A bespoke programme for Sixth Form students, aimed at ensuring they stand out from the crowd after leaving school, has been launched.

The Professional Development Programme (PDP) has been developed in response to the increasingly competitive employment market and to provide boys with training, skills and experience which will prove to future employers that they are much more than’ just good A Levels.’

Taken alongside their A Levels, the PDP enables boys to develop key professional attributes to complement academic excellence. Students will undertake additional professional and academic qualifications, gain work experience through volunteering, take responsibility and ownership for their learning, and develop key professional skills required in the workplace. The programme is bespoke; therefore, each boy can choose qualifications, skills workshops and volunteering directly related to their specific interests and chosen career path.

The PDP consists of six strands: Community, Academic Enrichment, Subject Skills Workshops, Professionalism, Independent Study and Social Time. Boys will have an element from each strand to build their PDP timetable, bespoke to them.

• Community: through volunteering in the community, boys will gain soft skills and valuable work experience.
• Academic Enrichment: boys can choose from a huge range of additional qualifications ranging from GCSEs to MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and individual university modules.
• Subject Skills Workshops: through taught, structured sessions with subject specialists, these workshops will focus on academic skills specific to boys’ A Level subjects to help improve academic performance.
• Professionalism: these weekly seminars covering public speaking, mentoring, the work place of the future and applying for jobs, to name a few, will develop boys’ professional skills alongside their understanding of the professional etiquette required in the working world.
• Independent Study: boys will be given access to the Sixth Form Work Zone, a supervised co-working room used by staff and Sixth Form students, equipped with facilities to charge laptops, iPads and other mobile devices.
• Academic Supervisions: boys will meet fortnightly with their Academic Supervisor who will have oversight of their bespoke PDP and can offer support and guidance where required.
• Social Time: Boys will have the option to build some social periods into their PDP which may include having a snack in the Sixth Form café, playing pool or board games, or chatting with friends.

Mrs Morag Herring, Deputy Head Academic, said: “Employers want more than just good A Levels. Universities want more than just good A Levels. This exciting programme allows LGS Sixth Formers to gain a head start in the professional world by being more than just good A Levels. We are proud and excited to launch this new initiative which really is a unique offering for our boys.”

For further information about the Professional Development Programme please click here (link to webpage) or contact: Mrs Morag Herring, Deputy Head Academic: m.herring@lsf.org, Dr Al Waters, Assistant Head Co-curricular, Pupil Experience: a.waters@lsf.org or Mr Ben Körösi, Sixth Form Academic Co-ordinator: b.korosi@lsf.org