Making an educational choice that will alter the trajectory of your whole life is probably the most daunting crossroad scenario a young person faces.
A study published recently in the Journal of Counseling Psychology showed that an alarming number of students experience strong anxiety around choosing subjects that relate to their desired career path, because most won’t have faced anything as serious before. Common fears revolve around not knowing what they want to do in life – or worse, making a fatal mistake in their subject choices.
The good news is that there has been something of a shift in attitude, with more enterprising institutions looking to actively help students find the right path and offer an expanded range of pathways to higher education.
In Dubai, GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis (GEMS WSO) is one such school that offers a wide variety of post-16 pathways. Students can not only choose from the IB Diploma Programme, IB Career-Related Programme, BTEC and A-level, but they can also opt for a fifth strand where they essentially mix and match to suit their needs and interests in terms of rigour, balance and academics.
All Year 11 students, alongside their families, are afforded meetings with senior leaders, heads of year and the careers counsellor in order to best determine the correct pathway for them.
“The wide variety of pathways at GEMS WSO presents a unique opportunity for our students to choose the right pathway for them,” explains Matthew James, Assistant Principal and Head of Post-16 at GEMS WSO. “The established IBDP, IBCP, A-level and BTEC pathways offer different opportunities for students to learn in unique and diverse ways. The option to explore possibilities to combine aspects of these pathways offers further scope to personalise a student’s learning experience.”
At GEMS WSO, there is a holistic, emotionally nurturing approach to this process of decision-making.
“All Year 11 students, alongside their families, are afforded meetings with senior leaders, heads of year and the careers counsellor in order to best determine the correct pathway for them,” says James.
“The student experience is incredibly important to us, so even at a social level the ability to move into post-16 together with the friends that students have already been studying with for several years – irrespective of the pathway they choose – is a real benefit to our families.”
When combined with a well-rounded, world-class education, this wider choice of pathways helps learners get into the world’s top universities and truly maximise their potential.
“The IBDP, for example, gains students access to the best universities in the world but also affords them two years of further study in more subjects they may not yet wish to drop, such as a second language,” adds James. “An A-level pathway might be for that student who is more secure in knowing what they want to do in the future and allows them the opportunity to narrow their focus a little.”
James points out that as GEMS WSO’s A-level provision has grown, the school has seen an increase in students opting for this pathway, particularly among those keen to go into medicine or engineering.
“This isn’t to say that IBDP students don’t go on to such courses or the best universities in those fields – in fact, far from it. GEMS WSO IBDP graduates have gone on to study at universities such as Oxford and Cambridge and take courses such as medicine and engineering.”
With the backlog of university places deferred from Covid times resulting in a much more competitive application process for the next year or two, schools need to consider how best to enrich their student experience and university applications, explains James.
“Academic scores are very important but a well-rounded application is hugely beneficial.
“We offer enriching opportunities such as medical societies, debate squads, Model UN, work experience, internships, drama, sport, art and music. Being able to deliver all pathways means we can borrow from each to enhance the student experience of all. As such, we offer all students the opportunity to keep a Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) record. CAS is a compulsory part of the IB Diploma but all our students on all pathways have an opportunity to do this in order to create a well-rounded experience. These opportunities are very appealing to universities and, in a competitive market, often differentiate our students from others.”
With GEMS WSO expecting a post-16 cohort of about 400 students next year, it has its work cut out to ensure all students receive the right advice to find the right pathway for them, says James. “We’re confident that, with our large senior staff body, we are able to do that.”
As for parents who may be just as anxious about the journey into the brave new world of further education as their teens, the assistant principal has some sage advice.
“Post-16 is a big step up. My advice to parents would be to expect your child to face challenges in the first few weeks and allow them to find it difficult. Students coming into post-16 on the back of straight As or 9s at GCSE are often surprised at the level they find themselves at – and this is absolutely okay.
“As they progress through the course, students will need reminding to meet deadlines. All pathways offer assessment opportunities throughout the two-year course, and it is imperative they stay on top of their deadlines.
“Reach out to your child’s teachers and ask for any upcoming deadlines, so you can provide support at home. The most successful students are ones whose parents and teachers work together.”
To learn more about GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis, visit www.gemswellingtonacademy-dso.com
