We recognise that effective careers guidance contributes to raising aspirations, creating positive self-image, increasing self-confidence, improving motivation and overcoming barriers to success. Our school has a critical role to play in preparing our young people for the next stage of their education or training and beyond, starting in primary school. Our expectations are high, so that every student is challenged appropriately and acquires the knowledge, skills and attitudes for lifelong learning and that employers will value. This will help every young person to realise their potential and enhance their employability.
Careers Skills
We recognise the importance of developing the careers skills of our young people through our provision for Careers Guidance. We believe that young people need these skills to manage their own careers and to contribute to the well-being of themselves, their families, the communities and the wider society of which they are a part, the environment and the economy. Research tells us that young people start making Career-limiting decisions by the age of 10, which they solidify by the age of 14. (Aspires). Our role is to expand the limits of our students, to help them believe in themselves and strive to be the best they can be.
The school's careers provision, therefore, needs to help students to develop their self-efficacy, raise their aspirations and help them carry out career exploration. They must also become more adaptable and resilient, make decisions and transitions, be more enterprising and be able to present themselves well in applications and interviews.
We are therefore working towards the 8 Gatsby Principles to ensure all our young people are able to access high quality information, advice and guidance throughout their time with us.
The eight Gatsby benchmarks of Good Career Guidance:
- A stable careers programme
- Learning from career and labour market information
- Addressing the needs of each pupil
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experiences of workplaces
- Encounters with further and higher education
- Personal guidance
As part of our careers programme we believe in starting this conversation early, through linking curriculum subjects to future careers and inviting employers into school to encourage our young people to recognise the skills they already have and are developing.
We also believe ‘employability and transferable skills’ are an essential part of our day to day curriculum to give our young people the skills to make them ‘employable’ in the future. The top 10 skills that employers want and seek in potential employees are:
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Problem solving skills
- Using your initiative and being self-motivated
- Organisational skills
- Working under pressure and to deadlines
- Team working
- Ability to learn and adapt
- Numeracy
- Valuing diversity and difference
- Negotiation Skills
Careers Programme
In line with the government expectation on schools, there is a planned careers programme throughout the year for all students from Year 7. We take this a step further by ensuring that career paths are linked to the curriculum from KS1. We also introduce teambuilding exercises and leadership skills training to allow our students to recognise their strengths and skills. This knowledge is then put into practice during an Enterprise day in the Summer Term.
Monitoring, review and development of CEIAG
The school has been assessed and accredited as “making good progress towards meeting all the accreditation criteria incorporating the Gatsby Benchmarks”
- The Careers programme is monitored through the Careers Development plan, which is linked to the School Development plan.
- All careers events are evaluated by staff, students and providers to ensure learning objectives are met.
- At our secondary site, destinations at KS4 and KS5 are closely monitored and students are supported after leaving school where necessary.
- At our secondary site, the number of NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) figures remain low and preferably at 0%
Useful Links
Please see below for useful links to the school Careers Policy, Employer engagement, careers guidance and apprenticeships.
Documents
Links
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