Intent
Our overarching careers vision sets out our intent for this curriculum:
‘To provide equal opportunity for every pupil to learn about the wide range of post-16 education, employment and training options, without exception or bias, through immersive events, informative lessons and knowledgeable staff.’
Implementation
We aim to achieve this vision through the achievement of a clear set of learning objectives for each year group:
Year | Learning Objective(s) |
7 | To learn about modern apprenticeships To learn about a variety of roles within STEM To learn about the local labour market To learn team skills To learn leadership skills To interact with a professional about their career |
8 | To develop my financial awareness To develop my presentation skills To learn about the local labour market To learn about modern apprenticeships To learn about a variety of roles within STEM To interact with a professional about their career |
9 | To learn about my own strengths and how these may relate to a future career To learn about the local labour market To understand my GCSE options and what impact these will have on my future education choices To learn about modern apprenticeships To learn about a variety of roles within STEM To learn about a sixth form centre and what it can offer me for my future studies To interact with a professional about their career |
10 | To develop my presentation skills To learn about a variety of roles within STEM To complete a work experience placement, developing life skills such as team working and communication To learn about modern apprenticeships To learn about a sixth form college and what it can offer me for my future studies To learn about the range of universities that are available and about the wide range of undergraduate course options To interact with a professional about their career To learn about the local labour market and about the wide range of careers options available to me |
11 | To write a concise CV To develop my interview skills To learn about a variety of roles within STEM To interact with a professional about their career To learn about the apprenticeships that are available to me To learn about T levels and how I can access these To engage with students and staff at local sixth form centres and colleges To learn about the differences between a sixth form centre and a sixth form college To engage with students and staff at a university and learn about university life To learn about the range of universities that are available and about the wide range of undergraduate course options To engage with a careers adviser to write my own personalised careers plan |
These learning objectives are carefully woven into a whole school careers programme for each academic year. The latest careers programme is as follows:
Y7 | Y8 | Y9 | Y10 | Y11 |
PSHE: labour market research; interaction with a professional about their career; development of leadership & team skills. Completion of Future Skills questionnaire* | PSHE: labour market research, financial awareness, presentation skills, interaction with a professional about their career.
| PSHE: labour market research, development of transferable skills, interaction with a STEM professional about their career. Completion of Future Skills questionnaire* | PSHE: labour market research, presentation skills, interaction with a STEM professional about their career. Completion of Future Skills questionnaire* | Interview skills assembly delivered in September 2022. Y11 Careers enrichment day, October 2022. Interaction with a range of professionals about their career. Completion of Future Skills questionnaire* |
STEM event: BAE Roadshow, September 2022 | STEM event: BAE Roadshow, September 2022 | STEM event: To be delivered during British Science Week | STEM event: To be delivered during British Science Week | STEM event: To be delivered during British Science Week |
Interaction with a professional including interaction with employees and information on the company apprenticeship scheme (Oct 2022 via PSHE) | Interaction with a professional including interaction with employees and information on the company apprenticeship scheme (Feb 2023 & June 2023 via PSHE) | Interaction with a professional including interaction with employees and information on the company apprenticeship scheme (May 2023 via PSHE) | Work experience programme (March 2023)
| Mock Interviews with a range of employers (October 2022)
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Whole school apprenticeship & T level event, w/c 6th February 2023 | ||||
Apprenticeship awareness event: NAW 6/2/23 What is FE? What is HE? What is a university? Assembly, July 2023
| Apprenticeship awareness event: NAW 6/2/23 What is FE? What is HE? What is a university? Assembly, July 2023
| 6th Form visit including interactions with staff and students; LGGS visit TBC for Spring 2023 Apprenticeship awareness event: NAW 6/2/23 What is FE? What is HE? What is a university? Assembly, July 2023
| College visit including interactions with staff and students, Runshaw College (June 2023) and Cardinal Newman (July 2023) ASK Apprenticeship assembly (NAW 6/2/23)
| ASK Apprenticeship & T levels assembly, Sept 2022 Runshaw College Assembly, Sept 2022 Cardinal Newman College Assembly, Sept 2022 Moor Park Sixth Form assembly, Oct 2022 LGGS Sixth Form assembly, Oct 2022 “What University? What Career?” Live event, Liverpool, Nov 2022 Lancaster University visit with pre-visit assembly, Nov 2022 LUSoM visit to school, Oct 2022 |
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| Options advice: pathways assembly from Future U (Jan 2023)
| Careers advice delivered to small groups by a qualified careers adviser. (Jan 2023) | 1-to-1 careers advice interviews with a qualified careers adviser (Oct-Dec 2022) |
SEN Provision: | All SEN pupils are supported by the SENCo and her team in each careers event provided. Personalised support is put in place for individual cases, such as for the 1-to-1 careers advice interviews and work experience placements. | |||
*Results from the FSQ will be used to develop our programme for this academic year and the next. | ||||
Further to the careers programme, we have a PSHE programme for the teaching of careers which is referenced within the programme, and is set out in detail below:
PSHE Careers Programme: 2022-23
Year 7
Autumn term, Lesson 1 LO: To interact with a professional about their career.
Outcomes: Pupils will gain an insight into different careers and industries, as well as the many different career routes that are available. Four professionals to give a careers’ talk (one per form), with an overview of their career journey and the opportunity for Q&A.
Spring term, Lesson 2 LO: To learn about the local labour market.
Outcomes: Pupils will learn about industries that are important in our local economy. Use of ‘Pillars of Growth: Advanced Manufacturing’ workshop and resources, provided by Future U.
Summer term, Lessons 3 & 4 LOs: To learn leadership skills. To learn team skills.
Outcomes: Pupils will learn how to work effectively as part of a team and will develop leadership skills and self-confidence through this experience. Completion of Willmott Dixon design project (in teams).
Year 8
Autumn term, Lesson 1 LO: To develop my financial awareness
Outcomes: Pupils will learn basic financial information that will enable them to better manage their own personal finances once they leave school. Completion of Barclay Life Skills ‘Recognising Your Money Personality’ lesson 1.
Spring term, Lesson 2 LO (8P & 8M): To develop my presentation skills. To interact with a professional about their career.
Outcomes: Pupils will develop their presentation skills and learn about career roles and pathways within the RAF. Sergeant Amanda Edwards from the RAF to deliver the presentation skills workshop.
Spring term, Lesson 2 LO (8G & 8H): To interact with a professional about their career.
Outcomes: Pupils will gain an insight into different careers and industries, as well as the many different career routes that are available. Two professionals to give a careers’ talk (one per form), with an overview of their career journey and the opportunity for Q&A.
Summer term, Lesson 3 LO (8P & 8M): To interact with a professional about their career.
Outcomes: Pupils will gain an insight into different careers and industries, as well as the many different career routes that are available. Two professionals to give a careers’ talk (one per form), with an overview of their career journey and the opportunity for Q&A.
Summer term, Lesson 3 LO (8G & 8H): To develop my presentation skills. To interact with a professional about their career.
Outcomes: Pupils will develop their presentation skills and learn about career roles and pathways within the RAF. Sergeant Amanda Edwards from the RAF to deliver the presentation skills workshop.
Summer term, Lesson 4 LO: To learn about the local labour market.
Outcomes: Pupils will learn about industries that are important in our local economy. Use of ‘Pillars of Growth: Digital’ workshop and resources, provided by Future U.
Year 9
Autumn term, Lesson 1 LO: To learn about my own strengths and how these may relate to a future career
Outcomes: Pupils will learn about how their academic strengths link into different career paths; linking curriculum learning to careers. Use of Barclay Life Skills workshops: Introducing transferable skills animation, plus the Communication Skills lesson.
Spring term, Lesson 2 LO: To learn about my own strengths and how these may relate to a future career
Outcomes: Pupils will learn about how their academic strengths link into different career paths; linking curriculum learning to careers. Use of Barclay Life Skills workshops: Connecting Skills to the Workplace activity, plus Adaptability Skills lesson.
Summer term, Lesson 3 LO: To learn about a variety of roles within STEM
Outcomes: Pupils will gain an insight into different careers and industries, as well as the many different career routes that are available. The focus on STEM will encourage pupils to challenge gender stereotypes and to be aspirational about their own career path. Four STEM professionals to give a careers’ talk (one per form), with an overview of their career journey and the opportunity for Q&A.
Summer term, Lesson 4 LO: To learn about the local labour market
Outcomes: Pupils will learn about industries that are important in our local economy. Use of ‘Pillars of Growth’ workshop and resources, provided by Future U.
Year 10
Autumn term, Lesson 1 LO: To develop my presentation skills
Outcomes: Pupils will learn about the importance of transferable skills for employability and will gain an insight into these from local employers. Completion of the Future U ‘Skills for U: Confidence’ workshop.
Spring term, Lesson 2 LO: To learn about the local labour market and about the wide range of careers options available to me
Outcomes: Pupils will learn about industries that are important in our local economy and will be encouraged to be aspirational about their career goals. Use of ‘Pillars of Growth: Health’ workshop and resources, provided by Future U.
Summer term, Lesson 3 LO: To learn about the local labour market and about the wide range of careers options available to me.
Outcomes: Pupils will learn about industries that are important in our local economy and will be encouraged to be aspirational about their career goals. Use of ‘Pillars of Growth: Energy & Low Carbon’ workshop and resources, provided by Future U.
Summer term, Lesson 4 LOs: To learn about a variety of roles within STEM. To interact with a professional about their career.
Outcomes: Pupils will gain an insight into different careers and industries, as well as the many different career routes that are available. The focus on STEM will encourage pupils to challenge gender stereotypes and to be aspirational about their own career path. Four STEM professionals to give a short careers’ talk, with an overview of their career journey and the opportunity for Q&A. Pupils will have the opportunity to choose two talks to attend.
Impact
Whilst our 2021 Destinations’ Data illustrated a continuing trend of pupils going on to study sciences at a higher level, there has also been an increase in pupils studying maths-related courses and those relating to health and social care. Whilst there has been a noticeable impact from the development of the teaching of these subjects, there is also some correlation with the implementation of our careers programme, which has exposed pupils to the use of maths in numerous careers, including nuclear science and finance. Furthermore, we have developed strong links with UCLAN and enabled our pupils to interact with a wide variety of healthcare-related professionals through the university, such as nurses, midwives and nurse practitioners.
Whilst our higher ability pupils tend to favour the study of biology and chemistry at A level, our middle-ability pupils are more likely to choose psychology. We ran a successful careers workshop with a Clinical Psychologist in the last academic year which was well received by the pupils in this year group and is likely to have had an impact on their choices at A level.
The Destinations Data reveals a very low uptake of study in the languages and in food preparation and nutrition post-16. We have taken part in European Day of Languages events with UCLAN for the past 2 years and are in the process of developing good links with language lecturers at the university. We are currently arranging for UCLAN final year French students to work with our GCSE pupils in developing their speaking skills, and we hope that this interaction will be a positive influence on the consideration of further study of the subject after GCSE. With regards to a low uptake of further study with in food and nutrition-related courses, we are working with Runshaw College as a partner school, and hope to invite their Chef Academy tutors into school to work with our GCSE food preparation pupils and discuss careers within the industry. Furthermore, we are inviting a dietitian from the NHS to interact with pupils as part of our PSHE programme this academic year.
We know from the data provided that 95% of our SEN pupils have gone on to study BTECs. Our careers programme this year has been purposefully designed to raise awareness of T levels through the incorporation of a T levels and apprenticeship event for the whole school in the spring term. T levels have slightly lower entry requirements than A levels and will qualify the pupil to go straight into the workplace or on to further study. T levels may also be beneficial as a way of easing SEN pupils into the world of work whilst still studying, as all courses include an industry placement of a minimum 315 hours.
Our Destinations Data has highlighted a need for there to be less STEM focus in our careers programme this year. Whilst the uptake of STEM-related subjects at a higher level is a national focus, it is not an area that we need to work on as a school, with almost 50% of our pupils going on to study at least one science-related subject post-16. Instead, our school needs to focus on raising awareness of careers related to business, computing and languages. We are working with an external agency which is developing a programme that is specifically aimed at the promotion of business careers to high school pupils, and our Y10 pupils will be taking part in a pilot for this project in the spring term. In addition, we have requested support from Lancaster University in raising awareness of the importance of careers in computing and are actively searching for enrichment opportunities for our pupils in this subject. For example, we took a group of pupils to a code-breaking event hosted by LUSoM in July 2022 and we are taking a group of Y8 pupils to Cyber First Schools North West Empower event in November 2022. This event is specifically designed to raise the uptake of tech-based careers by women. We are aware of the construction of a headquarters for the National Cyber Security Centre in Samlesbury, Lancashire, and are committed to promoting the importance of computing in careers for at least the next 5 years within school. Finally, as mentioned previously, we have already worked with UCLAN in raising the awareness of careers that relate to the further study of languages. We will continue to develop this work over the next academic year.