We understand that it is important to develop yourself through careers, employability and enterprise education, as well as learning about careers and the world of work and developing your career management and employability skills. Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) forms an integral part of student life at Swanshurst School. We want to encourage all students to consider a broad range of careers and pathways that are right for them and use contacts from the world of work and further and higher education to help them understand where different choices can lead them in the future.
To support you with making decisions about your progression pathways and to investigate different careers you will take part in different activities and events to help you with this from Year 7 through to Year 13 which might include a visit to a university or attend a presentation/workshop with an employer. Resources to help you with your decisions can be found in the careers section on Firefly and also here on the school website. We continue to update the resources on Firefly and since March 2020 these now include virtual experiences that you can take part in. Opportunities that have already been added include virtual work experience; opportunities to take part in virtual led employer programmes; virtual university and college open day; virtual university subject days as well as opportunities to engage with apprenticeship providers. We would encourage all of our students to continue to take part in these opportunities and to use the resources available to widen their knowledge and experiences of the world of work; progression routes and careers.
You will have access to different online resources to help you with your decision making and to be able to record your skills and experiences. Below are just a few examples of the activities that are in place to support you with making decisions about your progression.
Careers provision within the school and sixth form is mapped and gapped against the DfE Careers guidance and access for education and training providers, Statutory Guidance 2018 and also mapped against the Gatsby Benchmarks 1-8 and the CDI Framework for careers, employability and enterprise education. Every school should be using the Gatsby Benchmarks to improve their careers provision and these benchmarks are: 1. A stable careers programme; 2. Learning from career and labour market information; 3. Addressing the needs of each student; 4. Linking curriculum learning to careers; 5. Encounters with employers and employees; 6. Experiences of work places; 7. Encounters with further and higher education; 8. Personal Guidance
The programme is reviewed annually and we assess the impact of the careers programme with feedback from students, teachers and employers so that we can continue to provide and improve the quality of our careers provision. Students destinations are tracked to ensure that they can successfully move onto the most appropriate pathway for them. Download our information provider policy.
For further information please contact the school and ask for Mrs Beckford, Careers Leader.
We are constantly reviewing the delivery of our careers programme and as we progress through the academic year of 2020/2021 we will expect to see some amendments.
Year 7
Spring Term
National Careers Week - Career Related Activities
Summer Term
STEM Experience Day (all year 7 pupils)
Year 8
Autumn Term
‘Which Way Now Day’ (all Year 8 pupils)
A day focusing on ‘how to make choices for KS4 pathway’ including interactive, multimedia presentations; opportunities to meet employers and to ask them about their own careers and progression pathways; and introductions and workshops using online platforms including:
‘Xello’ which delivers an engaging, student centred experience and interactive lessons that demonstrate the link between learning, future success and the world of work – a place to record all of your own research – click here for a helpful video for an overview of what students will experience
Workshops on how to use:www.unifrog.org (online platform for help with selecting GCSE subjects and information on destination aspirations including comparing universities & apprenticeships) – click here to go to a video that explains
www.icould.com(subject career videos and labour market information)
Spring Term
National Careers Week - Career Related Activities
Aimhigher ‘Explore Your Future’ career workshops for some Year 8 students
University Masterclasses –subject enrichment for some Year 8 students
Summer Term
University Masterclasses – subject enrichment for some Year 8 students
University - Visit to a university campus (all Year 8 pupils)
STEM Experience Day– (all Year 8 pupils)
Year 9
Spring Term
National Careers Week - Career related activities
University Masterclasses – subject enrichment for some Year 9 students
Career & Progression conferences/events for some Year 9 students
STEM for Girls Career Day for some Year 9 students
Autumn Term
Workshop ‘Good career planning starts with you’ - finding out what you are good at and which different jobs will inspire you (all Year 9 pupils)
Google it? Becoming a discerning user of careers information workshop (all Year 9 pupils)
Summer Term
Opportunity to meet Employers and preparing for Work Experience (all Year 9 pupils) including workshops on:
Meet employers to learn about different employment sectors, employability skills and labour market information
How to use U-Explore - START Start is an innovative and easy-to-use careers guidance software helping young people make better and more informed choices about their career path. Connected to live labour market information and course data, Start allows users to create a personal profile which generates suitable jobs, qualifications and new destinations to explore. Ideal for schools and colleges, students and parents, Start is free to use
C.V. writing and covering letter and how to apply for work experience
Attend various interactive workshops to support career aspiration
Year 10
Autumn Term
Building my work skills workshop – looking at how students’ skills connect up to the working world ‘employability skills’ – all Year 10 students
How different Pathways help build skills and invest in future success and Build your career journey workshops – all Year 10 students
Spring Term
National Careers Week - Career Related Activities
University Masterclasses – subject enrichment for some Year 10 students
Student Leadership conference with employers for some Year 10 students
Career & Progression conferences for some Year 10 students
Visits to employers – subject enrichment for some Year 10 students
Summer Term
Work Experience (all Year 10 pupils)
‘A Day in the Life of a Sixth Former’ – preparing for Post 16 & Post 18
Unifest University - Summer residential for some Year 10 students
Career interviews with external careers advisor (all Year 10 pupils)
A taster day at college (some Year 10 pupils)
Apprenticeship presentation from Project Ask (all Year 10 pupils)
University Summer School for some Year 10 students
T - Level presentation
Progression including accessing www.ucas.com & registering with www.unifrog.org – online resource to compare universities & apprenticeships including Labour Market information (all Year 10 pupils). Attend progression event showcasing Level 3 subjects (A Levels & BTECs) (all Year 10 pupils)
Year 11
Autumn Term
Additional careers interviews with external careers advisor for some pupils
Careers & Higher Education event for some Year 11 pupils