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Careers Provision

Intent Statement

We strongly believe that the best way to prepare our pupils for the future is to ensure that we provide a stable Careers Programme from Key Stage 3 through to Key Stage 4. The Careers programme must provide our pupils with access to an outstanding educational experience that is tailored to individual needs.

We are working to fulfil the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks. In order to meet the Benchmarks, we pride ourselves on building a Careers Programme that is designed to meet the individual needs of students at our school. It is differentiated and personalised to ensure progression through activities that are appropriate to students’ stages of learning and development. The programme promotes equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion.

In September 2021, we have started to enhance our aim to fulfil the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks by working with and utilising resources from the Career Development Institute. ‘The Career Development Institute has undertaken extensive research and consulted with career development experts and practitioners to identify the six career development skills that you need to have the career that you want’.

The 6 development skills are:

Grow throughout life
Explore Possibilities
Manage career
Create opportunities
Balance work and life
See the Big Picture

We have composed a working document of our internal and external career related activities, events, visits and curriculum content planned for 2021-2022. This has been colour coded against the 6 development skills (see timetable).

Through the Careers Programme, the school aims to support and assist pupils to:

Discuss in depth and assess their potential of abilities, interests and needs/values.
Guide and support their ability to make an informed choices about further education/ employment that is achievable, realistic and sustainable for their future.
Be informed of a range of life and occupational opportunities in a context of social and economic change.
To support before, during and after transition phases and assisting our pupils towards the independence and resilience required to access certain provisions and institutions

To view our Provider Access Policy please go to the policy section of the website.

Explore the Careers Learning Journey

Implementation

The above aims are delivered through a variety of methods, including but not limited to:

Curriculum delivery
Visits to colleges, universities, and training providers
Visiting speakers
Assemblies
Opportunities within the curriculum for enterprise
Work experience
Drop-in opportunities both with school-based staff and external advisers
Non biased, bespoke and relevant 1:1 Career Guidance
Pupil Voice
Parent Voice

Our Team

Senior Lead – Mrs Cooper (c.cooper@st-paulshigh.net)

Saint Paul’s Designated Careers Lead – Ms Hitchen (s.hitchen@st-paulshigh.net)

Careers Advisors –

Cassandra Haskey
Roseleen Ireland

Contact Email: Careers.Connect@st-paulshigh.net

Contact Number : 0161 499 0000

Year 7 and Year 8

The Year 7 CEIAG programme is delivered through a topic focused approach. Discussions with pupils are embedded within the subject topics across a range of subjects and discussions about careers and occupations take place. For example, we have celebrated ‘European Day of Languages’ in Modern Foreign Languages and discussed different roles and jobs associated to learning an additional language.

Year 9

Pupils are taught CEIAG through careers sessions as they prepare to undertake the GCSE option process. These sessions inform the pupils about the local labour market and aim to give them a broad and balanced idea of which careers are realistic options for them. Pupils will begin to have specific experiences of workplaces and will experience at least one careers focused educational visit/ speaker per year from Year 9. Due to COVID-19 and national restrictions, this is being revised and more information will be available from our Careers Lead.

Year 10

Throughout Year 10 pupils will continue to be given CEIAG through a 1:1 careers guidance session. Pupils will continue to have experiences of workplaces both through one-off educational visits/ speakers and through work experience placements should pupils wish to do so. Due to COVID-19 and national restrictions, this is being revised and more information will be available from our Careers Lead.

Pupils will also begin visiting colleges and training providers from their locality to give them a full understanding of what opportunities for education and training are available. Pupils will also attend careers fairs and study the local labour market in depth, this is to deepen their understanding and help them to make an informed choice about future careers.

Year 11

In Year 11 pupils will begin the application process for the next steps in their education whether it be continuing education at college or with a training provider, through the apprenticeship scheme or securing suitable employment. This is supported through access to Xello: ‘an engaging online program that prepares pupils for post – secondary success in academics, career and life’

Pupils will continue to be provided with opportunities for all the above through:

experiences of workplaces
encounters with employers
advice from careers advisers
through their ever-developing knowledge of the local labour market
pupils will have the opportunity to experience mock interviews

Our curriculum plan is based on the Gatsby benchmarks:

A stable career 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

Impact

Our Careers Programme will be reviewed annually through discussions with teaching staff, students, parents, and our local Governing Body.

We will measure our impact annually through:

The Careers Lead is responsible for ensuring that all year 11 pupils have completed application forms and are then responsible for tracking this through to interview and offer of a place.
Pupils will have had an interview with a Level 6 Careers Advisor, providing independent careers advice and an action plan on next steps.
Pupils will make an informed decision about Post 16 options and destinations.
Pupils will have an in-depth knowledge of opportunities available in Industry within their local and surrounding area(s).
Comparative National data of the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks through Compass Plus.
Pupils will have completed familiarisation visits to their identified Post 16 provider and have developed links with key staff that will support them when they begin.
Pupils will have developed independence skills in completing applications and having interviews, preparing them for further applications and interviews.
Pupils will have an in depth understanding and knowledge of all Post 16 providers and their offer, allowing them to be able to identify their own career path.
Pupils will have had workplace encounters; they will understand what it is like to work in a variety of settings and expectations.
Pupils, Parents/Carers and our School staff will have worked collaboratively to ensure collective approach to supporting our pupils’ journey through to Post 16 providers.
Pupils will regularly provide feedback through student voice opportunities.
Careers Lead is responsible for the management of data to ensure NEET figures are reduced and provide support working with external agencies/ FE Providers for up to 12 months after a learner has left roll.
Employer and Visiting partners feedback
Work experience/placement evaluations

National Careers Week

Our Head Boy and Head Girl were invited to participate in a unique opportunity to interview Brian Hay from Cardinal Logistics.

They composed 10 questions centred around apprenticeships, employability skills/ characteristics and the application process of an apprenticeship.

We look forward to taking some of our pupils to the Apprenticeship Fair on Friday; the interview with Brian Hay will be available for students to watch and to note some really vital information to support with their application process.

Enjoy Careers Week!

Mrs Cooper

Our student Leadership Team were invited by BW3 to support at a business event at Old Trafford. As well as supporting at the event, our pupils participated in a tour of Old Trafford.

We are immensely proud of the work that our pupils do within the community and with our link with BW3. At the event pupils were given the opportunity to meet and network with businesses. Pupils asked questions and sought information based on the qualifications, skills and characteristics needed in varying professions.

We are very proud of our school leadership team- keep up the good work.