Withernsea High School

Year 11 students have been honing the skills that will help them unlock future study and employment opportunities, thanks to a programme of events and activities focussed on writing personal statements and preparing for interviews. 

Guiding the students through this process is careers leader Viki Foster, who said: “Personal statements are invaluable. They allow students to promote themselves by highlighting hobbies, interests and what makes them unique. A strong statement demonstrates individuality and captures attention, helping applicants stand out from the crowd.”

As part of the process, students took part in an interview skills workshop. This introduced them to practical interview tips and techniques, covering preparation strategies and the different types of interviews they might face. Students also explored the qualities employers look for in candidates, with emphasis placed on positive body language, including eye contact, upright posture, and a confident handshake. 

One week after the workshop, students put their new skills into action during a structured mock interview day. More than 15 representatives from local employers and education providers, including Wyke 6th Form College, Hull City AFC, Sword Construction and East Riding of Yorkshire Council, interviewed approximately 120 students, each of whom faced five individually tailored questions from their allocated interviewer. 

Reflecting on the event from a visitor’s perspective, James Medcalf, a former student of the school and specialist occupational therapist with the City Healthcare Partnership CIC, said: “The students were fantastic, and it is great to see that the school is still working hard to prepare them for their next chapters. Having been a student at the school myself, and now in successful employment, I know first-hand how supportive the careers programme is and it was a pleasure to return as a representative of the healthcare sector to help motivate and inspire the next generation.”  

Student feedback was equally positive, with Declan K saying: “The mock interview day is an experience that everyone needs for the future, whether they are interviewing for college or work. It helped give a realistic idea of what to expect in those situations.”

Christian H described the interview skills session as extremely useful in preparing for his mock interview and found the interview itself beneficial. “The most valuable part for me was talking to a stranger about their job and their role in their workplace, and experiencing being questioned about myself. The hardest part was speaking one-to-one as it’s something I usually find challenging. The mock interview gave me a clear sense of what to expect and how to prepare for a real interview.”

ABOVE: Harry F (left) and Jason A try out their firm handshakes in the HOP interview skills session. 

ABOVE: Sanna Saidy of the Humber Outreach Programme guides students on using posture and steady breathing to stay confident under interview pressure. 

ABOVE: The mock interview day gave students an opportunity to experience an in-person, one-to-one interview scenario. 

ABOVE: In the foreground, Oakley O waits for his mock interview, while Olivia B is interviewed in the background by Clare Horrigan, operations manager at St Mary’s Sixth Form. 

ABOVE: After leading the interview skills session, HOP’s Sanna Saidy returned as an interviewer to witness students putting their new-found skills into practice.

ABOVE: Savannah B carried herself confidently in an interview with a representative from the healthcare sector.

A select group of Year 8 students have explored a new approach to learning by completing a six-session programme designed to strengthen their study habits and learning skills.

The ‘Future Thinking’ initiative, delivered by the Humber Outreach Programme (HOP) in partnership with the University of Hull, has been created to help learners understand their own thought processes through a concept known as metacognition.

Across five in-school workshops, students developed key learning skills, including how to ask insightful questions, organise their thoughts, draw connections between ideas, link concepts, generate hypotheses, and review their work effectively. As support was gradually withdrawn, students were encouraged to take greater ownership of their learning.

The sixth and final session took place on the University of Hull campus, where the students put their learning into practice through a carousel of activities designed to test their independence and confidence. They demonstrated their ability to apply the strategies independently, using tools such as the problem-solving ‘lotus blossom’ technique and the ‘diamond nine’ prioritisation tool.

Overseeing the project was school careers leader Viki Foster who said: “At the start of the programme, many students did not know how they learned or how to organise their work. By the end, they had not only become aware of effective learning tools, but had also begun to use them regularly. This journey not only represents academic growth but increasing confidence and self-understanding.

“The skills fostered through this project, such as self-awareness, critical thinking, and self-directed learning, are exactly those valued by employers. As such, the programme supports not only academic success but also future employability. For our Year 8 students, this provides a timely foundation by giving them the chance to practise and refine these skills well before the pressures of GCSEs and future career-planning intensify in Year 9.”

While at the university, students were given a campus tour that offered a first-hand look at the world of higher education - an experience Viki considers essential for broadening horizons.

“Having the opportunity to visit a higher education setting at an early age helps take away some of the fear of the unknown. Such encounters are essential in shaping aspirations and may help students begin planning a path to follow in the future.” 

Year 8 student Poppy B said the campus tour was “amazing,” while Matilda felt the campus “seemed like a good place where people will focus on work”. Joseph added, “I really loved Hull University and I hope I am accepted when applying in a few years’ time.”

ABOVE: Sanna Saidy and Amy Rutter, outreach coordinators at HOP, with students from Withernsea High School during their sixth and final Future Thinking session at the University of Hull. 

ABOVE: The programme featured a series of activities designed to promote thinking. Pictured during one of the activity sessions are Year 8 students Caitlin and Ella.

ABOVE: The students’ visit to the University of Hull provided an opportunity for a campus tour and an early introduction to university life. The group enjoyed the views from the seventh-floor observatory of the Brynmor Jones Library and a look at the university’s Asylum nightclub.

Year 11 students preparing to make post-16 choices ahead of next summer’s GCSE exam period have been given an opportunity to explore apprenticeship pathways at the Hull and East Riding Apprenticeship Expo. 

Students learned about current and upcoming vacancies in a wide range of sectors, including engineering, construction, health, public services, digital, law, business and finance, hair and beauty, sport, hospitality, education, and the creative industries. Companies and organisations involved included BAE systems, Cranswick foods, Nestle, Swift Group, Yorkshire Water, Hull University Teaching Hospitals, and construction company Hobson & Porter.

Supported internships, offering workplace-based study programmes for young people aged 16-24 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), were also promoted, highlighting the region’s commitment to inclusive pathways into employment. 

School careers leader Viki Foster said: “This is a crucial time for Year 11s who are considering their post-16 pathways. For many interested in apprenticeships, it was a chance to network and begin sowing the seeds for opportunities ahead of their exams in the summer. 

“The government expects schools to inform students about technical pathways, including apprenticeships, and the expo directly supports Gatsby Benchmarks 5 and 7, which encourage encounters with employers, and further and higher education as part of a national framework of best practice in careers education.

“Our students stepped out of their comfort zones to engage with representatives from different companies and education providers, and many said it opened up more possibilities for their future. There are lots of options for young people at this age and it’s about finding the one that suits them best.”

Around one fifth of the school’s Year 11 cohort signed up to attend the event, with Abi saying she “felt inspired to pursue a future in the Armed Forces” after speaking to representatives from the RAF, while Ellie found her conversations with staff at Bishop Burton College particularly valuable, as she hopes to continue her studies there from September 2026. 

Pre-event information distributed to students offered guidance on what to expect at the expo and encouraged them to approach employers confidently. It included advice on making a positive first impression and suggested conversation starters. The development of these skills is a cornerstone of the school’s careers programme, which includes mock interview sessions and communication and interview skills training.  

ABOVE: Year 11 student Kaitlin speaks to Ellie Walkington, project officer with the ERYC Education & Skills Partnership, who helps promote and manage the Log On Move On careers platform. 

ABOVE: Held at Bishop Burton College, the event welcomed representatives from over 50 companies and organisations. During the day, it was open exclusively to school and college students, followed by a session for the wider public in the evening.