The College’s Careers Programme is delivered by a team of five staff, led by the College’s Director of Progression, Ellen Walkinshaw.

In December 2022, the College was re-accredited for ‘Investors in Careers’ – with the highest possible grading of “Fully meeting all the accreditation criteria incorporating the Gatsby Benchmarks”.

Situated in E102 on the first floor of the Enhancement Centre, the Careers Department is open from 9.00 – 4.30pm every day in term time, with staff offering a range of help and advice, including:

Exploring Progression Options

  • Ensuring students are aware of the range of pathways open to them after leaving college, both academic and vocational. See the College’s Specialist Career Pathways below.
  • Supporting students through the university application process (UCAS) and helping with applications to specialist colleges, such as Art and Performing Arts Colleges
  • Ensuring students have access to up-to-date Labour Market Information to help inform their decisions.
  • Helping students to gain experiences of the workplace
  • Assisting with applications for employment, CV writing and mock interviews
  • Arranging lunchtime talks that provide students with a range of encounters with further education, higher education, employers and employees

Annual Progression Events

In the Spring Term the College’s Get Ahead Day for Lower Sixth students is attended by around 90-100 universities, employers and Gap Year organisations. Students also attend a programme of talks and workshops run by College staff and visiting speakers to help them consider the range of pathways open to them after leaving college.

See Get Ahead Day Overview film and Get Ahead Day Feedback film

In the Upper Sixth students join a tutorial pathway that will support them in their progression after they leave Reigate College, whether this be into higher or further education, an apprenticeship or employment.

During the Spring Term parents are invited to an event outlining various progression routes and explaining how the Colleges’ Careers Programme supports students.

A further Careers Fair is held in June and at the end of June Lower Sixth students attend Progression Day, during which they attend talks about career opportunities relating to the subjects they study and receive advice on making successful university or employment applications.

In the Upper Sixth students join a tutorial pathway that will support them in their progression after they leave Reigate College, whether this be into higher or further education, an apprenticeship or employment.

Careers and Progression

See Careers and Progression information for current students, and also visit that page if you are a former Reigate College student wishing to apply to university.

To contact Ellen Walkinshaw or a member of the Careers Team, please email careers@reigate.ac.uk.

Specialist Careers Pathways

Career Pathways

At the beginning of the Upper Sixth all students sign up to one of eight possible ‘Career Pathways’ tutorials, that they attend during their allocated weekly tutorial time.

There are currently two generic pathways and six specialist ones, with the latter aimed at students who already know the broad area they’d like to focus on in the future:

The two generic pathways are:

  • The University pathway, and
  • The Apprenticeship and Employment pathway

And the six Specialist Pathways are currently:

  • Law
  • Careers in Health
  • Performing Arts
  • Visual Arts
  • MVD (for aspiring Medics, Vets and Dentists), and last, but by no means least
  • Oxbridge

The last two pathways for MVD and Oxbridge actually start in the Lower Sixth and continue through into the Upper Sixth.

Please see the Medicine, Veterinary Science and Dentistry Pathways leaflet and Careers in Health leaflet, for more information.

The College has an excellent reputation for helping students secure places on university courses related to these pathways. For more information please email: Liz.sanders@reigate.ac.uk