Each year when our students leave us at either Year 11 or 13, they are encouraged to join our Alumni network so that we can stay in touch with them past their journey at Swindon Academy and/or United College Sixth Form. We want to hear from you about all your successes, equally, we would love for you to be able to support us in the future.
If you are a former student of Swindon Academy and want to sign up to join our Alumni network, please contact Jessica Cook, Careers Officer at Swindon Academy at jessica.cook@swindon-academy.org
Here are some of the ways our Alumni have supported us in the past:
Alumni Lunch
For the first time in December 2019, we had several students from previous year groups join us for our Alumni Lunch. Students who had gone on to university, apprenticeships and employment came back into the academy to have lunch with our Sixth Formers and talk about their experiences post Year 13.
Career and Educational Role Models
Our Alumni often come in to speak to students about their journeys. Below is a picture of Ashton, who left the Academy in 2018, next to a picture of him in Year 8! Ashton spoke to Sixth Form about his journey from Year 13 to New Zealand to play Professional Football then his return to study Sport Management at Cardiff University.
Student Mentoring
As well as talking to groups of students, members of our alumni have also met with students on a smaller group, or even one to one basis, to support them with certain challenges they may be facing or to give their advice. For example, when Ashton joined us in school for the day, he met with three Year 10 students considering a career in Sport.
Work Experience and Workplace Visits
As our Alumni often go on to work for fantastic employers, they are able to offer our students experiences of the workplace and we are so grateful. During Year 10, all students from Swindon Academy visit two employers so utilising our Alumni Network to find willing employers to support our student’s understanding of the workplace is really useful.
Alumni Profiles
In the lower school library, we have an alumni profile book full of information on our previous students. It tells you what GCSE subjects they chose, what A Level subjects (if relevant) and what they have done since school. They’ve also included their top piece of advice for Swindon Academy students!
For more information on any element of our Alumni Programme, please contact Jessica Cook.