Education

16 and beyond: Work experience and volunteering

2 August 2017 0 Comments

Kent Choices - a guide to your futureYour future. It’s your choice.

You need to stay in education or training after you’re 16, but how you do this is up to you. There are lots of options and you need to pick the one that will help you get the future you want.

Work experience and volunteering

An introduction to the workplace and key working skills

Having work or volunteering experience during your summer holidays or year out makes your CV stronger and makes you more attractive to a potential employer. It demonstrates that you’re keen to get ahead and take the initiative, and gives you the chance to practice the skills you’ll need in a real organisation.

Find work experience with us or with other businesses in Kent.

Find opportunities to volunteer and get experience in all kinds of different roles across Kent and the whole country.

The National Citizen Service (NCS) is a UCAS-recognised opportunity for students in Years 11 and 12 to take part in outdoor activities, learn skills for life and work, and give back to the local community. It costs only £50 (help with paying for this may be available), all meals and activities are covered, and it looks great on your CV. For more information or to sign up, visit National Citizen Service.

Kent County Council
www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/college-sixth-form-employment-and-training/options-at-16-and-beyond#tab-3

Education, Employment, News, Young people

16 and beyond: Earn as you learn

1 August 2017 0 Comments

Kent Choices - a guide to your futureYour future. It’s your choice.

You need to stay in education or training after you’re 16, but how you do this is up to you. There are lots of options and you need to pick the one that will help you get the future you want.

Earn as you learn

Apprenticeships and self employment

If you have a career sector or path in mind and want to start earning money as you learn, an apprenticeship could be for you. You’ll do real jobs for real employers; training on the job, working towards an industry-standard qualification.

Find out more about what’s available and how to apply at Apprentice Kent.

Some providers who offer apprenticeships also offer Study Learning Programmes for people aged 16 to 19. These include areas like catering, construction and hairdressing. To find out more visit the Kent Association of Training Organisations (KATO) website or talk to your careers teacher.

Working for yourself

If you like the idea of setting your own hours, working when and where you want, and you have an idea that might make money, you could speak to the Kent Foundation about getting your business idea off the ground. The Kent Foundation offer free business support to young people who want to start or grow a business, and they could help you bring your business ideas to life.

Remember that until you’re 18, you’ll need to be in learning or training as well as developing your business.

Kent County Council
www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/college-sixth-form-employment-and-training/options-at-16-and-beyond#tab-2

Education, Employment, News, Young people

16 and beyond: Learn full time

31 July 2017 0 Comments

Kent Choices - a guide to your futureYour future. It’s your choice.

You need to stay in education or training after you’re 16, but how you do this is up to you. There are lots of options and you need to pick the one that will help you get the future you want.

Learn full time

Stay on full-time at school or college

Lots of school have sixth forms. You can stay at your current school or move to a new one. Sixth forms tend to be smaller, and offer more teaching structure and student support than colleges.

Colleges are often larger and more informal than sixth forms, and they offer a wider variety of courses, but they will expect you to be able to manage your own work and time effectively.

If you’re not sure which is right for you, some schools run joint courses with colleges so you can experience both.

You need to find a school or college that offers the courses or subjects you are interested in studying, or the best route to the level of qualifications you want. If you have special educational needs, you’ll also want to think about whether your chosen provider is suitable for your situation.

Search and apply for courses through UCAS Progress

Open days

Schools and colleges have open days that you can go along to and find out more about what’s offered and get a feel for the place.

Find open days in your local area

Kent County Council
www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/college-sixth-form-employment-and-training/options-at-16-and-beyond#tab-1

 

Education, News, Young people

Registration for the Kent Test

15 June 2017 0 Comments

Registration for Kent Test (11+) is now open for any parent of a year five child who would like them to be considered for a place in a Kent Grammar school for 2018.

Parents have until 3 July to register for the test. These will take place after the summer break on 7 September for children who go to school in Kent and 9 September for those children who go to school outside of Kent. Results will be sent out on 12 October.

Roger Gough, KCC Cabinet Member for Education said: “To speed up the process we urge as many parents as possible to register online. 95% of all test registrations are made this way and allows results to be sent by email.

“The Kent Test helps parents and children find the most suitable type of school for the next stage of their education.

“As more grammar schools include priority for pupils eligible for free school meals in their admissions arrangements we are particularly keen to encourage these families  to register and sit the test.“ (more…)

Children, Education, Kent County Council, News

New school health services

19 April 2017 0 Comments

Innovative new school health services underway across Kent

New school health services are being rolled out in Kent which will see greater access for children and young people to support for physical and mental health issues.

Kent County Council has awarded two new contracts – the Primary School Public Health Service and the Adolescent and Targeted Emotional Wellbeing Service – to Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT).

The new contracts for school-age children were drawn up after consultation with people using and working with the services. It will start on 1 April and parents, children, young people and schools will notice a variety of improvements over the next couple of months including:

  • increased opening hours from 8am until 6pm, Monday to Friday
  • easier access with one number, email and online referral to contact the service
  • uniforms to make the school health team more visible
  • increased drop ins at schools, youth clubs and community venues
  • for children and young people, with web chat.

(more…)

Children, Education, Health, Kent County Council, News, Wellbeing

2 weeks left for primary school applications

7 January 2017 0 Comments

Kent County CouncilYou must apply for a primary school place, by 16th January 2017, if:

  • l your child is due to start primary or infant school (reception year)
  • l your child is at infant school (year 2) and is due to start junior school (year 3)
  • l your child is at primary school (year 2) and you want your child to move to junior school at the start of year 3.
  • If your child is at infant school (year 2) and you want to apply for a year 3 place at a primary school (rather than a junior school) you must apply for an in year admission.

Apply for a school place:

Online

Go to Kent Online Admissions www.kent.gov.uk/ola

By post.

Once completed send to: The Primary Admissions Team, Room 2.20, Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1XQ.

More information

For more information read the KCC guide to primary school places www.kent.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/64324/primary-admissions-booklet.pdf (PDF, 6.3 MB).

If you need advice call 03000 41 21 21 or email primaryadmissions@kent.gov.uk.

www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/primary-school-places

Children, Education, Kent County Council, News

College housing granted permission after 5 years

10 December 2016 0 Comments

Ashford Borough Council (ABC) has granted permission for up to 154 houses on the site of the Ashford College Campus in Jemmett Road, five years after the Planning Committee voted to permit the development.

Plans for the college to vacate the site go back to 2008, when an application made by South Kent College was approved for up to 241 dwellings on the site. This was linked to a proposal for a new campus (The Ashford Learning Campus) at the junction of Beaver Road and Victoria Road. The scheme was not implemented due to funding problems.

The application for renewal of the permission in 2011 resulted in a new scheme being drawn up with a reduced number of dwellings to meet the Council’s residential space standards.

The Planning Committee voted to permit the development, subject to a maximum of 154 dwellings being built on the site, on 21 September 2011. The resolution to permit was dependent on the applicant entering into a Section 106 agreement for contributions toward the provision of infrastructure and services. Again funding problems prevented implementation of the scheme. A Section 106 agreement has now been exchanged between ABC and West Kent & Ashford College, as successors to South Kent College.

The ABC Case reference is 11/00405/AS, we have posted the notification under Local Information / Planning and Development / Planning Notice today

Ashford Borough Council, Education, News, Planning and Development

ITL Sponsor Bright Sparks Award

17 November 2016 0 Comments

Discovery park's Kimberley Anderson with fellow KM Bright Spark supporters

Discovery park’s Kimberley Anderson with fellow KM Bright Spark supporters

South Ashford based medical technology firm, ITL launched The KM Bright Spark Awards 2017 alongside fellow sponsors at Discovery Park, last week.

The community initiative, which aims to promote science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), is a celebration of bright young minds. Entries are now open for student teams with exciting projects that feature cross-curricular collaborations in STEM subjects.

Integrated Technologies Ltd (ITL) is an awards partner, alongside Pfizer, Benenden Hospital Trust and Prendon Panels. The awards, which are open to primary and secondary school teams of all ages, invite students to showcase their science projects in front of a panel of industry experts; known as ‘the dragons’. 2017 will be the third year that ITL have sponsored the awards.

The annual awards have a Dragon’s Den-style format with students invited on stage to showcase their science projects with the chance to win prizes. The three categories are: innovation, investigation and invention. (more…)

Business, Children, Education, News

Deadline for secondary school place applications is Monday

28 October 2016 0 Comments

Kent County CouncilYou must apply for a Secondary school place if your child is born between 1 September 2005 and 31 August 2006 for your child to start year 7 at Secondary school in 2017. You will need to apply for a Secondary school place when your child is in Year 6 at Primary school.

If your child is already at Secondary school and you want to move them to a different school you must apply for an in year admission.

Applications made made by Monday, 31 October 2016

Apply online at: www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/secondary-school-places

Children, Education, Kent County Council, News