Are sixth form careers guidance and work experience opportunities much better in private schools?

[dithering14]

DD1 is weighing up the pros and cons of changing from a state school to a selective private school for sixth form. She is an academic all rounder who does not know what she wants to do and has no particular leaning towards professions such as medicine or law. She would therefore really benefit at some stage from better careers information and wider choices of work experience than her present school or we could offer.
We'd love to know from your experiences whether you think there is a tangible difference to what is offered in the better know private schools? Does it matter anyway if students can avail themselves of career advice and networking at university?

I do think many schools are extremely poor at getting former students to come back to careers evenings. My DH goes back to his old school and is part of their careers evening on Civil Engineering. Few schools seem to do this but there is a wealth of talent out there who could be so helpful to young people. Parents did come into my DD's girls' schools and talk about their careers but it was so hit and miss that it was not very useful. Even with decent advice, girls chose A level combinations that were unsuitable because they could not decide where their futures lay. These girls were less likely to get a university course that suited them because their options were reduced. However, GCSEs had to do the EBacc plus 3, 4 or 5 optional choices, and that was pre Gove.

Friends who have children at the local state girls' grammar school feel they put too much emphasis on university course content and not enough on the status of the institution and job prospects. Hence some very able students go to rather lowly universities. The independent schools seem far more ambitious for their students. However, I totally agree that switched on parents can navigate this minefield far more successfully and many schools do not aim high enough. Indeed some parents don't aim high enough because some people seem to think that because a local university does outreach work, children should go there irrespective of the quality of the university. I honestly think these attitudes lead to children under-achieving because they take an easy route rather than accepting a challenge. Good schools ensure children aim high, not safe!

HappyG thanks, advice heeded.

MillMolly I would agree with you. There must be a fair number of DC who through lack of imparted knowledge of what is out there and within their reach limit their horizons and aspirations or end up regretting not trying a career direction.
Just as there are national initiatives to engage children in science there should be a network of career seminars that pupils from several schools can attend. That would at least be a start. Universities could be incorporated.

My DD did the Morrisby Profile via www.londoncareeradvice.com She was an academic high flyer and the interviewer was an Oxbridge grad and fairly young. She sat a 3 hour test, did an interests questionnaire and then had a 1 hr interview. This was followed by an action plan. DD found the process helpful and it helped her choose her degree subject, universities and we'll be using it to decide what industries she will do work experience (although she is studying law!)

I understand many people at private schools do The Morrisby via ISCO but not all schools use them.

As an experienced Careers Adviser, I would really recommend the Morrisby Profile to help young people to look at their strengths, and to discuss how these might apply to degree or career ideas. They have also developed a shorter online test, but I'm not sure how this stands up to the intensive paper and pencil one.
You can arrange for anyone to sit one of these tests and to get professional guidance afterwards - it doesn't mean signing up to ISCO either. See the Morrisby website www.Morrisby.com and look for "Find an Adviser". The search is based on your postcode, so it doesn't matter where in the UK you are based.