PSHE | Sex Education | Work Experience | Careers Education

CAREERS EDUCATION

Careers Education is delivered principally through PSHE and Tutorial lessons, on the topics mentioned below. In addition, professionals from a wide variety of career areas are invited into the school to talk to students about their roles. Specific careers events are organised for Years 9 and 12 students prior to making their GCSE and higher education choices. Students also have the opportunity to attend Higher Education Careers Conventions.

Resources
The Careers Library/Connexions room is located in the Community Block where university and college prospectuses and detailed careers information are stored and available to students for reference throughout the day. General careers information is also displayed on a designated notice board in the main teaching block.
A set of university and college prospectuses is also available in the sixth form common room and details of open days, finance and gap year information is displayed on the sixth form notice boards.
Students can also research information on the Careers area of the school’s computer network and interactive resources such as Kudos, Fast Tomato and B-Live can be accessed from the main school library, IT room and Careers Library.

Connexions Service
The school’s Work Related Learning Co-ordinator works closely with Coventry and Warwickshire Connexions. The Connexions Personal Adviser (PA) attends Parents’ Evenings from Year 9 onwards.
In the spring term of Year 9 the PA advises all the girls about GCSE option choices and offers individual interviews if requested. Individual interviews are arranged with all Year 11 students to help them consider their post-16 options and students in Years 12 and 13 can choose to have an interview if they wish to discuss higher education issues. In addition the Connexions PA will offer small group sessions if required to talk about topics such as interview technique, personal statements, gap years and employment after A-levels.

SUMMARY OF WORK RELATED LEARNING PROGRAMME

Years 7-8:

	Visits from people and organisations that help the community.
	The Real Game

Year 9:

	Introduction to careers resources and GCSE subject choice.
	Self-assessment.
	Decision making.
	Research into different careers.
	Representatives from wide variety of careers visit to talk with students prior to GCSE choice.
	Introduction to Enterprise Education
	Interview with Connexions PA.
	Mini-enterprise.

Year 10:

	Self-assessment.
	Careers research with preparation for work experience.
	Two days Enterprise Education.
	Take your Daughters to Work Day.
	Interview technique workshop.

Year 11:

	Writing letters of application and CVs, health and safety in the workplace, learning appropriate skills and attitudes. Two weeks of work experience. For more information about work experience, please click here.
	Exploration of options post-16.
	Interview with the Connexions PA.
	Connexions Careers Fair.
	Two days Enterprise Education .

Sixth Form:

	Options after A-levels.
	Sponsorships.
	Gap years.
	Applications.
	Interviews.
	Option of interview with business person relevant to UCAS application.
	Suitability for Higher Education.
	Budgeting.
	Grants/Student Loans.
	Work Experience
	Higher Education Careers event in school and opportunity to attend other events in own time.

For more information on sixth form Careers Education see section below.

Other opportunities for careers education include:

Year 9 Careers Day: Representatives from different careers visit school to introduce Year 9 pupils to different career opportunities in preparation for GCSE choices.

Careers Conventions: eg Stratford-upon-Avon Careers Fair (Autumn Term); Higher Education Careers Fairs.

Work Experience: At the end of the Summer Term, all girls in Year 10 are placed in different organisations to complete a period of work experience. Year 12 & 13 pupils complete work experience either in their own time or through the General Studies Programme.

Take Your Daughters To Work Day: This initiative has given mainly Lower School pupils an opportunity to spend a day in an organisation and complete either work experience or work shadowing.

Mini/Young Enterprise: All Year 9 girls are involved in a Mini-Enterprise project, and some of Year 12 are involved in the Young Enterprise Scheme, giving them some experience and insight into how a business is organised as well as contact with local organisations who may help or advise them with their projects.

Business Challenge: Year 12 pupils can opt to attend the Business Challenge Day where they are given a work-related task to complete in a given amount of time.

Enterprise Education
All students in Key Stage 4 are involved in five days of Enterprise Education, a Government requirement introduced in September 2005. This is introduced in Year 9 at the end of the summer term. The school encourages real businesses to work with the students to provide a real context challenge.
In addition Year 12 students are given the opportunity to become involved in the Young Enterprise Company Programme when, with the mentoring support of local organisations, they work in teams to set up their own companies, gaining valuable experience and an insight into how a business is organised.
Year 12 students can also opt to attend a Business Challenge day when they are given a work-related task to complete in a specific period.

Sixth Form Careers Education

In addition to the cross-curricular elements of careers education, specific provision is made in Years 12-13 as follows:

Girls receive guidance on options after A-levels and information on experiences required in pursuing those options. This is delivered through tutor periods, PSHE lessons interviews with form tutors and subject tutors. Interviews with the Careers Officer, Head of Sixth Form or Careers Teacher may also be requested.

Attendance at careers conventions, conferences, open-days etc. is encouraged. Where appropriate, visiting speakers will be invited to give information on specific careers, interviews, student grants etc.

Careers Room: The careers room is located in the Community Building and provides a suitable area for conducting interviews and storing careers literature. The room is normally manned at lunchtimes and is available for use during careers lessons.

Careers Service: The school works in collaboration with Connexions in delivering the Careers Education Programme. Representatives from Connexions attend Parents' Evenings in Year 12 and 13. In Year 11 all girls have at least one interview with the Careers Officer to which their parents are also invited. Girls in Year 12 may also choose to have interviews during the spring term and subsequent terms in the sixth form.

Practice Interviews
Year 13 UCAS applicants are given the opportunity to attend a practice interview with experts from businesses or education related to their UCAS application.

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