Defying social and parental expectations: the pressures on sixth form students after school.
Kelly Norrington, Schools Partnership and Outreach Manager (Uptree)
Merida* was the most motivated, naturally inquisitive student who ever took my A-level philosophy class. She was also as stubborn as the imprisoned Socrates.

Jacques-Louis David, The Death of Socrates’.
Our school had rarely seen such a potential Oxbridge candidate — straight A* in all her subjects, a voracious appetite for reading and an after-school activities programme which would shame a London socialite. From the school’s perspective, this girl would make our Ofsted and parent reports look great so she was prepped and encouraged to take her intelligence to the most elite establishments in the country.
There was, however, one slight issue. She didn’t want to go to university. She wanted to become a tattoo-artist.
Yes, all those brains and potential used to permanently brand tribal symbols on English men’s biceps. The school (and her parents) were at a loss. The pressure was applied and all the horror stories of a non-graduate life were told to her: you’ll make less money in your lifetime; you’ll never progress in your job; you’re letting your parents and the school down; you’re wasting your talents; you’ll never find love. The last one may be hyperbole but there was immense pressure on the poor girl for months and months on end. But, Merida was resolute and secured herself an apprenticeship in tattoo artistry.
We actually stayed in contact after she left sixth form as she is currently illustrating my children’s book so I have heard all about her experiences. She did defy social convention, complete her tattoo apprenticeship and work in the parlour; however, during this time her friends went to university and she took time to review her options.
Ultimately, she did apply for a course she loved in fashion design and starts in a couple of weeks at UCA Rochester. I don’t believe that Merida surrendered to the socially acceptable path of university. I personally see her as someone brave enough to have confidence in herself and her abilities to find a path that she loved. She pursued all her options and found out what she really wanted to do and I respect her immensely for that.
But not all 18 year olds are as brave as Merida. Many schools are not in a position to give the up-to-date careers knowledge and industry experiences greatly needed by students. Combine this with the myths that still pervade about university and we have a situation in which many youngsters are making life-defining choices based on ignorance. This ignorance is what Uptree dispels through our careers curriculum, employability workshops and student networking events with professionals from a range of industries.
Uptree provides impartial advice to students because we believe that there is no one ‘right’ path in our modern society — nowadays students may gain excellent qualifications and business acumen through a host of different pathways, including the new degree-apprenticeships. I believe that had Merida been given industry-led education and experiences from a younger age, she would have been more informed about her options after school and may have made easier — not better — choices. I wish her all the best now — let’s hope the university bar doesn’t serve hemlock…
Although most of our school partners are confirmed for the 2018/2019 programme, if your school/academy is interested in joining the partnership, please do email me (kelly@uptree.co) and I would be pleased to discuss the partnership with you and look at spaces available. The programme is free for schools with a high percentage of FSM as we wish to target those students who most need support with building professional networks, work experience and careers advice.
*Name changed to protect the identity of a future world leader.


