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FAQs
Please find a list of FAQs below. If your question isn't answered here, please use the form below.
- How can Connexions help parents/carers?
- How do I contact a Connexions personal adviser?
- What do I need to know about courses and qualifications in order to help my teenager make decisions about the future?
- What decisions will my teenager be asked to make in year 9?
- What decisions will my teenager be asked to make in year 11?
- What if my teenager has left school and doesn't have any plans?
- How can I help my teenager with decisions about their future?
- Confidentiality – what information can you tell me?
- When or why would you signpost my son or daughter to another agency?
- What is a 14-19 Diploma?
- What questions should I encourage my son/daughter to ask an employer at an interview?
- What questions should I encourage my son/daughter to ask if they are considering a course at school/college?
- How do I know the course my 14-19 year old is on will lead to a job in the future?
- What are the benefits of my 18 year old to go to university?
- Where can my child get financial support?
- Where are jobs/Apprenticeships advertised?
- What is e2e?
- My 13 year old has a statement of special educational needs? What help can we get?
- What is a Section 139a (140) assessment and what are they used for?
1. How can Connexions help parents/carers?
We provide impartial information and advice to enable you to support your son/daughter in making choices about their future, whether it is in learning or work.
We can support you (with your son's/daughter's consent), by attending reviews/ meetings; by listening to you; and by signposting you to support groups and programmes.
2. How do I contact a Connexions personal adviser?
If your son/daughter is at school or college the personal adviser can be contacted there either by phone, email or at a parents' evening. We can also be contacted at your local Connexions centre. You can just drop in or contact us by phone, email, or through our website.
Our freephone number is 0800 97 55 111. Calls from a landline are free and you'll be connected to your nearest centre. Calls from a mobile may be subject to a network charge - you'll be connected to our Head Office, but we can redirect you to your nearest centre.
We are happy to talk to just you!
3. What do I need to know about courses and qualifications in order to help my teenager make decisions about the future?
Wide range of courses
Education for 14-19 year olds is changing. There is now a wide range of courses and qualifications to motivate and interest young people. These include new qualifications such as the Diploma, as well as more familiar courses like GCSEs and A levels. Whatever your teenager's interests and abilities there should be something to suit them.
Learning pathways
Courses and qualifications are designed to help teenagers progress through education and into the world of work. All courses and qualifications are joined together to form pathways that lead through to the next stage. At each stage in the pathway, your teenager will be able to choose which route suits them. They will also have the flexibility to move between different pathways.
Qualification levels
Qualifications are divided into nine levels. These range from 'entry level' qualifications that develop basic knowledge and skills to specialist and professional qualifications at level 8. The higher the level, the greater the depth of knowledge, skills and understanding needed for the qualification. When your teenager is deciding what courses and qualifications to take, it is useful to know whether the levels on offer match your teenager's ability.
Next steps
The array of options and pathways can appear confusing, but there is plenty of help available and you can make a start by finding out two things:
- When will my teenager need to make decisions about his/her future?
- Who can help me?
4. What decisions will my teenager be asked to make in year 9?
In year 9 your teenager will be asked to decide some of the courses and qualifications they want to study in years 10 and 11.
Core and compulsory subjects
All students will study core subjects in English, maths and science. This will include an exam, usually a GCSE.
There are also compulsory subjects, although schools can decide whether the course includes a qualification. They are:
- Information and communication technology (ICT)
- Careers education
- Citizenship
- Physical education (PE)
- Religious studies
- Sex and relationship education
- Work-related learning
If your child has a special educational need, then alternative curriculum programmes may also be available.
Qualification and course options
Schools will offer a range of course options that your teenager will be able to choose from. Not all schools will offer the same options, so it is important to check with the school. Here are some of the choices that may be on offer:
- General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)
- Entry level courses
- Diploma
- Work-related qualifications (eg. NVQs, City & Guilds)
- Young Apprenticeship
Whichever options are chosen, teenagers will need to research their ideas by consulting with school, attending open evenings and listening to the support and advice available.
Most of all they will need to think about their strengths and interests and how they learn and work best.
Which Way Now can help your teenager when making decisions about their future.
Connexions personal advisers work in your teenager's school and can help with decisions about learning and work. You can get in touch by speaking to your school's Careers Co-ordinator or Careers Tutor. Alternatively you can contact your local Connexions centre.
5. What decisions will my teenager be asked to make in year 11?
They will need to decide what they want to do when they leave school.
- They could stay in full-time education. This might include school sixth form, further education college, or a specialist college.
- They could go into work or training. This might include an Apprenticeship, a job with training, a job without training, a programme that prepares them for work, or self-employment.
Whichever they choose they will need to research their ideas by consulting with people, attending open evenings, researching their ideas, and listening to the support and advice available to them.
Most of all they will need to think about how they learn and work best, what makes them happy, and what they want from life.
It's Your Choice can help your teenager when they are trying to make decisions about their future.
6. What if my teenager has left school and doesn't have any plans?
It is important that young people make plans before they leave school. Further and higher education courses start in September and some employers recruit apprentices before the end of the school year. Early applications give young people a greater chance of gaining a place.
Occasionally young people leave school without any plans or they start a course or apprenticeship and find that it was not for them. If your teenager is in this position, don't worry because there are still options. Connexions can help you and your teenager look at opportunities such as:
- Further/higher education - your teenager could make a late application for a place. Occasionally some courses start mid-year.
- Apprenticeships - opportunities are available throughout the year, especially if your teenager is able to be flexible about the type of job they want.
- Work preparation courses - there are a variety of courses that help 16-18 year olds move into further education, training or employment.
- Voluntary work - there are a range of volunteering opportunities that can develop skills sought after by employers.
Please contact your local Connexions centre for advice and support about these and other options.
7. How can I help my teenager with decisions about their future?
In order to help your teenager you need to be connecting with them. Spend time with them, find out what their likes and dislikes are, talk to them, but most of all listen to them. Find out what they want for their future.
To help, you need to be informed. Read the literature they bring home, attend parent's evenings and college open evenings. Find out as much as you can about the options that are available to them. Above all ask questions and encourage your teenager to do the same.
Most of all don't worry. Some teenagers will be very clear in their thinking and know exactly what they want to do. Others will take longer. They might try a variety of options before they find the right one for them. No way is the right or the wrong way. What is important is that they get there in the end.
8. Confidentiality - what information can you tell me?
Connexions is a confidential service, which means that we would not usually pass on information about a young person to someone else without their consent. However, there are a couple of exceptions:
If the young person is at risk of serious harm then we may need to share information without their consent in order to protect them.
If the young person has a learning difficulty or disability that means they cannot understand the consequences of sharing information, then we may need to gain consent from their parent or carer.
Confidentiality is often very important to young people, but at the same time Connexions recognises the importance of working in partnership with their parents and carers. We therefore encourage young people to speak to their parents and to give permission for Connexions to do the same. In most cases this means that both parents and Connexions can work together to support young people.
9. When or why would you signpost my son or daughter to another agency?
Connexions provides impartial information, advice and guidance about careers, education courses, training and jobs, and other issues facing young people. Our advisers are 'careers experts' and are able to help young people aged 13-19 into learning and work. Where the main issue affecting your son or daughter is something other than learning and work (e.g. health, benefits, housing, relationships), then we may put them in touch with another agency who can help. We will still keep in touch with you as well.
10. What is a 14-19 Diploma?
The 14-19 Diploma is a qualification that can be taken at school or college. There are up to ten subjects to choose from as part of your son's or daughter's year 9 options. By 2011, there will be 17 subjects in total, combining the world of work with theoretical study. To find out what's available locally, visit your local online 14-19 prospectus.
The Diploma is different to GCSEs and A levels because students will:
- Get practical experience
- Learn in the classroom
- Find out about an area of work
Diplomas are designed to keep options open. When they finish, students can stay at school or college and do another course (for example, the next level up Diploma, A levels or an NVQ), or do an Apprenticeship, or job with training. Those with an Advanced Diploma may chose to go to university.
11. What questions should I encourage my son/daughter to ask an employer at an interview?
If I get the job, when would you like me to start?
Will I be offered any training or progression?
Is there a dress code or a uniform?
When I start will there be someone available to ask for help if I need it?
Some questions may depend on what information you already have from the vacancy details. So, for example, if the vacancy was part time you might ask:
Can I do any extra hours?
If salary and terms were not advertised in the vacancy, you might ask:
What will I earn ?
12. What questions should I encourage my son/daughter to ask if they are considering a course at school/college?
What qualification(s) would I need to go on to this course?
Most courses will have entry requirements. Not all courses ask for academic qualifications but may require a good school report, etc.
What is the style of learning of this course? Is it mainly delivered through lectures or is it a practical course?
Your son/daughter may have a preferred learning style and this question will help them decide if the course suits them.
Compare the content of courses and the style of learning offered at each institution, as degrees and courses with the same name may be very different at each university or college.
Help with study skills and easy access to and help with computers and technology will probably be useful to you.
Is work experience included in the course?
Some courses include work experience with a local business as part of the course and young people gain valuable knowledge of the workplace through this. Some colleges require students to find their own placements, while others will assist with this.
Ask if any work experience opportunities of work-related skills are offered as part of the course (if that is important to you). You can also ask how many students get relevant jobs at the end of their course. Some university sites list their destinations statistics on their websites or you can ask them to send them to you.
Opportunities to study in other countries may also be available. Another way of getting useful experience is by getting involved in student activities, including the Student Union, especially if you become an officer or initiate new projects.
What are the students who completed this course last year doing now?
Schools and colleges should be happy to provide you with the details of the destinations of their former students. This will help you to decide how successful the course has previously been.
What can I go on to do after the course?
Your son/daughter may have long term goals. Check to see if the course that they are considering will help them achieve these goals.
13. How do I know the course my 14-19 year old is on will lead to a job in the future?
In these times of economic difficulty you may have some worries about your child's future. We are now in what may turn out to be the biggest downturn for over 30 years. Unemployment is rising faster amongst 18-24 year olds than any other age group. The world of work has changed so much over the last 30 years. Increasingly, jobs that require few or no qualifications are disappearing.
Employers are looking for better qualified employees who are able to work as part of a team and have good transferable skills especially in problem solving, Maths, English and ICT. It is important to have a bit of an understanding about the changes that are taking place in the labour market and the Connexions Direct website shows current employment figures in the UK defined by career areas. There is also information around which industries are developing or declining and changes in employment levels within those industries in Job World.
But it's not all doom and gloom, there are still many worthwhile learning and work opportunities available for young people that can help them build a secure future, not only in the short term but throughout their working lives. Course providers are very carefully monitored to make sure they embed these transferable skills topics into all education programmes and Connexions has highly skilled and qualified personal advisers to help young people though all the complicated choices and to help them explore their future employment options and set realistic goals.
14. What are the benefits of my 18 year old to go to university?
Did you know that a higher education qualification can lead to more earning potential? Projected over a working lifetime graduates tend to earn £100,000 (before tax) more than non-graduates. DirectGov contains more information on higher education.
Job prospects, university courses and student feedback can all be compared on the Unistats website.
Higher education doesn't necessarily mean getting an honours degree - for more information go to DirectGov.
If your son or daughter would prefer to take time out, get paid, and experience the world of work with a local or national company for 9-12 months, they could take part in the Year in Industry scheme.
For more information on graduate employers/vacancies, go to Prospects.
What do graduates do? provides research and information on what employment sectors graduates apply for after their degrees.
15. Where can my child get financial support?
Connexions personal advisers are trained to give information around Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA), higher education finance, Care To Learn (financial support for young parents continuing in education) and other sources of funding. You can also visit the Money to learn section on our website.
The rules on benefits and young people are complicated. You can get advice on what and how to claim from your local Jobcentre Plus, Citizens Advice Bureau, youth services or from your local Connexions centre.
Connexions personal advisers can give general information on benefits such as child benefit, tax credit, income support, job seekers allowance etc but decision making around entitlement is made by the benefits agency. For more information go to DirectGov
16. Where are jobs/Apprenticeships advertised?
Connexions personal advisers contact employers regularly to offer them the chance to advertise any vacancies through our own vacancy matching service. Connexions personal advisers are available in centres to guide young people through the vacancies. If young people register with us as looking for work, we will contact them directly (by telephone, email or post) to let them know when know when vacancies come in that they may be interested in. We also put these vacancies on our website - Job vacancies.
Nationally, Apprenticeships are advertised on Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching Service where young people can enter their details and be matched with Apprenticeships according to their preferences. Connexions personal advisers can support young people to register with this service if needed.
Locally, jobs and Apprenticeships may be advertised in local newspapers, or on the paper's website, so it is always a good idea to regularly check local newspapers for vacancies. Your local Connexions centre will have copies of the latest jobs pages from your local newspaper and will be able to give you on line access to the paper's website.
Sometimes vacancies will be advertised on employer's own websites - if there are specific companies of interest it may be worth checking their websites, some of which take applications on line.
It is also possible to approach employers direct to ask them if they may be interested in taking on an apprentice. Connexions personal advisers can support with this, and further information can be found in our Jobseekers pack.
e2e stands for entry to employment. It is a programme for unemployed 16 and 17 year olds and is designed to give young people what they need to get ready for work. It is designed to help them to develop their motivation and confidence, personal effectiveness and basic and key skills, and to give them a range of opportunities to gain vocational knowledge, skills and understanding. The aim is that they will progress into an Apprenticeship, further learning and/or a job. Provision may vary from area to area, so check with your local Connexions centre what's available.
18. My 13 year old has a statement of special educational needs? What help can we get?
Connexions is funded to provide young people aged 13 to 19 with the best possible information, advice, personal support and guidance to help them in their transition to adult learning opportunities, and to work where appropriate. We can also help young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities up to the age of 25. Our role may vary according to your son's or daughter's circumstances.
If your child has a statement of special educational needs you will be invited by the school (or local education authority in some cases) to the transition review in year 9. The review is particularly important in looking ahead to what he or she may do after year 11. Parents/carers and their child's views are very important and they should be consulted about who should be invited to the review and then involved in all decisions. A Connexions Personal Adviser will be at this review, and others who are likely to play an important role when your child leaves school may also be invited. Reviews may also be organised for other young people needing support.
At the review meeting your child's statement, targets and future plans will be discussed, but this is only the start of planning for the future. The meeting should result in a transition plan, which outlines the first steps necessary in planning for your child's future with any action points showing who will take the action agreed and the timescale for this. The transition plan will be updated at reviews in year 10 and year 11. A young person with a statement will also be suported by a Section 139a assessment (previously a Section140) completed by the Connexions personal adviser when transferring to another educational establishment or training post-16.
19. What is a Section 139a (140) assessment and what are they used for?
Section 139a (140) assessments are completed with young people in years 11 and 12 who either have a statement of special educational need or have had extra support in school or college. It is used when your child is planning to move to a new educational establishment, training provider, or to the workplace. A report is written by the Connexions personal adviser with help from educational staff, parents, and any specialists involved with your child.
The report explains all the help that your child has been getting from school or college so that information about their needs can be passed onto the people who will now support your child in their learning. The Section 139a (140) assessment can also include requests for new methods of support that have not been used previously. This information will be recorded on the Section 139a (140) which will then be signed by your child or by you, giving consent for the information to be shared with the new education/training provider, and the report will be sent prior to your child starting there, so that support can be put in place as soon as the course/training begins.
After your child has started education post-16, a Connexions personal adviser will contact them to make sure your child has received the support they need.