Information and Policies

In this section you will find:

  • Summary of our Careers Programme
  • Measureing and assessing impact
  • Enterprise Advisor Network
  • Information about our work with Ideas4Careers who provide our Career Advisor service
  • Student Entitlements

 

Summary of the Careers Programme

Careers Education is an integral part of Personal, Social and Health Education and Citizenship. Bramcote College and Alderman White School have a Careers Leader and a Careers Manager.  We buy in professional and impartial Careers Advisors from Ideas4Careers (see below for more information about our work with Ideas4Careers).   The schools provide careers education and opportunities for all students. The programme includes:

  • Year 7: Students start to explore how different jobs require different skills, different qualifications and offer different opportunities.
  • Year 8: Students undertake a unit of work called The Real Game in which they consider what their life will be like when they are an adult.  They explore a range of jobs looking at pay, transferable skills, qualifications, annual leave etc., and consider the impact of tax and essential expenses on their disposable income.  Students are introduced to Kudos, the job information and matching website.
  • Year 9: Students are supported in choosing their specialisms subjects ensuring they support any future career ideas they may have. This includes a Specialisms Experts session with Key Stage 4 students, taster sessions for new subjects and a Specialisms Evening.  An emphasis is placed on ensuring each student is following the best route for them as an individual.  Students use the matching tool on Kudos to explore career suggestions.
  • Year 10: the focus is on preparation for the mock careers interviews which take place at the end of the summer term with people from the local business community.  Students return to Kudos with a focus on the skills needed for the jobs they are interested in and what their next steps towards achieving that goal would be.  They consider their own transferable skills and examples they can provide.  This is followed by producing a CV and exploring interview skills.
  • Year 11:  The focus is on the range of progression routes post 16 (apprenticeships, education, academic and vocational routes and qualifications) along with job application skills.  Students also return to their CVs using the feedback from their mock interviews. 
  • Years 12 and 13: Students are supported in applying for apprenticeships, and university places as well as visiting local universities and work places. In addition all Year 12 students are expected to undertake work experience.  They also have a Next Steps Day towards the end of the summer term in which the UCAS application process is introduced along with information about apprenticeships, including Higher and Degree apprenticeships.  A range of vacancies are emailed out to Year 12 and Year 13 students.
  • All years: We are increasing opportunities for students to meet employers and employees to expand their horizons.  We are also building more work related learning in to the wider curriculum.

Further details can be obtained from Vicky Barnett who is our Careers Leader. She can be contacted by email on vicky.barnett@whpfederation.org.


Measure and assess the impact of the careers programme

It is hard to evaluate the success of any careers programme however we use three methods:

  1. External Review: In 2012, 2015 and 2017 the school’s excellent work in providing a first class careers education to all students was recognised through successful accreditation for the Career Mark, Quality in Careers Standard.
  2. Evaluating activities: We try to evaluate the success of each activity by asking our students for feedback. 
  3. Compass and Tracker: We use these online tools provided by the Careers and Enterprise Company.


Enterprise Advisor Network

We are pleased to be linked in to the Enterprise Advisor Network set up by the Careers and Enterprise Company.  Our Enterprise Advisor is Claire Bamford who is working closely with us at a strategic level.  Our Enterprise Coordinator is Graham Wood.  He provides support, training and links to new opportunities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ideas4careers:  Careers, enterprise and employability support: providing careers guidance and inspiration to our students

WHP believes that all students should receive the individual support they need to prepare themselves for their next steps into further learning, training or work. With today’s young people entering a complex and competitive job market, this has never been more important. We’re proud to be working closely with Ideas4Careers UK Ltd, an external and independent careers and employability skills training company, to deliver careers information, advice, guidance and employability skills support across the Federation.

Ideas4Careers is a Matrix Standard accredited company and recognised by the LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) D2N2 as a high quality provider helping young people to develop their skills as part of the D2N2 Strategic Economic Plan. All advisers are members of the Career Development Institute (CDI).

It is a statutory duty* that all schools must provide impartial, external, careers advice and guidance for their students and Ofsted looks for evidence of this during its inspections.  Through working with Ideas4Careers the Federation is meeting its statutory duty. 

Ideas4Careers support includes advice and guidance on a face-to-face basis in a confidential setting.  In addition those students identified as having additional needs and are likely to experience barriers to securing work, training or further learning after they leave school at 18 form part of a Support4Progression cohort who receive more intensive support.

Following a careers meeting, students will receive a personalised Career Development Plan outlining the issues discussed and action points from qualified advisers.

Ideas4Careers careers advisers will also be involved in parents’ consultation evenings, options evenings, results days, careers fairs, employability events and assemblies.

Ideas4Careers advisers have many years’ professional experience in helping young people to feel inspired and motivated about their future careers and we are confident that all students at Alderman White and Bramcote College will receive the support they need to aim high and achieve in their future careers.

Here are some of the endorsements Ideas4Careers have received this year from students ....

  • "I found the interview very helpful as it gave me an insight into what I am actually interested in."
  • "Discovering more about UCAS, the UCAS point system and how to find out more about universities helped a lot"
  • "I liked the advice on paid apprenticeships and names of shops to try to find a Saturday job"
  • "I liked the options that she has given me and it gave me more confidence overall"
  • "Everything was really helpful, I got to see entry requirements, was given plenty of websites and given loads of useful information I didn't know before. Carol was so friendly and helpful, I'm really glad I got to speak to her today"

*Education Act 2011

Our Careers Advisors for 2018-19 are Zoe Hendricks, Carol Magner and Debra Smith (BC) and Katherine Jennick (AW)

For more information please contact Zoe Hendricks, Link Careers Adviser for WHP at Ideas4Careers, zoe.hendricks@ideas4careers.co.uk or contact Caryn Welch the Careers Manager for WHP, caryn.welch@whptrust.org.uk

Student Entitlements

As part of their education at the White Hills Park Federation students are entitled to a programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance to help them make decisions that will support them  in developing a successful career.  Click on these links to discover what those entitlements are.

 

        

            

  Parent Guide to Careers Guidance

 

 

Published on  April 5th, 2019