Welcome to your future

Welcome to the page which provides access to a wealth of information on the careers work of the school and about careers in general. The following information and research material can be found here:

• How the careers programme fits into the school’s PSHE programme.
• Information about Years 7 – 13 events in the Careers calendar.
• An overview of the Careers Library to see what is on offer.
• Use of careers software to explore careers ideas.
• Careers Policy

Mrs Williamson – Head of Careers

Careers Entitlement

All students will ….

• receive a planned programme of Careers Education as an integral part of their Personal & Social Education programme.
• have access to the Careers Library and will receive guidance on how to access information from year 9 onwards.
• have access to computer based careers information and training on its retrieval.
• receive guidance on their GCSE Option choices in Years 8 and 9.
• have the opportunity to take part in Take Our Sons/Daughters To Work day in year 9.
• take part in ‘A Day in the World of Work’in year 9.
• take part in a two week block placement of Work Experience in the summer term of Year 10.
• be given the information to receive information and guidance from the Careers Advisor in Years 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 through individual and/or group interviews.
• have access to a Careers Advisor at Years 11, 12 & 13 Parents’ Evenings, with parents.
• have access to a Careers Advisor at Year 9 Options Evenings, Year 10 Work Experience Evening and 6th Form Open Evening, with parents.
• receive information and guidance on Options Post 16.
• be informed of job vacancies, where relevant, in Years 11, 12 and 13.

Careers Library

Helping students make decisions about their future, the Careers Library is a multi media research environment.

The following resources are available in the Careers Library:

KUDOS – Let the computer help you decide what kind of a person you are, what your special interests are, and what sort of career you would be suited to.

REFERENCE BOOKS – a wide range of reference books about employment, higher and further education, choosing GCSEs, A Levels, and many, many more. We also have Prospectuses for each of the Universities and Colleges in the UK.

JOBS BOARD – Details of local and national job opportunities.

STAFF – Mrs Williamson is Head of Careers and the Work Experience Co-ordinator. She is based in the Careers Library and is there daily to help students access information and research their ideas.

CAREERS ENTITLEMENT – Every student is entitled to a specified level of careers education and guidance. The Careers Entitlement document is displayed in the Careers Library and forms an integral part of school policy.

Careers Work From Year 9

We begin careers education in Year 9 with a Careers Carousel which offers students sessions on using the Careers Library, using the software available to them and choosing their subjects for GCSE. They also take part in a Day in the World of Work lots of work related activities hosted by local employers and Take our Sons/Daughters to Work.

How do we assess the impact of our careers programme?

The Gatsby Career Benchmarks are the result of an international study to find the best practice in career guidance worldwide. We are proud to score 100% in all possible areas as follows:

Benchmark 1: A stable careers programme
Every school and college should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by pupils, parents, teachers and employers.

Benchmark 2: Learning from career and labour market information
Every pupil, and their parents, should have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed adviser to make the best use of the information available.

Benchmark 3: Addressing the needs of each pupil
Pupils have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each pupil. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity conversations throughout.

Benchmark 4: Linking curriculum learning to careers
All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. For example, STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of career pathways.

Benchmark 5: Encounters with employers and employees
Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment opportunities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes.

Benchmark 6: Experiences of the workplace
Every student should have first-hand experience of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks.

Benchmark 7: Encounters with further and higher education
All pupils should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace.

Benchmark 8: Personal guidance
Every pupil should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a Careers Adviser who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all pupils but should be timed to meet their individual needs.

The termly mapping of our careers provision against the benchmarks using the Career and Enterprise Company’s online evaluation tool: Compass, ensures that areas of strength or gaps in provision are easily highlighted and acted upon.