While you are at secondary school ECLAS can help you.
Want some extra support in Year 10 or Year 11?
During your GCSE years you will have the chance to ask for some extra coaching in any subject if you want to move up a set or just really make sure you do as well as you can.
This might be time in school or a tutor coming to where you are living. Why not ask your PEP meeting? If your next PEP is a long way off you could talk to your social worker or Designated Teacher who will contact ECLAS to help set it up.
Aim Higher
Not enough young people who have been in care go on to Higher Education and attend university. In Bristol we have more care leavers in university than many other places but we always want to encourage more young people to think about this.
ECLAS Learning Mentors run a project called Aim Higher together with people from the local universities. They offer visits to the different universities and activities where student ambassadors come and meet up with you. At the moment this is for young people living in or near Bristol but if you live further away ECLAS can help you find a similar project near you.
Also many universities run Summer schools for pupils in year 11 and 12. Your school and ECLAS will have details of these and should be discussing with you at your first PEP in year 11.
I need help chosing my options
All schools have lots of advice about choosing options and you could ask your designated teacher to help.
The school’s Connexions worker will come to your Year 9 PEP if you go to school in Bristol or just outside.
If you go to a school further away ask your social worker to phone Chris Hart at ECLAS and Chris will try to contact your Connexions worker to see if they can attend.
Chris can be contacted on 0117 37 73056 or email chris.hart@bristol.gov.uk
After Year 11, what should I do?
All schools have lots of advice about choosing what to do after Year 11 and you could ask your Designated Teacher to help.
The school’s Connexions worker will come to your Year 11 PEP if you go to school in Bristol or just outside.
If you go to a school further away ask your social worker to phone Chris Hart at ECLAS and Chris will try to contact your Connexions worker to see if they can attend.
The Care and After team have lots of support post 16 including a teacher. If you think might want to go to university for example you will receive a lot of help.
Work Experience - Read this if you are in Year 10
You may already have some ideas about work experience and your school, carer and social worker can all help you. Most schools have a work experience week during the Summer for Year 10s.
If you would like some extra help to find a placement, please let us know. In 2010 and 2011, we helped young people to get really good placements within the City Council. One student learnt carpentry skills, another catering in the Council House and others worked in marketing. The Council is a huge organisation and is committed to helping you get an interesting and supportive work experience placement.
If you would like some help please phone ECLAS and speak to Chloe Jones.
Helping you into further education (college) and higher education (uni)
Did you know that more care leavers from Bristol than ever before are now at university?
Universities want people from a variety of backgrounds, and having A levels is no longer the only way to get in.
There is more than one way to get into university. You can gain entry qualifications at work, from a training provider, at sixth form, at sixth form college or a college of further education.
You could complete academic A levels, applied A levels, a BTEC National Diploma, an Advanced Apprenticeship, an NVQ level 4, an Advanced Extension Award, a Foundation Degree, an Advanced Diploma or an Access to Higher Education course and any of these qualifications could be used to get you to university or a college of higher education.
If you are thinking of doing any of these things, there is a number of ways that we might be able to help you. This could include help with your UCAS application, with writing your Personal Statement, or with University visits. If we are able to help you with any of this, you can call Mark Farmer, the teacher in the Care and After Team on 0117 9039006.
There is also a great deal of support available to Care Leavers from Bristol once they get to University. Click here to see how the Care & After Team can help you at university.
There is also financial supportand help with your accommodation at university.
