Part time education or training and volunteering

In England you can leave school on the last Friday in June if you’ll be 16 by the end of the summer holidays.

You must then do one of the following until you’re 18:

stay in full-time education, for example at a college
start an apprenticeship or traineeship or supported internship
spend 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training

Volunteering is unpaid activity anyone can choose to do freely to support their community, an individual or the environment. However, volunteers also gain a lot of benefits for themselves too.

Volunteering can be a great way to help you make career choices. You can test out different jobs to find out what you prefer and you’ll also gain experience, develop your confidence and the skills that are useful in all careers.

There are lots of opportunities for young people to do voluntary work. Most local areas have a volunteer centre which will advise and guide you as to which opportunities would best meet your skills, aspirations and support needs.

Find out what the benefits are for the volunteer in this short video

You can get more advice about volunteering from your careers advisor or the National Careers Service

Need more help

Contact the information, advice and support service for free, impartial information, advice and support for parents and carers of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Support is also offered to children and young people with SEND. They can also help provide information in a non-web format.

Useful resources

If you need more information or would like this information in a handy guide please contact use our feedback form to make your request.

The National Autism Society has created a transition support service. There is a helpline, an email service and information available online.

Post 16 education and training