Work experience and careers guidance
Every student at Burlington House Sixth Form is unique, with different interests and their own way of approaching things. To help students build the soft skills that matter for employability and to gain genuine work experience for their CV, we run a growing work experience programme alongside academic lessons and enrichment. It supports students as they take their first steps towards their future careers.
First steps and building confidence
For some students, the first steps are working on employability skills in our Life Skills and Work Skills lessons, or in Speech and Language Therapy group sessions. We aim to build each student’s confidence to work a couple of hours a week somewhere by the end of their first year, and we provide travel training for any student who needs it, so that they can become independent travellers.
Real placements with real employers
Burlington House has strong partnerships with local employers, including Scotties Coffee, Bush Hall (our local live music venue), Music House for Children, Next Door Records, Suzu Restaurant and Charlotte’s Cloud cafe, along with Planet Happy Toys, Petit Miracles, Visa and Sovereign Comics. Many students complete barista training with Lou Scott at Scotties Coffee and go on to work in local cafes and farmers’ markets. We also run industry days at Bush Hall, where students take part in ticketing, box office, event promotion, sound and lighting, and performance and composition.
The Turing Scheme trip
The annual highlight of our programme is the chance to take part in a Turing Scheme work experience trip. Each year a group of students and staff visit a European country and spend five days working in a range of settings. Interested students apply and have a formal interview before being selected, so that those who are ready can make the most of it. So far our students have travelled to France and Greece.
Guidance for the next step
We support every student to plan their next step with confidence. This includes one to one careers advice with a fully trained careers adviser, mock interviews, and visits to UCAS and Higher Education events, conferences, and job and apprenticeship shows. We help with personal statements and CVs, provide access to Unifrog, and send a fortnightly specialist careers newsletter. Our annual Progression Event brings local colleges, universities and industry ambassadors into school to talk to students and their families about life after Sixth Form.
Careers support at a glance
A growing weekly work experience programme matched to each student’s interests
Partnerships including Bush Hall, Scotties Coffee and Music House for Children
Annual Turing Scheme trips, so far to France and Greece
One to one careers advice, mock interviews, Unifrog and an annual Progression Event
Explore the school
Find out more
To see how we prepare students for life after school, come and meet our Sixth Form team, or read about where our students go next.