It was such a positive boost to welcome so many external visitors to the school this week as part of PSHE and other co-curricular activities. Among them we were delighted to host alumna Freya Sloane (Class of 2017) who joined us online to deliver a talk to our current pupils about her apprenticeship.

After completing her time at Sydenham High, Freya Sloane went on to become a PMO Analyst Apprentice with M&G Investments whilst being supported in a degree in project management. On Tuesday 25 January Freya was joined by colleague and fellow apprentice, Ruby, to talk to year 13 students about her experiences so far and to share some advice.

Together they highlighted some of the positive factors of choosing an apprenticeship, including having real responsibilities from the start, gaining a qualification and networking with different people outside your immediate field. After explaining how the framework of support – with buddies, coaches and mentors- had helped ensure a smooth start, Freya talked through the application process and Ruby gave some Top Tips for applying for an apprenticeship generally – researching your company and the actual apprenticeship scheme in depth, being able to demonstrate the skills they want with concrete examples and showing enthusiasm for the company, the role and the recruitment process itself.