What happens in Y11 - is it all about GCSEs (in England) and nothing else?

[BippityBopper]

I've been pulled into securing engagement for a KS4 programme at work. It is supposed to be offered to Y11s as well as Y10 but I'm just wondering about the timescale. The programme involves two 1hour workshops at a school and a field trip, all to take place within a 1 month timeframe.

Is it feasible to offer this to year 11 and, if so, when is the best time of year? Obviously not summer, but would late winter or spring be ok? I'm going to ask colleagues but I was hoping to get an early start on some planning tonight.

Any secondary school teachers online who can offer some insight? Are Y11s of limits for anything unrelated to direct support of GCSE prep?

Depending on your location relative to school, that could mean three days of missed lessons. I’d not be thrilled if my Year 11s missed that many days in such quick succession.
My school do mocks in January, so just before or after Christmas would not be ideal. September would be the best time, but Year 10 would be even better.

Thanks @Mylobsterteapot that's very helpful and is in line with what I thought the case would be.

Do you mean that you would be going to a specific school for the two 1 hour workshops? Or that they would be held at a school in the location and other schools would all be coming to that school for the workshop? I think if it's a specific school, then it would be doable in the autumn or spring terms, if you discussed it with the school and worked out when mocks were and preparation for mocks etc, and avoided those times. If it's something where lots of different schools attend the same event, then it would be harder to find a time (unless advertised well in advance and schools could sign up or not if it suited them, or arrange their mock dates around it).

I know year 11s who have had trips this year - sometimes associated closely or more loosely with the curriculum for GCSEs, some more for fun, and even those that are closely related to a particular subject do involve missing other lessons, so it definitely still happens and teachers/pupils work around it. It shouldn't be all drudgery in year 11! So I think if you could work with schools to find possible dates that would be suitable for them, it could work; if you have to find the dates suitable for you and offer them in hopes a number of schools could attend, then Year 10 might be better. Final summer half term for Year 10, after they have done some exams right after half term, seems to have a lot of trips and activities for the schools around me!

@BlossomToLeaves we would go to each individual school for the 2x 1hour workshops. Each school would just need to provide a suitable classroom.

The workshops are about key transferrable skills, so not closely related to GCSEs.

Thanks for the added insight!

At DDs school the only 'extra' stuff in y11 was interviews with senior leadership about next steps, and taking selected kids to apprenticeships events.

In y10 they did an 'enterprise' week (in place of work experience which is hard to get for y10s round here), with a bit of business in teams but also CV writing, interview practice etc.

y9 had the college options sessions so kids could have them in mind at the start of their GCSE course

y8 had a money / careers focussed day, teaching about cost of things, tax etc.

I would say year 11 was next steps or GCSE’s .. nothing else

If the school has a sixth form, could you offer it to y12 rather than y11? I think a lot of schools just won't let you pull y11s out of lessons multiple times. Don't forget some subjects eg art still involve lots of coursework etc which has to be caught up.

The workshops aren't so bad, so long as they don't hit the same lesson twice, but a field trip, which I assume is all day, hits lots of lessons and you may find some y11s are reluctant to go themselves.

Have the schools requested your involvement or is this something you plan to develop and then offer out?

Thanks. The programme has been developed and we've been instructed to offer to KS4. I think we could reach target engagement figures solely via Y10 but I guess we could still offer it to Y11 with low expectation of engagement.

A slightly different programme would be offered to post 16.

What sort of thing are you offering as that might change the responses.

Is it career focused or generic life's kills or specific to a course?

My school would be extremely reluctant to do this on year 11.

I think they are more exam focused than many, but we do two sets of mocks, on end November and one March.

Students do extra lunchtime revision sessions if they are off track from where they should be.

Art, DY and other coursework heavy subjects have open access at lunchtime and after school for students to do their projects/coursework.

Many drop PE (one session a week) for extra tutoring in maths and English.

Absolutely no chance my school would take up this programme.

Who in Y11 are you targeting all of year group or those not expected to pass many GCSES or whose attendance is low etc? My son has just finished Y11 and I would not have give permission for him to miss lessons in either Y10 or 11 unless linked to his classes

Yes what it is makes a huge difference.

I really can't see yr 10 or 11 agreeing to miss a whole day never mind with 2 extra sessions easily.
Can it be offered on a Saturday?