Careers Programme

The careers team are available to work with students in all year groups from year 7-13 to support with their career learning and development. All students can call into the careers drop-in any Monday-Thursday lunchtime between 12.45pm and 1.15pm. Students can also email us at: [email protected] and we can provide personalised and impartial careers information, advice and guidance. We hold the Quality in Careers Standard and we work towards all Gatsby Benchmarks. An overview of our current programme for students in each year group is below:

Year 7

During National Careers Week in March 2022 all Year 7 students take part in an interactive careers panel facilitated by Ahead Partnership. Students will be introduced to a range of employers and apprentices across a range of sectors to develop and widen students’ aspirations. Activities are set to engage students in starting to explore different careers and pathways including form time activities during National Careers Week 2022.

We introduce Year 7 students to the careers team in assembly and encourage students to start thinking about their own skills and goals for the future.

Year 8

The careers team attend the online Year 8 Parents Evening in February and Options Evening to answer any careers related queries which parents, carers and students may have.

All year 8 students attend an hour long session about Decision Making in the Swann Hall led by the Careers Team and one of our alumni to prepare students on how to make informed decisions when choosing their GCSE option choices. Year 8 also have an employer panel this year and an introduction to Higher Education assembly and a range of careers related activities in form time in March.

Year 9

Students will have the opportunity to engage with a range of careers related activities in National Careers Week in March 2022, including meeting employers, apprenticeship providers and universities to increase awareness of opportunities available to them beyond school and how to access these opportunities. Year 9 also have an assembly about how to build up transferable employability skills and a range of careers related activities in form time in March.

Year 10

Year 10 will attend the annual Progression Fair in July where they are able to gain information and advice on higher education, apprenticeships, sponsored degrees and employment from representatives and ambassadors from a large number of UK universities and employers across different sectors. They will also receive some preparation within school to help them make the most of this opportunity and to ensure they are equipped to ask a range of questions to exhibitors.

We are also planning to offer all year 10 an employer led mock interview in the summer term to help to build students’ confidence and knowledge of employer expectations and continue to develop their employability skills and professional presentation. Year 10 also have an introduction to Oxbridge assembly in March 2022 and a range of careers related activities in form time.

Year 11

The Careers Team delivered a session in school in September 2021 to each Year 11 group, outlining the full range of Post-16 options, including A-levels, vocational courses at colleges including T-levels and apprenticeships.

Every Year 11 student has been invited to a one-to-one careers guidance interview with our dedicated Careers and Higher Education Advisers. These interviews took place between September and January where they were able to explore their individual career ideas in more depth and explore a range of different career areas. Students will also have the opportunity to find out more about apprenticeships during National Careers Week 2022 and meet one of our alumni currently undertaking an apprenticeship.

Year 12

All year 12 students have had an online session in tutorial in September 2021 introducing them to the support the careers team can offer and outlining the full range of options after 6th form including: university in the UK or abroad, gap years, employment and Higher and Degree Apprenticeships.

All Year 12 students will be offered a one-to-one careers guidance interview with our dedicated Careers and Higher Education Advisers from February 2022 to July 2022. They will be able to explore their individual career ideas in more depth with guidance as well as gaining careers information and advice to enable a successful transition into university, employment or Higher and Degree Apprenticeships.

We have a Progression Event for all Year 12 students which will take place over 2 days in July 2022 where students are introduced and registered onto UCAS, they attend a range of careers sessions delivered by tutors, careers staff and universities. The Progression Event ends with the Careers Fair where we have around 45 universities and around 18 local and national employers in attendance to provide information, advice and guidance to our students on their provision.

On 2nd March 2022 Year 12 students will have an interactive tutorial session focusing on employment, higher and degree apprenticeships and university degrees run in partnership with employers, which will involve HGS alumni speaking to our students about their experiences of these pathways.

The Careers Team talked to students during an assembly at the beginning of Year 12 about the importance of finding relevant work experience opportunities for certain vocational careers and continue to support them with sourcing virtual work experience/work shadowing opportunities and super-curricular activities to make their applications as competitive as possible.

Year 13

Year 13 students have access to our Future Careers Academy. The Future Careers Academy aims to support our students who are aiming for apprenticeships, sponsored degrees and employment into successful placements. This programme consists of a series of workshops which supports students with employability skills, example workshops include:

  • Applications and successful virtual interviews LinkedIn and managing your social networks
  • A good CV from an employer’s perspective – we are planning to work with Morrisons this year for this session focusing on Higher and Degree Apprenticeships.

Year 13 students are able to access support around the following topics:

  • Post-18 Options: University, Apprenticeships, Sponsored Degrees, Employment
  • The UCAS Application Process
  • University Interviews
  • Interviews for Apprenticeships
  • Accepting UCAS Offers
  • Student Finance (delivered by Huddersfield University on 2nd March 2022)

Every Year 13 student applying to university is allocated a dedicated UCAS Checker who provides one-to-one guidance on writing a successful personal statement. Any Year 13 student can also book a full careers appointment on request. If you would like to book a full guidance appointment please email: [email protected]

Higher Education and employment opportunities are communicated to students via the Careers MS Teams for each year group.  The Careers Team provide regular updates to students and parents /carers via The Heckler, Sixth Form Bulletin and Twitter @HGSCareers