’s worth thinking about:

  • where the university is
  • whether you might want to live in a specific place or stay close to home
  • whether you may want to move to a different country - check requirements and costs which will vary
  • the university’s specialism - lots of universities specialise and will have the best facilities
  • their care leaver’s offer
  • every university will offer something different, it’s worth having a look!

Don’t forget to visit! Every university will have an ‘open day’ this is for people to come and look around, see the area and meet the tutors.

We will pay for you to go to an open day and if you want your PA to come with you, we would love to!

Use UCAS to

Leaving care offers

There is a website that has been specifically designed to support care leavers understand what universities offer them, this is called Propel.

They can provide you with information on every university in the UK and have lots of other helpful tips and support that you might find useful!

Find out more by visiting Propel.

Applying for university

Now it’s time to apply for university! This is a very exciting moment. You apply through UCAS, you will have to:

  • write a personal statement
  • upload all your qualifications
  • select up to 5 universities and courses that you want to study

Visit UCAS to find out all you need to know about applying for university.

Financial help with study

How to get financial help with your post-16 studies

See our Education finance page.

Local education support

Find It Out Centre

If you are aged 16 to 25 and need help looking for a job or apprenticeship, or finding suitable education or training the ‘Find It Out Centre’ can help. They are a West Sussex service so they know the local area and all the opportunities close to you. They can help with:

  • careers advice
  • education (access to college prospectuses and help with applications)
  • employment and training (how to write a CV or search for jobs or apprenticeships)

To access their services, you just need to fill out an online form and they will find a time to speak with you. You can fill out the form.

Adult education

Visit our adult learning service pages.