Careers Strategy
Our careers leader is Miss Pollitt. She can be contacted on 01524 840831 or n.pollitt@chadwick.lancs.sch.uk. Miss Pollitt is responsible for the school’s delivery of the careers’ strategy. The SLT careers coordinator is Andrew Murray, head@chadwick.lancs.sch.uk
Curriculum Intent
Here at Chadwick High School, it is our intention that pupils leave school with a Careers Education that has helped to raise aspirations, give students the skills to achieve their full potential and provide them with the opportunity to experience different career pathways.
In order to fulfil this, we have a careers curriculum programme in place, which delivers employability and work-related learning skills from Years 7-11, as well as many other careers linked activities, which take place throughout the academic year. It is our goal that our pupils here leave with the knowledge to make informed choices about their future.
Careers Programme
Our Careers Strategy is developed in line with the Gatsby benchmarks.
‘The Careers & Enterprise Company’, support the delivery of our Careers’ Strategy through enabling the provision of an Enterprise Co-Ordinator to assist the school and pupils work related learning and experiences.
Careers is an integrated part of the curriculum. All subject areas make reference to and discuss career opportunities specific to individual areas, as well as exploring the transferable, enabling skills which enables pupils to develop across all year groups. The PSHCE programme plays a key role in supporting the delivery of the Careers Strategy. Pupils with SEND are further supported by staff in Learning Support; our school SENCO liaises with our Careers Leader and additional outside agencies for pupils as necessary. The Careers Programme page contains a summary of our careers programme by year.
Useful Information for Students
During your time at Chadwick High School, you will have many opportunities to enhance your careers and work-related learning skills. There are several places where you access information when needed, including:
• Regular contact with leader Miss Pollitt
• Receive a careers interview
• Access to careers information and Local Labour Markets through the Careers & Enterprise Company
Click here for useful careers information.
The following websites are excellent resources:
https://www.lmiforall.org.uk/careerometer – type in the job and it gives you the labour market information for that particular job, so you can see how in demand that job is before you go down that career path journey.
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk – this is the Government’s hub for careers advice for people of all ages where you can find help with drafting letters, CVs, exploring your skills or seeking careers advice.
https://www.gov.uk/topic/further-education-skills/apprenticeships– the National Apprenticeship Service website provides general advice and information about apprenticeships. Also advertises current vacancies.
https://icould.com– aims to help you to make the most of your potential by showing how others have used theirs, take the ‘Buzz’ personality profile quiz.
https://www.startprofile.com – investigate careers, watch videos and get great advice, find out about employers and work experience opportunities in your area.
https://www.careersbox.co.uk– video-based job profile information and skills explorer tool.
https://successatschool.org – gives clear and comprehensive information about a range of Career Zones (sectors), in an easy to access format. Students can create a profile to help to collate useful information. ’60 second interviews’ giving profile of professionals, provide a useful insight into specific careers.
https://www.how2become.com – offers detailed advice on how to access a range of sectors. Also offers the purchase of resources, compiled in conjunction with professionals working in these fields, designed to enable you to achieve your dream career or course. A selection of these books and online psychometric testing access have been supplied to the School by How2Become.
https://www.fasttomato.com– an interactive careers website to help with ‘careers matching’ programme to help with career choice (log in for a free guest pass).
https://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk – opportunities that exist outside of university.
https://www.ucas.com– information about university courses on offer, also the Stamford test to help with ideas about subjects to study.
https://russellgroup.ac.uk – represents 24 leading universities, source of careers information & advice including ‘informed choices’ a downloadable guide to making post 16 choices.
https://www.prospects.ac.uk – find out which areas you could access after a particular degree.
https://www.mycareerspringboard.org – springboard is for students. It is divided into two main sections: The Career Test and the Career Exploration Tool. In tandem, these two interactive tools allow students to find some career inspiration and gain an insight into their different career options.
https://uk.job-applications.com– this site has useful videos, demonstrating how to complete the online applications for many top companies in the UK, as well as providing detailed information on salaries and interviews. Applications forms can be printed off directly from this site.
https://jobs.telegraph.co.uk/careers– lots of information about specific sectors as well as advice on how to create a CV and prepare for interviews.
https://www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/#root – displays current apprenticeship and school leaver programme opportunities, to the latest school leaver job news, and gives career journey advice.
https://allaboutapprenticeships.co.uk – gives live apprenticeship vacancies, organised by sector or area. Also offers plenty of advice on making applications.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/introduction-of-t-levels/introduction-of-t-levels – information about the new T Levels qualifications.
Useful Information for Parents
The Gatsby Benchmarks
Benchmark 1: A Stable Careers Programme
Every school and college should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by Students, parents, teachers, governors and employers.
Benchmark 2: Learning from Career and Labour Market InformationEvery Student and their parents should have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed adviser to make the best use of available information.
Benchmark 3: Addressing the Needs of Each Student
Students have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each Student. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.
Benchmark 4: Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers
All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of careers paths.
Benchmark 5: Encounters with Employers and Employees
Every Student should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes.
Benchmark 6: Experiences of Workplaces
Every Student should have first-hand experience of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing, and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities and expand their networks.
Benchmark 7: Encounters with Further and Higher Education
All students should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace.
Benchmark 8: Personal Guidance
Every Student should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a careers adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all Students but should be timed to meet their individual needs.
Education Options
There are various routes your child could take post 16, including:
• Apprenticeships
• A Levels
• Btec’s
• T Levels
Please click on the website below for more details:
https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/parent-zone/all-questions/what-are-the-choices-for-my-child-at-16?/parent/info/what-are-the-choices-for-my-chil/
What Are T Levels?
T Levels are new courses that started in September 2020, which will follow GCSE’s and will be equivalent to 3 A Levels. These 2-year courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work.
T Levels will offer students a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience during an industry placement of at least 315 hours (approximately 45 days). They will provide the knowledge and experience needed to open the door into skilled employment, further study or a higher apprenticeship.
For more information please visit the website below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/introduction-of-t-levels/introduction-of-t-levels
Types of Jobs
Students who have an idea of what they would like to do in the future may find it easier to plan their next steps. To help parents and students to understand how to reach these goals, the following websites may be of some use:
• Career Pilot
• National Careers service
• iCould
Useful Information for Teachers
At Chadwick High School, we are committed to ensuring pupils have an excellent career and work-related education. Thus, we as teachers must ensure:
• We have a careers board in each subject department displaying the different skills gained and which careers this could lead to
• Develop links with business and organisations
• To invite visitors to come into school to talk to pupils about different career path (this could be done virtually)
• If possible, to arrange external visits to local business/organisations
• Record careers learning opportunities for students (using compass plus)
• Take part in Careers week and share which career paths pupils could take based on their subject area
Useful websites you could use with your pupils include:
• Careers Box
• iCould
• Career Pilot
The school measures and assess the impact of the school’s careers programme in several ways. In PHSCE pupils are given a booklet which to complete a self-assessment page at the start and the end of the topic, to show how much they have learnt – there is also a teacher assessment page at the back of the booklet to say how well they have done at the end of the topic. We also do regular evaluations and pupil voices at the end of events we have planned such as; the Careers Convention, Work Skills Show etc; to get an insight of what pupils have taken away from the event.
We also analyse destinations data to see targeted pupils have all received a place Post 16 in education or training.
Date of Next Review of the Careers Information Published
July 2021
Further Information:-
DfE – Careers Strategy: Making the Most of Everyone’s Skills and Talents
DfE – Careers Guidance and Access for Education and Training Providers
Additional Useful Careers Sites:
• Kudos
• National Careers Service
• Prospects
• Careers Box
• iCould
• Amazing Apprenticeships
• Apprenticeships
Application for Provider Access
Introduction
This document sets out the Chadwick High School’s arrangements for managing the access of providers to pupils at the school for the purpose of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.
Pupil entitlement
Every student at Chadwick High School is entitled to High quality CEIAG which meets professional standards of practice and is both personalised and impartial. It is part of each students overall education to raise their aspirations and prepare them for the world of work.
All pupils in years 7-11 are entitled:
To find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point;
To hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through options events, assemblies and group discussions and taster events;
To understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.
Management of provider access requests
Procedure
A provider wishing to request access should contact Naomi Pollitt
Telephone: 01524 840831
Email: n.pollitt@chadwick.lancs.sch.uk
Opportunities for access
Chadwick High School offers comprehensive Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance within their curriculum. An overview of this programme can be seen on the school website. Chadwick High School welcomes input into our careers provision from employees and employers, Universities, Apprenticeships & Further Education providers. A number of events throughout the academic year will provide opportunities for providers to come into school and speak to our students. Outside agencies are also invited to support our curriculum.
Please speak to our Careers Advisor, Naomi Pollitt, to identify the most suitable opportunity for you.
Chadwick High School will make a suitable space available for discussions between the provider and students, as appropriate to the activity. The school will also make available ICT and other specialist equipment to support provider presentations. This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with Naomi Pollitt.
Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature, so that they can be displayed on our school noticeboards around the school.