The Careers Education and Guidance programme helps pupils to achieve these broad aims
Intent
- To understand themselves and develop their capabilities
- To investigate careers and opportunities
- To implement their career plan
Implementation
Visiting speakers, trips to education and work place settings, careers advisors, video and careers literature are used in the Careers Education programme to provide pupils with background information relating to further education and a wide range of jobs and training. We have a former Connexions advisor (Anna Perry) to work with Year 10 and 11 pupils, who also offers a drop-in service on Wednesday lunch times. Our Aim Higher co-ordinator Shannen Carter arranges a variety of trips that are specific to career paths as well as University visits to raise aspirations. Careers in school is managed by our Careers Leader, Paul Keylock. Our SMT Careers link is Erica Reeves and our Careers link governor is John Gopsill.
We work with a number of outside agencies who support the work we do on Careers in PSHE lessons such as Aim Higher, Transformation Trust and Local Colleges such as Cadbury, Bournville and Halesowen. In addition, guidance is given in completing CV’s and personal statements via KUDOS, an online system that pupils can also access from home using a link on the Moodle section of our website. This programme also gives pupils in depth information about a wide variety of careers and will match them to those most suitable for them.
All Year 11 pupils receive help with how to prepare for an interview and take part in a ‘mock interview’ in school with our partners from Transformation Trust and Barclays Bank. We also hold a careers fayre every year to give students further guidance (Providers can find our Provider Access Policy Here)
Turves Green Girls School is a member of the Birmingham Careers Hub. We work collaboratively with colleagues in other hub schools, employers, training providers, higher education institutions and universities to co-ordinate careers and work-related learning provision in school. As part of our role in the Careers Hub, we work closely with our Enterprise Co-ordinator, Ruth Broome and our Enterprise Advisor Freya Leontas from BHSF (Health and Wellbeing) where she works as a project officer. We are collaborating to meet the demands of the Gatsby Benchmarks, set out by the DfE. The Main school website has a ‘Progression’ section with a few key websites containing information on FE & HE options, as well as careers information including LMI.
How the school measures and assesses the impact of the careers programme on pupils
Our Careers programme is reviewed on an annual basis, at the end of the academic year. Pupils and parents are consulted via questionnaires and pupil focus sessions as part of an ongoing careers evaluation process. Information gained from this is used to ensure that the careers programme is as effective as possible for all pupils. The Gatsby Benchmarks are used, and continually updated, to measure progress and impact.
| Value | Activity | Term | Purpose | Gatsby Benchmarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 7 | Meeting with employers and employees through Future First- past pupil volunteers talking to students about their career paths | Autumn | To give pupils the chance to meet with employers and employees. For pupils to have done some work before and after these meetings to plan what they want to get out of the experience and what they have learned from it. Pupils will be matched up with visitors suitable for their future plans as far as possible. | 1,2,3,4,5,8 |
| Year 7 | PSHE lessons: “what will I be?” | Spring | Pupils start to explore their hopes and dreams for the future. | 1 |
| Year 7 | Experiences of a workplace | Spring | Pupils are to conduct activities at Think Tank based around careers and the workplace. | 6 |
| Year 8 | School Website | All | The Main school website has a ‘Progression’ section with a few key websites containing information on FE & HE options, as well as careers information including LMI | 1,2,3,4,7 |
| Year 8 | Introduction to Option Choices Small group guidance interviews Options Night /Parents’ Evening | Spring | To introduce the students to the support offered in school with their key decisions and to start thinking about their future options, and decisions, and who can support them with their decisions. To introduce the students to resources/programme of events to support them with their KS4 option choices. Led by School’s Careers Advisor. To raise aspirations, improve skills and provide additional information to help inform future decisions. The Main school website has a ‘Progression’ section with a few key websites continuing information on FE and HE options, as well as careers information including LMI. | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 |
| Year 8 | Meeting with employers and employees through Future First- past pupil volunteers talking to students about their career paths | Spring | To give pupils the chance to meet with employers and employees. For pupils to have done some work before and after these meetings to plan what they want to get out of the experience and what they have learned from it. Pupils will be matched up with visitors suitable for their future plans as far as possible. | 1,2,7 |
| Year 8 | Introduction to Skills self- assessment | Summer | An introduction to the importance of transferrable skills for employability and HE. This will include an initial self- assessment. | 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Year 9 | Higher Education and Qualifications | Spring | Lessons in PSHE lessons | 1,2,3,4 |
| Year 9 | Careers and Gender, Jobs, Careers or Vocations. Careers Rights for the Young | Summer | All Pupils taken to a local university for the day. Pupils will be planning their visit before they go, finding personalised answers to questions on the visit (such as student finance, SEND access, accommodation, courses). These questions/answers to be explored when returning to school in PSHE/form time | 1,3,7 |
| Year 9 | Further Education and qualifications | Summer | All Pupils will have a day at Halesowen College and a visit to Cadbury College. Cadbury College will be a Women in STEM day, including a tour of the campus. Halesowen will be a Taster Day for all pupils. They will meet current post 16 students. They will get a tour of the college and facilities. They will have 3 classes, tailored to their individual interests. They will be planning their visit before and reflecting afterwards to make meaningful conclusions about the visit. | 1,2,3,4,6,7 |
| Year 9 | Meeting with employers and employees through Future First- past pupil volunteers talking to students about their career paths | Summer | To give pupils the chance to meet with employers and employees. For pupils to have done some work before and after these meetings to plan what they want to get out of the experience and what they have learned from it. Pupils will be matched up with visitors suitable for their future plans as far as possible. | 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Year 10 | Experiences of a workplace – Justice Museum | Autumn | All pupils to visit a workplace with activities tailored towards careers. | 6 |
| Year 10 | Meeting with employers and employees through Future First- past pupil volunteers talking to students about their career paths | Spring | To give pupils the chance to meet with employers and employees. For pupils to have done some work before and after these meetings to plan what they want to get out of the experience and what they have learned from it. Pupils will be matched up with visitors suitable for their future plans as far as possible. | 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Year 10 | Interpersonal Skills, Employability, writing a CV and Personal Statement (using KUDOS), What Will I Do (Including the use of Labour Market Information) | Summer | Pupils will build on skills work in Year 8 by matching up personal skills to employability. Pupils will explore careers with Kudos, using the quiz to try and match them with jobs and exploring anything of interest. An added focus will be the LMI information attached to each career. | 1,2,3,7,8 |
| Year 10 | College Taster Day | Summer | All pupils will attend a Sixth Form College -Cadbury in July. They will be given the chance to choose their own subjects for the day. Pupils will research the Sixth Form College, Subjects and possible careers linked to them before they go in PSHE. Reflection time will be given after the visit to make meaningful conclusions. | 1,3,7 |
| Year 10 | Interviews start with qualified careers adviser | Summer | Our Careers Adviser will start meeting pupils on a 1-1 basis. | 8 |
| Year 11 | Post 16 Applications (using KUDOS), Interview Techniques and Mock Interviews | Autumn | Pupils to have lessons on what their future options are for post 16. Different types and levels of qualifications. Different choices of places to go. Information about apprenticeships. They will be prepared for a Mock Interview and an employer will come in to conduct this interview. Pupils will be prepared to ask them questions too about their career pathway. | 1,3,4,5,8 |
| Year 11 | Visits from local providers | Autumn | Local providers are invited in to assembly to talk about what they can offer pupils. Time for Q&A after. | 1,7 |
| Year 11 | Careers Fayre | Autumn | This is run jointly with TGBS. All local providers are asked in as well as some HE and employers. Usually have at least 35/40 stalls. All pupils are taken to this event. | 1,3,5,7,8 |
