Careers Guidance

In Year 7, all our pupils receive an introduction to Careers from our Careers Education Coordinator, Mrs Rees-Roberts. The focus for Year 7 is to work on two main areas: soft skills and widening their Careers knowledge.
 
Activities take place during tutor time, assemblies and a full Careers Day in the summer, which focuses on ‘Careers in Science’ and centres around a Forensic Science workshop.

Year 7s can also look out for National Careers Week and National Apprenticeship Week activities in the Spring term.

In Year 9, our focus moves to planning for the future. During the year, they will receive an options booklet, outlining their GCSE choices, together with further support and materials from their form tutors. Early in the Spring term, they receive an introduction to Morrisby (our external Careers provider), which allows them to explore their interests and help to provide them with a framework for making subject choice decisions.

During this time, Year 9 are encouraged to speak to Mrs Rees-Roberts (Careers Education Coordinator) if they are struggling to make their GCSE choices and she will be happy to help them individually.

As the year progresses, Year 9 will also receive further input regarding how to show enterprise and initiative in their work. This will lay the foundations for exploring work experience, internships and volunteering from Year 10 onwards.

A fully interactive Careers-based day, focusing on ‘Careers in Law’ also takes place. This, together with the Careers days they have experienced in Years 7 and 8, gives Year 9 a good insight into a number of different careers and helps them further with their GCSE choices.

From Year 10, the focus shifts to the practicalities of work and the working environment during the early part of the year. Year 10 learn about safe working practices and environments as some of them may begin to take on weekend jobs at this agE.

Year 10 also look at the more difficult aspects of jobs during a full Careers-based day in the Summer Term. This allows them to write their first CVs and cover letters, undertake a full Morrisby test and be introduced to post-16 choices for the first time. We also consider such things as handling rejection and dealing with difficult requests. Year 10 also receive an introduction to Apprenticeships from Mrs Rees-Roberts during the early part of the year. Degree Apprenticeships could well be of interest to many of our pupils, as they provide the opportunity to gain a degree whilst working (both earning and gaining work experience). For motivated pupils, these can be a fantastic opportunity and are available across different fields including Law, Engineering, Armed Forces, Finance and Medicine.

During the year, Year 10 should look out for the variety of workshops and talks that may be available at lunchtimes and try and attend these wherever possible. 

Year 12 is a threshold year for many of our pupils, as they are able to focus on their chosen subjects in much more depth. Many will be aware that they may wish to take part in highly sought after careers by this point and, as such, work experience is greatly encouraged.

It is expected that all Year 12s will spend their Activities Week participating in the Work Experience Programme unless they are undertaking the Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition. The School has previously helped nearly 90 pupils to obtain places at top employers across the country and has made excellent connections across a wide variety of different careers.

Year 12s receive an introduction to the Work Experience programme and Careers for Sixth Form in the Autumn term and are encouraged to sign up to specific ‘streams’ where they are interested in high tariff career options. There are many workshops and mentoring opportunities for pupils and the hope is that this will encourage much higher attendance and provide pupils with a great deal of possibilities to gain relevant experience before they write their UCAS/Apprenticeship statements in Year 13.

There are also opportunities for some Year 12 students to become ‘Careers Prefects’. This involves working alongside the Careers Education Coordinator and becoming involved with the planning and delivery of Careers throughout the Senior School. At the end of the year, the Prefects will have the opportunity to deliver an idea of their own to the Senior Management Team and will be able to request a reference from Mrs Rees-Roberts at any time.