Careers

As a school we have a statutory and moral duty to provide students in Years 8 - 11 with information, advice and guidance and this is extended in St Philip Howard Academy to include Year 7. At St Philip Howard Academy we believe that quality CEIAG should be available to all students and we are therefore currently working towards the Career Mark Award. Our approach is to view the delivery of CEIAG as both integral and in support of what happens in the classroom. Therefore, we look to link our classroom work to the world of work yet still deliver a standalone programme through tutorials and PSHE.

All that we do comes under the banner of our SMSC programme (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural provision). Through our form time sessions, ‘Beliefs and Values’ lesson time, stand-alone events, drop down days (around enterprise) and outstanding care and guidance we believe that we offer our students a complete pathway from the day that they enter year 7 until the day that they leave us.

Goals

The goals describe the ten opportunities that all young people should have. They should enable young people to make good decisions and take appropriate actions to achieve their full potential. They are been designed in conjunction with D2N2.  

• All young people should have opportunities to:
•  Invest in themselves, recognise their own strengths and values, and take responsibility for developing their work readiness skills and behaviours. Self-motivated.
• Have the tools and skills required to present themselves to a future employer. Self-assured
•  Have high aspirations for themselves. Aspirational.
• Understand the opportunities available to them locally and beyond and make realistic choices. Informed.  
• Have experiences of work that is rewarding and fulfilling. Experienced.
• Achieve qualifications valued by employers. Achieving.
• Understand that employers want people who will work hard and are accountable for their actions. Accountable.
• Understand that employers want young people who can listen and learn from their successes and their mistakes, and keep going. Resilient.  
• Work creatively to achieve their potential and that of the business. Entrepreneurial.
• Have effective communication and co-working skills. Co-operative.

 

Underpinning Key Principles

• Provision should empower young people to plan and manage their own future.
• The opportunities provided should be relevant to the interests and career plans of each learner
• Provides comprehensive information and advice that encourages students to consider a variety of options
• Experiences should raise aspirations
• Actively promotes equality of opportunity and challenge stereotypes
• Helps young people to progress and to link their skills, achievements and experiences to their future employability
• Future development of the programme should be based on previous evaluation, particularly from the students   

Student Entitlement

• Clear advice and information about ALL the options available, so that you understand what they involve
• Support and guidance to help you make choices and complete a career plan for the future
• Regular personal support on information on how well you are doing
• Help to decide what to do when you leave your course, including further learning, training and employment
• A programme of careers education helping you develop skills and knowledge to make choices and the transition to work and learning
• The opportunity to be involved in making decisions about things that effect your learning
• An opportunity to set out an individual learning plan, and
• An opportunity to learn about the world of work

 

Gatsby Benchmarks

As a school we are constantly using the latest research available and looking for ways to improve our careers education. Currently we are addressing the 8 areas Gatsby research says should be used for a Good Career Guidance

1. A Stable careers program	St Philip Howard Academy has an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by students, parents, teachers, governors
2. Learning from career and labour market information	By the end of year 8, all pupils should will have accessed and used information about career paths and the labour market to inform their own decisions on study options. Will also have access and have used their own Fast Tomato account.
3. Address the needs for each student	Opportunities for advice and support are offered to all pupils every year and are tailored to the needs of each student
4. link the curriculum to careers	By end of year 8, every pupil will have had the opportunity to learn how the different subjects help people to gain entry to, and be more effective workers within, a wide range of careers.
5. Encounters with employers and employee’s	Every year, from year, pupils will participate in at least one meaningful encounter with an employer. This will be in the form of Business lunches followed by a Q&A session with feedback from the employer.
6. Experiences of work places	By the age of 16, every pupil will have had at least one experience of a workplace through various forms
7. Encounters with further education	By the age of 16, every pupil will have had a meaningful encounter with providers of the full range of learning opportunities, including Sixth Forms, colleges, universities and apprenticeship providers. This will include the opportunity to meet both staff and pupils
8. Personal guidance	Every pupil has at least two such interview by the age of 16

 

Content

Careers preparation, called Careers Education and Guidance (CEG) is taught to all years within the school. As a snapshot of the curriculum, the main elements are:

Year 7 - Students receive lessons regarding self-awareness, goal setting and employability skills.  At this point students begin to identify roles that they consider successful and to learn about issues surrounding diversity and inclusion in the workplace. IAG supports access to information and advice from an earlier age, enabling better informed decisions at transition stages. Careers work can also be seen to raise aspirations and improve motivation to participate in education or training as a lifelong development. .
 
Year 8 - Students investigate future careers, courses and pathways in more depth and investigate local and national labour market information. They are given support in making their Option choices and complete a personal promotion task.
 
Year 9 -Students continue to work on improving their employability skills through a Scheme of work called the Oracy.  Throughout the program the look at skills they would need to be successful in any job.

Year 10 - Pupils start a national qualification at a graduate level called The Edge. Throughout the qualification that look at skills based around LORIC (leadership, organisation, resilient, initiative, Communication). During the program they have to complete two activities under each area and evidence this in the portfolio.
 
Year 11 - Apprenticeships and Sixth Form options are further explored, as are interview techniques, decision making and making applications. Work related skills are further developed during lessons that focus upon dealing with potential problems in the workplace.

 

Support in school

Information, advice and guidance come from a number of different sources at St Philip Howard Academy. Your first stop should be with your Form Tutor. This member of staff will see your child on a daily basis and will be responsible for delivering the Careers programme through tutorial.  You may also wish to contact your child’s Head of year.  Mr White is the named member of the staff responsible for CEIAG.

Secondly, you can talk to our Independent Careers Advisor.  All students from year 8-11 will receive advice and guidance from the Careers Advisor, either through small group work or as a one to one interview.   At transition points we will also provide a drop in facility for students to receive extra support and guidance.  Following the interview a written action plan is provided for the student and a copy will be emailed to parents / guardians. Interview slots are communicated via your child's form tutor, although we actively encourage Parental involvement in this process.  If you have any queries please liaise with Mr White regarding your child's interview or e-mail swhite@sph.academy 

Supporting your child at home

We very much believe that the first way to help your child is to ensure that they attend school every day. The qualifications that they receive will be pivotal in opening the door to their chosen career route.

As your child approaches their options choices we would recommend you attend the Year 8 Options Evening and read the Options booklet in order to discuss option choices effectively.  

Once your child is in Year 10 you can begin to explore options available post 16 and to consider with your child whether they want to pursue A-levels or an Apprenticeship.  You can check prospectuses to be aware of the entry criteria and this can often serve as a good motivator as students reach the end of Year 10. 

As students enter Year 11 focus must be on achieving the highest grades possible. To help with this, students need to get their Post-16 applications submitted by December.

 

For more information why not visit www.how2become.com to find out more about different careers and get useful advice on how to plan ahead.

 

Destinations

The vast majority of our Y11’s continue on to employment, further education or training. Last year 68% continued in full time education. While 32% went into apprenticeships or full time work.

Careers Advisor

Mr S. Pacey 

Email: spcaey@sph.academy

Phone: 01457 853611 

 

Key Documents for Careers

Access Policy Statement: Careers Guidance and Access for Education and Training Providers.