Your Future, Your Skills, Your Pathway
Your teachers will work with you to help you develop the skills you need for life, independence and employment. As part of our commitment to delivering a high-quality careers programme, you will receive information about work experience placements, work-related learning opportunities and different types of jobs. You will also meet people from the world of work, who can help you understand the skills and qualities needed to be successful when you leave school.
At The Woodlands School, we want to help you realise your potential so you can move towards a future that suits your strengths, interests and ambitions.
How can you improve your skills and become more employable?
Here are some ideas to help you build confidence, independence, teamwork and problem-solving skills — all of which employers value:
- Teach yourself a programming language
- Join a club
- Play a sport, train hard, join a team
- Apply for student vacancies
- Write a blog
- Learn to play a musical instrument
- Join the Army or Air Cadets
- Help out in a charity shop
- Get a part-time job
- Set up a mini-business (e.g., cleaning cars)
- Help out in lunchtime clubs for younger pupils
- Create a website
- Organise a charity fundraiser
- Play in a band
- Do some DIY or fix your bike
- Take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award
- Build with Lego
These activities help develop key employability skills linked to the Gatsby Benchmarks, such as experiencing different workplaces (Benchmark 6), developing your personal skills (Benchmark 3), and learning more about careers and future pathways (Benchmark 2).
Thinking about your future?
If you are starting to explore what you might want to do after school, try asking yourself these questions:
- What are you good at?
- What do you enjoy doing?
- What subjects are you good at (in school)?
- What are you good at outside of school?
- What are your interests?
- What skills do you already have?
- What sort of person are you?
- Do you like interacting with people?
- Do you prefer working indoors or outdoors?
Exploring these questions can help you begin to understand your strengths, identify what you enjoy, and discover different career pathways. This links closely with Gatsby Benchmark 3 (Addressing Individual Needs) and Benchmark 8 (Personal Guidance).
Need more help?
If you would like support exploring your skills, job ideas or next steps, you can speak to our school careers adviser at any time. Personal guidance is an important part of our careers programme, and we are here to help you plan your future.
Careers Lead Contact
Rebecca Brown – Careers Lead