Our Careers Programme
Our Careers Programme
Below is a description of the sort of careers activities undertaken by students in each year group. These are supplemented by Careers Events which are also listed below.
Year 7
The focus is about introducing careers and thinking about the vast number of careers / jobs available e.g.:
- PE - Students take on different roles such as performer, coach/leader, umpire, official etc. to help generate understanding of different careers, but also to foster the different qualities needed to support careers (e.g. confidence, speaking in front of peers, understanding, taking the lead, co-operation).
- PCSHE - Students are introduced to Unifrog and consider their personality type and sorts of work which might suit them in future.
Year 8
The focus is to explore the world of learning, training and employment available e.g.:
- Geography - Students investigate the development levels of various regions, areas and countries and relate this to the dominant sectors of employment. They also study the economic value of different industries and the skills employed within them and explore how different natural landscapes lend themselves to various employment sectors.
- PCSHE - Students develop a range of skills, particularly team working and listening to others. Students learn about legal and human rights, with a particular emphasis on the rights of employers and employees.
Year 9
The core work for the year involves four sessions of the Barclays LifeSkills programme, which promote financial awareness and employability. These sessions are delivered by Barclays staff and are followed up in PCSHE lessons. Aspirations are supported and encouraged through trips to organisations such as city banks. ‘Soft skills’ such as making presentations are developed through Debate Mate and additional mentoring and one-to-one tutoring is deployed for targeted students.
Furthermore, the Key Stage 3-4 Options process encompasses access to our independent and impartial Careers Advisor, parents’ consultation evening, individual guidance meetings for students and parents with senior staff, printed and electronic course information and an open event involving local colleges and apprenticeship providers. All of the above assist students to make well-informed and good decisions on what to do next at Key Stage 4.
Year 10
The focus is one full week of work experience at the end of the summer term which enables students to develop their employability skills. The school has made the decision to retain formal work experience despite it being non-statutory because of our belief in its ability to inspire and galvanise students and help them ascertain the type work of place skills which they need to develop. Curriculum activities which support preparation, implementation and evaluation of work experience include CV writing in English and PCSHE and one-to-one interview practice from local business people who provide individual feedback on students’ interview skills and their CVs. This is complemented by individual and small group career interviews with our careers adviser, prioritised by a needs analysis.
Year 11
Year 11 focusses on post-16 options and the post-16 application process to include individual and small group career interviews by our Careers Adviser, to which parents are also invited. Guidance interviews are also undertaken by members of the SLT and are supplemented by assemblies, parents’/carers’ events and drop-in sessions. A Further Education Event involving local colleges and apprenticeship providers is offered annually in addition to the school’s own post-16 Open Evening. Other local providers (from the Harrow Sixth Form Collegiate) are also invited to our Open Evening and students’ choices are thereby increased beyond the range of A Levels and BTEC Nationals offered by Hatch End High School. Students’ applications are individually quality assessed for appropriateness by the Careers Co-ordinator.
Sixth Form
Sixth Form focusses on supporting students to develop employability skills and choose appropriate post-18 options, including UCAS, apprenticeships and the world of work. Initial guidance interviews occur for all students needing additional input and are identified by the Sixth Form Management Team, other Sixth Form staff and self-referrals are also facilitated. Bespoke sessions are also provided to support students not planning to apply to Higher Education. Students have the opportunity to undertake a week of work experience or work shadowing at the end of Year 12 and all vocational (BTEC) students undertake one full day of work experience every week to support and complement their BTEC course(s). Ex-students make presentations in assemblies and there is regular alumni news printed in the school newsletter and on the school’s website in order to encourage and inform students and parents about the opportunities available for them after school.
The Careers Academy
Lessons throughout the school are enhanced by visiting professionals who speak to students about their job, how they secured it and its advantages and disadvantages. They also take questions from students and on occasion are able to provide employability workshops and skills development sessions. All Careers activities are evaluated for their effectiveness against the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks. Our Careers provision is reviewed and updated termly with Compass and in light of the evaluations received.
Students, parents, teachers and employers are all welcome to access information about our Careers provision through our website, however any further questions, queries or offers of help and support can be referred to any member of the Careers Department.
All of the above are supplemented by several large scale events.
Career Events
Students are offered a variety of opportunities to encounter employers at specially arranged events:
Year 8 E3 Employer Engagement Event
Local and national employers deliver short presentations on the labour market and employability skills. Students are able to ask the employers what they want to know in a question and answer session that follows.
Year 9 Options Fair
An informative event especially designed to help Year 9 students choose their options for GCSE. Representatives from colleges, universities and training providers are available to discuss subject choices and different routes into chosen professions.
Year 10 Preparing for Success (P4S)
Our Preparing for Success event involves employers from organisations as diverse as solicitors, The Civil Service, Recruitment Consultants, the NHS, the armed forces and large corporates such as Citibank, giving our students the opportunity to experience a formal one-to-one interview. Students prepare a CV and choose their own attire for the event, so employers can also give feedback on their performance and their presentation. Students are also prepared in advance of their practice interviews by attending a body language and positive projection workshop.
Students have said that this experience increased their confidence, eased their fears and helped them with their preparation and presentation skills for Work Experience and thereafter college, university or employment interviews.
Interviewers also thoroughly enjoy the day, and are always delighted to experience the maturity and professional attitude of our students. If you are an employer or a parent and think that you could help with the delivery of this event or any other careers event please contact Mr Richards our Careers Leader.
Work Experience
All Year 10 students benefit from a week of Work Experience in the summer term where they can hone their employability skills.
Sixth Form Level 3 BTEC National students undertake a full day's Work Experience every week to support their vocational studies.
If you are an employer or a parent and think that you could help with the delivery of this event or any other careers event please contact Mr Richards our Careers Leader.
Encounters with Further and Higher Education
Year 12 begins with every student visiting a University Open Event and there are many other opportunities for our students to encounter representatives from higher education, further education, and apprenticeship providers throughout their time in the school.
Monitoring, Review and Evaluation
Careers Guidance is monitored and evaluated annually through our Contract and Delivery Agreement with CER. When reviewing the programme, the School Improvement Plan (SIP) is used to ensure that the Careers Department is fully supporting whole school aims and all aspects of CEIAG in the school are accounted for. We also monitor and evaluate the CEIAG Programme termly using the nationally recognised Compass tool from the Careers and Enterprise Company. Destinations information also forms part of the range of data by which the Careers Programme is reviewed and evaluated.