Careers

Overview

At St Hugh's, our ethos of Learning Together, Learning for Life underpins everything we do. We believe every young person deserves the opportunity to lead a fulfilling and successful adult life. Our Careers Programme begins in Year 7 and is built around the principle that preparation for adulthood is part of everyday learning. Careers education is embedded throughout the curriculum, helping students develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need for life beyond school.
Our programme is personalised through our three curriculum pathways and reflects the individual strengths, interests and aspirations of every learner. Students take part in a wide range of meaningful experiences, including employer encounters, enterprise projects, workplace visits, work-related learning, community participation and independent careers guidance. These opportunities become increasingly personalised as students move through the school and prepare for their next stage.

Our Careers Programme aims to:

• raise aspirations and celebrate every student’s strengths and achievements
• prepare students for adulthood through meaningful, real-life experiences.
• develop independence, communication, self-advocacy and employability skills
• introduce students to employers, workplaces, colleges and the wider community
• support students to make informed choices about their future education, training and adult life
• work in partnership with families and external agencies to support successful transitions

Students are supported throughout Key Stages 3 and 4 by a qualified, independent Careers Adviser. Group careers guidance sessions are delivered across Key Stages 3 and 4, with individual careers guidance taking place during the Summer Term of Year 10 where appropriate. Each student receives a personalised Careers Action Plan, which informs their Year 11 EHCP review and supports transition
planning. Careers guidance is tailored to each student’s strengths, interests and aspirations, helping them to make informed decisions about their future.

Student voice is at the heart of our Careers Programme. Students are supported to express their aspirations, make informed choices and contribute to their Preparing for Adulthood outcomes. They are encouraged to play an active role in EHCP reviews, careers guidance and transition planning, where appropriate.

Our Careers Programme is underpinned by DfE Guidance, the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance, the SEND Code of Practice, the CDI Career Development Framework and the principles of Preparing for Adulthood. The programme is reviewed regularly to ensure it continues to meet the needs of our students. We evaluate its impact through progress towards Preparing for Adulthood and EHCP
outcomes, student, parent and employer feedback, destination information, internal leadership reviews and termly reviews against the Gatsby Benchmarks. This helps us celebrate success, identify areas for development and ensure every student is prepared for the next stage of their education and adult life.

For more information, please see our Full Careers Programme, Provider Access Policy Statement and Careers Policy in the links provided.

Curriculum

Our careers programme includes employer engagement days, work experience, information and research activities (through the PSHE curriculum), work related learning and individual planning activities. Other focused events, e.g. college taster days, careers fairs, mock-interview days, assemblies and presentations are also provided.

Assessing the impact of the programme

We assess our careers programme in a number of different ways. We regularly gather feedback from staff, parents, students, local Further Education providers and employers to ensure that we are continually improving our careers programme.

Teaching staff are involved in the delivery of the careers programme ensuring that they are able to make the link between curriculum subjects and careers.

All students complete an annual Aspiration survey which is stored and tracked centrally to monitor the development of career maturity. Collecting aspiration data also ensures that the careers programme remains relevant and meaningful for our students and their interests and preferences.

In Year 11, all students complete a ‘What Next’ proforma to inform us of their intended destination. This is updated at the Year 11 Awards Evening in the Autumn Term of Year 12 and is sent to students again in Year 14. This data enables us to monitor our student destinations and the number of students who progress into various Post-16 opportunities. These factors are taken into consideration when reviewing the careers programme.

Collectively, this information is used to monitor the careers programme monthly and update it annually.