Careers Education

St Mary’s Catholic High School is committed to providing all our students with a comprehensive programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) and work-related learning (WRL). We believe that giving students the best careers education and guidance is vital to improving their motivation to learn and helps them to achieve.

We are committed to ensuring that students have high quality advice on career opportunities and that they progress onto appropriate courses or employment on leaving the school. It is very important to us to know that all leavers have a plan for their next step.

Student destinations

St Mary's Catholic High School is an 11-16 school. Students are prepared for the next stage of their educational/career journey, with most continuing to local sixth form colleges, school sixth forms or colleges of further education.

One of Government's measures for assessing the effectiveness of a school is Year 11 leavers who are considered to be NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training).

At our school, we are pleased to report that the number of year 11 leavers who are considered to be NEET students is:

2020 - 1.8%; 2019 - 5%; 2018 - 5%

2021 - 0% (currently)

The 2020 national average is 6.8%

Aims:

Through our Careers programme we aim to provide all students with:

a stable careers education programme
the ability to learning from career and labour market information
support which addresses the needs of each pupil
the opportunity to meet employers and for work experience
experiences of workplaces
curriculum links to real-world careers
information on all post-16 options (apprenticeships as well as further education)
encounters with further and higher education
support in CV writing, interview preparation, public speaking and financial awareness.

Our school is committed to achieving The Gatsby Benchmarks through a well-planned careers programme for all students.

SMHS - Provider Access Policy

Curriculum Overview

The Careers Education programme is delivered both in and outside the classroom environment. The school's PSHE curriculum includes units of work for ll students in Years 7 to 11 which are age-specific and appropriate to the educational stage of students development.

In addition to the PSHE curriculum students will have access to a wide range of experiences which will enhance their understanding of further education and the world of work. These include:

Work Experience for all students in Year 10
Mock interviews with local employers e.g. Mott McDonald, Croydon
St Mary's annual Careers Fair
STEM enrichment activities
Jack Petchey's SPEAKOUT! Challenge
Mock Bar Competition
Visits to post-16 providers - e.g. Christ the King Sixth Form College
Visits to Higher Education - e.g. St Mary's University, Twickenham
Engagement with the National Citizenship Service

Key Stage 3

Year 7

Developing skills and aspirations - careers, teamwork and enterprise skills, and raising aspirations

Students Learn:

how to be enterprising, including skills of problem-solving, communication, teamwork, leadership, risk-management, and creativity
about a broad range of careers and the abilities and qualities required for different careers about equality of opportunity
how to challenge stereotypes, broaden their horizons and how to identify future career aspirations
about the link between values and career choices

Year 8

Community and careers - equality of opportunity in careers and life choices, and different types and patterns of work

Students learn:

about equality of opportunity in life and work
how to challenge stereotypes and discrimination in relation to work and pay
about employment, self-employment and voluntary work how to set aspirational goals for future careers and challenge expectations that limit choices

Year 9

Setting goals - learning strengths, career options and goal setting as part of the GCSE options process

Students learn:

about transferable skills, abilities and interests how to demonstrate strengths
about different types of employment and career pathways how to manage feelings relating to future employment how to work towards aspirations and set meaningful, realistic goals for the future
about GCSE and post-16 options skills for decision making
about young people’s employment rights and responsibilities skills for enterprise and employability
how to give and act upon constructive feedback

Key Stage 4

Year 10

Work experience - preparation for and evaluation of work experience and readiness for work

Students learn:

how to evaluate strengths and interests in relation to career development
about opportunities in learning and work strategies for overcoming challenges or adversity about responsibilities in the workplace
how to manage practical problems and health and safety
how to maintain a positive personal presence online
how to evaluate and build on the learning from work experience

Year 11

Next steps - application processes, and skills for further education, employment and career progression (Living in the wider world)

Students learn:

how to use feedback constructively when planning for the future
how to set and achieve SMART targets
effective revision techniques and strategies about options post-16 and career pathways
about application processes, including writing CVs, personal statements and interview technique how to maximise employability, including managing online presence and taking opportunities to broaden experience
about rights, responsibilities and challenges in relation to working part time whilst studying how to manage work/life balance.