The Aspire programme is designed to guide and support students in shaping their future when they leave The Abbey.

In today’s swiftly changing and competitive world, students are presented with a multitude of decisions and opportunities, and navigating through these can be overwhelming.

Our Aspire programme provides them with access to the expertise they need to identify their aspirations and dreams, and to help them make decisions that feel right for them. A strong academic performance is one of the cornerstones of a fulfilling and productive life, but throughout their time at The Abbey, students will have many other opportunities to learn skills that go beyond the curriculum, developing values, skills and behaviour that will stand them in good stead. They need to be well-informed, and to receive impartial advice that ensures they go on from education ready to follow their own path, and with a strong understanding of the wider working world and society.

By Sixth Form, some students are ready to follow a strong ambition in life, and we can support them in making that happen. However, it is perfectly normal that most haven’t identified their vocation – whether at the point of making GCSE or A-Level choices, or embarking on the International Baccalaureate diploma. We see our role in guiding them to keep their options open at each key decision-making stage, and to help them develop skillsets that are robust and transferrable across a range of careers.

We educate them to spot opportunities, research careers, and understand how to promote themselves and build resilience in the competitive world of work. We source the most-up-to-date information regarding university courses, apprenticeship programmes, labour market information and recruitment practices so that our students are always in the best possible place to make informed decisions about their career, now and later in the future.