Careers

The school is committed to providing a planned programme of careers education, information and guidance for all students in Years 7-13. 

The aims of careers education and guidance are as follows:

 to prepare students for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life
 to enable students to develop skills, attitudes and abilities which will enable them to be effective in a variety of adult occupations and roles
 to help them develop career awareness and enable them to manage personal career development
 to enable them to handle careers information and assist them in making informed choices
 to enable them to experience the world of work
 to enable them to manage transitions in their lives such as the change from school to college or work

Year 7
The pupils in Year 7 have one lesson a week.  The aim of this year's course is to help pupils understand that the ability to adjust to new situations is a career management skill.   The emphasis is on recognising skills and qualities, and developing the skills and confidence to cope with the recent transition from primary school, and future transitions in their lives.  Pupils are introduced to "Progress File".  This is an on-going record of an individual's goals and achievements.  It is a computer file saved in the pupil's own user area and can be added to throughout the pupils' time in Key Stage 3.  During the year pupils will also be finding out about various occupations and will look at the job application process.

Year 8
The pupils in Year 8 have one lesson a week.  Pupils continue developing their strengths and find out about the importance of skills and their transferability.  Using "Progress File", they review and reflect on their achievements.  They use action-planning skills to help them reach new goals, based on their growing knowledge of themselves.  Pupils will investigate job roles within the school, carry out interviews, and present their findings to the class.  They will look at equal opportunities issues in relation to employment.   They will further examine how a company is reliant upon its employees for its success. 

Year 9
The pupils in Year 9 have one careers lessons each week.  This is the third part of a continuing programme designed to accommodate progression through Key Stage 3.  In Year 9 pupils continue developing their strengths and recognise the importance of developing their aptitudes.  They use the Connexions resource area to find out about career pathways, and during lesson time we will confirm the pupil's knowledge about the qualifications framework.  All this should help them make their choices of option subjects for Key Stage 4. 

Pupils will also be introduced to the Real Game computer programme.  The overarching purpose of the Real Game Series is to demonstrate to pupils the real life relevance of the school experience.  The pupils develop an understanding of the basic concepts and terminology of the game and of the world of work.  They are given an occupational role and make lifestyle decisions (e.g. accommodation, transport, and leisure) within the constraints of their income.  In the process they learn some of the realities of the adult world.  The pupils explore their attitudes and preconceptions about gender stereotypes, evaluate occupations based on their own interests, and begin to learn about some of the hard realities of the workplace.  The pupils examine the concepts of transition and transferable skills.

Year 10
Year 10 pupils have one lesson of Careers each week.  The focus of these lessons is personal development.  Work experience is offered to all year 10 pupils for one week between 23 and 27 May 2011.  Preparation for this starts with a presentation to parents on 8 October 2010 and continues throughout the autumn and spring term to include such topics as health and safety in the workplace and examining typical workplace scenarios.

Pupils are introduced to the computer resource and self evaluation tool "Moving On" which extends the Progress File that pupils used in Key Stage 3.

Year 11
A small group of Year 11 pupils have one lesson of Careers/PHSCE each week.  They will examine  topics such as trades unions, employment legislation,  and issues relating to pay.  They will continue to use "Moving On" to help with career planning and to construct CVs.

Year 12
There is one combined lesson per week for pupils in years 12 and 13.

Initially, Year 12 pupils will have a personal interview with Mrs. Bowes about future plans for education and career.  They will use the computer resource and self evaluation tool "Exploring Pathways".  During the year pupils should conduct their own research into suitable courses and careers.  In the spring pupils will be invited to attend the Higher Education Convention at Reading University.  Most universities send representatives to this Convention so there is an opportunity for pupils to find out about courses and individual universities.  At the end of year 12 it is advisable for pupils to visit some of the universities in order to narrow down their choice, and to begin preparing a personal statement.

Year 13
These lessons take the form of teacher/pupil tutorials.  Those pupils who wish to apply to university or college will prepare their applications during the autumn term.  As far as possible, applications should be submitted prior to the Christmas break.  Pupils have received a school information booklet about this process.  Parents are encouraged to look at these, as well as the UCAS parent guide.  Pupils wishing to go straight into employment will use the time preparing CVs and carrying out research into employment possibilities.
 

Page last updated on: 10 Jan 2011