We prioritise the development of communication and professional skills which we develop during every lesson we teach, as well as through our Ada Skills curriculum that every learner has on their timetable for in Y12 and Y13.
Industry
Working with industry is at the heart of what we do: it informs every aspect of our provision and sets us apart.
By giving every learner frequent, meaningful access to our industry partners we build their knowledge of the technology industry, as well as their professional networks, and ultimately their belief that this is an industry in which they belong and in which they can thrive.
The industry interactions we offer are many and diverse.
Speakers
Each term, learners meet with speakers from industry who share their career journeys as well insights into their specific fields. The speakers vary: some are industry leaders, others are just beginning their careers.
Workplace visits
Every learner attends at least three pathway specific workplace visits during their time with us in the sixth form. Not only do our learners have the opportunity to set foot in different professional environments, they network with volunteers from the organisations, as well as gain insights into the day to day working life of the employees.
Coaching programme
We offer an exceptional coaching program. At the beginning of Y12, the majority of our learners are paired with a volunteer from one of our partner organisations. Our learners meet with their coach every six weeks: these meetings are an opportunity for our learners to receive the additional support and guidance they need not only to access a career in the technology industry, but to thrive when in post.
Summer work experience
At the end of Year 12, we endeavour to offer curated summer work experience opportunities for our learners with our industry partners. These opportunities fall in the summer holidays and can last for up to two weeks. In the past, our learners have profited from work experience at, amongst others, Youview, Digital Catapult, Genesis Global, Bank of America and Hoja. These opportunities afford extraordinary insight into the reality of a tech career within corporate organisations and small businesses, as well as support our learners to build the professional skills and networks they need to flourish.
Industry projects
Every learner also participates in three industry projects during their time with us. For three days, learners step away from their regular timetables and into small teams to respond to a challenge set by one of our industry partners. The projects are tech focused and climax in our learners presenting their work to senior leaders from the industry partner. Recent industry projects have been run with King Games, Bank of America and Salesforce.