Education and training post 16 largely determines the kind of employment a young person will enter.  It’s important to get it right and there’s plenty of support available to help young people in care and care leavers at this important stage in their journey.

 Help with getting into post 16 education and training

  • Planning for what happens post 16 starts in Year 10 or earlier.  Applications for colleges, sixth forms and apprenticeships take place in Year 11.
  • Help is provided through each school’s Connexions personal adviser
  • The Virtual School can also provide personalised support for individual young people. 

 Post 16 education

  • It is a good idea for young people aged 16-18 who are in care or who are care leavers in full time education to have a post 16 PEP.  The Virtual School can advise on this. 
  • Young people in care and care leavers are entitled to a bursary of £1200 per annum to cover costs of participating in education such as transport, books and equipment.  This bursary is distributed by post 16 providers who will have application forms.
  • The Virtual School can also provide some extra funding to support catch-up tuition especially to study for GCSE retakes in Maths and English to improve on a grade from a grade D.  This needs to be agreed at a PEP meeting. 

 Going to University

Support you get as a care leaver would usually end of your 21st birthday, but if you started a higher education course before your turned 21 then  you can continue getting this support until you turn 24 or until you leave higher education, whichever happens first.

 Bath and North East Somerset will pay for:

  • Your UCAS application fee
  • Reasonable costs to attend interviews or open days (care staff can come with you if you like).  We will consider paying for overnight stays if needed
  • A weekly education premium
  • Reasonable travel costs relating to your course
  • Your rent for the entire course
  • A deposit for term time accommodation if required
  • Reasonable requests for books and equipment, depending on the course
  • We will try to support costs for essential trips

 

 

 

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