Y11 2025-26 Results Day and Next Steps

[UncomfortableSilence]

We can use this thread to continue our discussions for now.

Re work, DD has quite a large book of babysitting families now and has put her rate up to £15ph. She does 1 or 2 evenings a week and can study once the kids are in bed so it works well.

She’s also planning to start tutoring soon as her school has a programme that trains the 6th form tutoring techniques.

However, every penny she earns is spent on clothes and make-up within a day of hitting her bank account!

The other option that can work well is if there are any after-school clubs in nearby primary schools looking for play workers. These can be difficult roles for schools to fill as they typically need people 3:30 - 6 ish on weekdays during term time, which many older adults don't want to do, so they are often keen to recruit sixth formers. Plus primary school kids LOVE a teenaged play worker

We have four A level students doing just this at the school I work in, three afternoons a week each, and they all say it works much better than zero hours hospitality work. Because (a) they know exactly what hours they are working and when (b) there is no late evening work so they can fit evening homework/study in comfortably and (c) their weekends are free.

Doesn't work for DS unfortunately and neither would a paper round as he has to get a school coach at 7:30 and doesn't get back till 5. But might work for others. In terms of jobs it does very much depend on what an individual can manage though @Walkingbkwrm no way could my older DS have managed a job during sixth form.

Lifeguarding definitely a good option but you need to be a tough cookie to be a football ref - I know so many teens who did as your DC did @clary and quit due to constant abuse and hassle from parents and coaches. My youngest DS plays for a local league, and frankly the way some of the (very young) refs get screamed at by adults who should know better is absolutely disgusting. The world of grassroots football can be toxic unfortunately.

Yes @FlyingPandas it was awful tbh. I used to go and watch him reffing (I mean I usually was driving him there anyway) and some of the comments! He was often reffing matches for only a year younger than him and he wasn't super tall at 16/17 so I heard a lot of "is he old enough to ref?" and the like. Actually he had played since he was about six for more than one team and since he did GCSE and A level PE he knew a lot about the rules and theory of the game as well. He was a great ref but it wasn't nice. Occasionally I was moved to comment "actually the ref is my lad and he's only 17 so maybe give him a break" which tbf usually shut ppl up.

Yy footy can be horrible. Athletics (which DC also did) and American football funnily enough are both a lot nicer.

My DS workload still brutal but it’s settled and it seems so has he. He’s not looking for a job and I would be against it anyway given the workload. He swims but too disabled to be a lifeguard (we know they would say no) he might qualify as a swim teacher though as that’s also in demand in the holidays.

we are putting our effort into a PIP appeal and then maximising relevant work experience

DD found her job on indeed applied for lots. Its only 3.5hr on a Friday at a takeaway lucky to get it as no way she could do a job with more hours. Got another week to half term. But well done to those that have reached it.
Some clubs are bringing in an orange card policy to help officals hopefully that can enable some kids to be refs again.
Congrats to anymore upgrades.
Anyone know what advantages there are too applying early ? Couole of dds nates are applying asap.

Thanks for all the ideas. DD isn't sporty in anyway so I just can't see any type of sporting activity/ refereeing etc. would suit her. She's never willingly watched a sports match if any type in her life! I think pot washing, waitress, collecting glasses type job would suit her but there just seems so much competition.

I am surprised by so many people saying that their kids aren't looking for work. Round here it really seems to be the done thing to get a part time job of some kind. I guess I should stop stressing about it if that's not the norm anyway.

Hi all can I join? Just found this thread. I feel behind now having read the last few posts! No job or uni visits here yet.. The school actually wrote to parents saying save uni visits until later and concentrate on getting used to A Levels for now.. Not miss school days. DD has changed subjects twice but she's finally settled now..

Honestly, none of DD’s friends have a part time job! We’re not looking at all. The focus for us is school work.

Phew!

A lot of these jobs that would have been taken by young people round here are now often targeted by adults looking for second jobs to cover cost of living worries . DS1 had a couple of temporary jobs - expected to
be working with students but has ended up with adults as work mates - stuff like event parking and that kind of thing .

I tried to talk dd out of getting a job after she didnt find one at the start of the summer. Think she just wanted it ti fill time as was board and had split up with boyfriend. But will look good on paper as she has to take orders handle payments.

Seems dds group of mates all job hunting where as ds group.older none if them looked.

Welcome @MerryAquaKoala ! DS's school said the same about uni visits and advised to just settle into sixth form for now.

It's 50:50 in terms of sixth formers having jobs where we are, @BeasKnee . Jobs are very hard to get and those who are lucky enough to get one usually have an 'in' somewhere, ie they are recommended by someone or know a manager etc. And at the end of the day A levels are the priority.

Tbh the reason I'm keen to get DS2 at least doing something is because I know, from seeing DS1 go through uni and try to get work (so many graduates are coming out and finding nothing, not even basic minimum wage stuff, it's awful), that it is so much easier to get a next step once you've done some kind of job - doesn't matter what kind of job - just something. This is why I have encouraged DS2 to approach the charity shops and he is now volunteering 1.5 hours per week every Saturday afternoon. So it's nothing that is going to take away from study or socialising (or earn him any money) but if he sticks at it for six months or so he'll be able to put 'volunteer retail assistant' on his CV and hopefully get a reference from the store manager. Which will be useful in the longer term.

We haven't encouraged DS2 to look for work as I think it would be too much for him at the moment but he is volunteering regularly at running events. Occasionally he is paid but normally he gets a free event entry so it works out well for him. He hasn't paid to enter an event for months.

I read DS the riot act this evening after receiving mixed feedback in his end of half term report. Fell into work mode so he now has a written list of "deliverables" and timelines for progress checks, action completion and reviews, much to his consternation. I've told him if he doesn't get his butt into gear for the exams after half term then he'll need to reconsider whether VIth form is really the place for him or if another, more practical route would suit him better. Hopefully that will get him thinking.

No job here but if he moulders through half term I'm considering insisting that he completes lifeguard training over the Christmas holidays.

This is my worry. It's more the thought of getting to 18 and leaving college having had no job at all that worries me. Especially as she's not sure she wants to go to uni.

We don't have any local 'ins' unfortunately. That's something I've noticed here too.

my two DC both ref and do volunteer work as part of DofE. They are acutely aware of CV building and developing skills that will make them employable. Younger is almost 15 and can see it for himself.
Mine aren’t heading for medvet or Oxbridge so more mid range degrees which mean CV and demonstration of work skills will be key

My DC and their mates are also acutely aware of how AI may reduce numbers needed in some careers. AI can not lay bricks, give a physio massage, attend an accident etc

@BeasKnee recommend they check indeed regulary. Some pt jobs are only on for a day or 2 as they get so many applicants. Dd tried going round with cvs no luck as timing was wrong. Both of mine got pt jobs from indeed.
Good luck to those applying for jobs it is hard. Our supermarkets seem to have more elderly working in them than teenagers.
@NotDarkGothicMama hope the talk helped. Life guarding is a good one, tried to get dd to do it in the summer but the courses clashed with competitions.
Are many kids doing d of e ?

My DS is also not looking for work. He's way too busy with school work. I agree that it would look good on a CV to have done some part time work, but he is doing DofE Gold currently, which is a decent commitment. He's also a young leader in Scouts. I hope that those things carry some weight on a CV

My daughter has a part-time job at a soft play centre. She had no "in" as such but her teenage friend also works there and told her to apply because they were hiring. She's currently back for the weekend from her boarding college and working there. The manager appears to be very nice and gives daughter shifts when she says she has some availability, so she can work when she can but it's not an ongoing weekly commitment if she doesn't have time or is away.

Worth checking with any friends of your kids who have jobs if their places are looking for new staff.

I think soft play centres are a good shout to approach and it gives them customer-service experience but isn't as onerous as working in a pub I think.

DS2 is at a top indie but has been working since the start of September - first helping with marking at a local tutoring centre and now he’s just got himself a Christmas job at John Lewis (extremely good pay!). He’ll he doing quite a few hours at the weekend, but it’s only for 3 months and he has a long half term and Christmas holidays.

No ‘ins’!

He can cope with weekly work but my DD needed to focus on her studies at that age, so only did Christmas and summer hols work.

It’s definitely harder for them to get work now, but it’s also perfectly possible if they are genuinely keen. Starbucks etc take staff from age 16/17 as do McDonalds - these places are in every town. Most of DS2’s friends have some sort of job, one helps clear up in a pub, one works in a local bike shop and one pours pints (but can’t serve them!) at big hospitality events.

I very strongly encourage getting some sort of paid work during sixth form if at all possible. Gives them extra money, but is also wonderful for personal development - and as others have said, really helps if they get on the ladder now. Will be harder to start at 18, and then 21.

All these recommendations for how to get jobs feel like things she has already tried! Except the sports stuff (which just genuinely wouldn't be right for her) she's applied for tons of jobs on indeed, lots through employers websites, gone round places with her CV. Had a couple of tip offs from friends but nothing has come from any of it. I reckon it's close to 100 jobs since the GCSEs finished. It's really depressing actually. One interview from all that and they didn't even have the decency to get back to her.

Honestly, it just makes me feel worse about it to hear about it being important to build her CV. She has a fair amount of stuff on there (volunteering, DofE, extracurricular stuff etc) but without any paid work she just can't get a break. I've looked over her applications and CV and I don't see anything obvious that would put people off her.

Has she tried local riding schools/livery yards? They are often looking for staff.

If you're in London, I can pm you soft play centres to try apply to where I know teens are hired, although I'm not sure if they have current vacancies.

She can also try tutoring via an online platform. I'm not sure which are best, but she could set up a profile on one that accepts 16+ tutors and build up a clientele.

Another thing my daughter has tried and had a bit of paid work from was making a small poster and putting it up in local Costa shops or supermarkets (on those boards where loads of people advertise). She did it to get some painting commission work, but you can do that for any type of work like babysitting etc.

Another suggestion something like tutoring within school - DS1 tutored year 7s Maths .Getting involved in school societies too can be useful if subject relevant . At the end of the day they are all things to mention on a personal statement and a CV - the all illustrate that your young person doesn’t just lie on their bed on their phone !