UK Higher Education
Our focus is on the right institution for each individual and the breadth and range of destinations both within the UK and worldwide continues to grow.
The Futures Department
The Futures Department, a finalist in the Independent School of the Year Awards 2022 and 2023, plays an important part in preparing pupils for the world beyond Shrewsbury School.
The Department works as part of the whole school team, supported by the Salopian Club, to provide the best possible advice to pupils on course choices, universities, work experience and co-curricular activities. Old Salopians also benefit from access to support from the Department wherever they are, at every stage on their career path.
The Futures programme provides careers education across the age groups. Pupils value the individualised advice they receive, and in guiding their decisions about university courses.
ISI Inspection 2024
The Futures Department is open to students throughout term time and is well stocked with university prospectuses, gap year and careers publications and information. Based centrally, there is a student space for independent research and video interview preparation.
Whether it is support with an application to a competitive university, guidance with a degree apprenticeship final interview, or a conversation about GCSE option choices, the team has the expertise and experience to offer impactful advice and guidance.
I was very indecisive about my future plans and the Futures Department were a huge help. They offer so many Careers Talks; whether they are lectures on US Universities, information on UCAS or organising discussion groups with past pupils. The advice they give opens your eyes to all the possibilities.
Ellie, Old Salopian (2022-2024)
The Futures Department really helped me in Fifth Form and Lower Sixth to help formulate an idea of what I wanted to go on. Being able to talk to someone about work experience was invaluable and the work experience I did was because of them.
Ed, Old Salopian (2018-23)
US and International Higher Education
We offer tailored support for a wide variety of US and international university destinations. From SAT preparation to scholarships, we provide personalised guidance to ensure the best fit for each student.
Careers
Find out more about our support
Gap Year
A well-planned Gap Year can provide a wealth of experience and responsibility which can be of tremendous importance for the future.
Work Experience
UK Higher Education
US and International Higher Education
Careers
Gap Year
Work Experience
Meet The Team
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I choose my GCSEs or A Levels?
How should I choose my GCSEs or A Levels?
This is probably our most common question and there is actually a very simple way to go about this. You want your choices to be ACE, in that they reflect your Abilities, your Career ideas and what you Enjoy, with the last point being the most important. If you study subjects you are interested in and have a passion for, you will be motivated to do the required work both inside and outside of the classroom to be successful. To enable positive choices, it is important to spend time talking to subject teachers and reading through course information to help you finalise your plans. The choice must be yours though!
Why should I do work experience during school when I don’t need it for university?
Why should I do work experience during school when I don’t need it for university?
For a number of reasons. It can help provide you with careers insight to actually help confirm your university plans, it can enable the creation of employer networks and it can help build skills that are required for workplace performance, such as communication, teamwork, decision making and leadership. Alongside this, research confirms that your future employers are equally (if not more) interested in your employment experience as they are your academic qualifications. If both of these are strong, your chances of gaining a good position will only increase.
How will I learn more about different jobs and different options?
How will I learn more about different jobs and different options?
In a number of ways. Throughout the academic year, there is a rolling programme of events where we welcome industry specialists (many of whom are former pupils) to talk about their experiences, organise careers and Higher Education Fairs, deliver PSD lessons on decision making and option choices, etc. We can arrange one to one discussions with employers and sixth formers will have access to an employer mentor to help them with their planning. You can book an appointment with a staff member from the Futures Department, as well as access some incredible careers based platforms to help shape your ideas. It is absolutely fine to have no idea about what to do, and you are very fortunate to have many ways now of finding out.
How do you work with external partners and alumni?
How do you work with external partners and alumni?
We are incredibly fortunate to enjoy outstanding support from both our alumni and parent body. Given the range of activities and events that the Futures Department offers, it is essential that we are able to utilise the incredible expertise that exists within these groups, whether it be the offer of a careers insight talk, a work experience opportunity, or mentoring, we work closely with a range of individuals and organisations to ensure we continue to offer the high-quality provision to our pupils. If you are keen to contribute to our programme, the Head of Futures would be delighted to hear from you.
In March 2022 we hosted an in-person mock assessment centre where 50 professionals, including Salopian families and Old Salopians, conducted competency-based interviews as part of National Careers Week, raising awareness among pupils of potential recruitment processes.
