post16

Options at 16 and beyond

Young people have a duty to participate in some kind of education or training until the end of the academic year in which they are 18. The purpose of this is to ensure that as many people as possible achieve at least Level 2 qualifications by the time they are 19.

The Local Authority has a duty to ensure that there are sufficient appropriate opportunities available to young people and will have a duty to monitor and record what young people are doing. The Local Authority will have to ensure that all young people currently in Yr11 and Yr12 have been given an appropriate offer of a place by the end of September. This is called the September Guarantee.

Schools have a duty to ensure that young people receive independent careers information, advice and guidance (IAG) prior to the end of Yr11 and also have a duty to report to the Local Authority the Yr12 destination offer made to their current Yr11 students by the end of September.

There is no requirement for young people to participate during the usual breaks in learning (school/college holidays)

What options are available?

  • College/FE
  • Sixth form
  • Apprenticeships/traineeships
  • Alternative training providers
  • Working with training
  • Volunteering

Remember that each of our young people have access to a KS4 Progression Advisor or a Post 16 Support Officer and we can guide you, and the young person, through these options to enable them to make informed decisions. Each year in March we write to young people in academic years 11, 12 and 13 to remind them of their options.

The websites below contain lots of helpful information regarding training providers in Kent, and apprenticeship in Kent, post 16 options and volunteering opportunities: