Careers at KS3 & KS4
In Year 8 pupils are introduced to the whole idea of employability through examining their own skills and qualities, getting a feel for the variety of careers which exist and beginning to set goals for their own career journey. In addition they explore the concept of entrepreneurship and get to plan a class party to finish the term!
Our pupils in Year 9 engage in a 10 week Employability programme within which they are introduced to the idea of the world of work and how they might fit into that world.
Throughout a series of stimulating lessons pupils are involved in problem-solving and organisation tasks, making them aware of the need for initiative in the approach to finding a suitable career. Their individual skills and qualities are explored in order to allow them to exploit their strengths and identify areas of self-improvement. The programme facilitates plenty of research into possible careers and acknowledges the importance of familiarising oneself with the plethora of career paths available today. Pupils enjoy the investigation of numerous job sectors with the view to encouraging them to be pro-active in the planning for their own future, even at this early stage.
The Year 10 careers programme gives pupils the opportunity to explore and identify their interests, skills and abilities through a variety of exciting research and classroom based activities. A highlight of the Year 10 Learning for Life and Work programme is completing the research web quest, where pupils are afforded the opportunity to use informative software to match their skills and interests with a range of careers. All pupils have the opportunity to participate in a careers interview with a member of staff in preparation for making their subject choices for GCSE. The emphasis throughout the programme is on ensuring that pupils are making informed choices about their future.
In Years 11 & Year 12 pupils are given the opportunity to hear first-hand about the careers of a variety of professionals, to engage in some interview training and to do some personal research into post-16 options. In addition each pupil has a careers interview with the DEL careers advisor and a Mock Job Interview with a visiting professional. The goal is to help pupils to make informed decisions about their future.