Inspired by our values of collaboration, opportunity, respect and excellence, Rockwood Academy is committed to ensuring that pathways to success are as diverse and bespoke as the young people we serve.
Rockwood is here to help shape our students’ futures, whether that’s moving on to further education (colleges, additional courses) or to higher education (university) or into apprenticeships or jobs.
We encourage students to think carefully about what interests them in terms of careers, courses or university subjects. Their choices are supported by our careers guidance team.
We place great emphasis on developing students’ entrepreneurial skills so that they’re well prepared for the world they’ll face in the future. Enterprise is about having an idea and making it happen.
We are proud to say that all of our previous Year 11 students have stayed in education after leaving us.
Careers provision for STEM at Rockwood:
At Rockwood Academy, our comprehensive STEM career provision targets all students from Years 7 to 11, offering a diverse range of activities that foster curiosity and engagement both within and beyond the science curriculum. Every student participates in key events such as British Science Week and the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
A dedicated Science and STEM club is available to Key Stage 3 students, and throughout both Key Stages, we provide targeted opportunities designed to support students in pursuing STEM pathways post-16. These opportunities include:
- Medical workshops
- Junior Engineering Educational Programs
- CSI workshops
- STEMLikeUs mentoring programme
- University Discovery Daya
- NextGen nursing
Our students have proudly represented the Academy in prestigious annual quizzes at the University of Birmingham and Oxford. Additionally, two students have been selected as Junior Genius Scholars and have secured valuable partnerships through the Generating Genius programme.
The Academy proudly champions female engagement with STEM, with every STEM activity comprising of a minimum 50% female uptake. More recently two of our female scientists secured placements on the prestigious University of Oxford EMPower residential programme.
Through these initiatives, Rockwood Academy is committed to equipping students with the skills, experiences, and opportunities necessary to thrive in STEM fields and inspire future career aspirations.
If you want to get in touch with our Careers Lead contact Mr D Cooke on 0121 556 6500
Work Experience at Rockwood Academy:
We take great pride in offering our Year 10 students invaluable work experience through our partnership with ‘Learn to Work.’ We are dedicated to ensuring that every student is placed in a position that aligns with their interests. By working closely with parents and engaging with a wide range of industries, we ensure that these placements are not only meaningful but also impactful. Throughout this experience, students gain hands-on exposure to the professional world, developing key skills that will benefit them long after they leave school and prepare them for success post-16.
In addition, we collaborate with Connexions to provide each student with a tailored career interview session, supporting them in making informed decisions regarding their future pathways. Students are also given the opportunity to visit local colleges to explore relevant courses, allowing them to gain insight into post-secondary education and envision their future studies.
We have organised ‘Application Days’ during which representatives from local colleges have visited the school to assist our students with their post-16 applications and address any questions they may have regarding their chosen courses.
