Careers Information, Advice and Guidance

Careers and Work Related Learning

We promise at Guildford County School that we are committed to providing Careers Education, Advice and Guidance to all students through the curriculum and organised activities. Careers Guidance will focus on the specific needs of the individual student to promote self-awareness and personal development. It will aim to provide current and relevant information to enable each student to make informed decisions about their future. It will be impartial, confidential and differentiated to suit the requirements of each individual student.

Student Entitlement

Students can expect to have:

• Access to information and time to research careers during school
• People who are in the profession to come in and talk to you
• Take part in work experience
• Psychometric Tests to see what job would suit you best
• Not be pressured to decide what you want to do
• Information on the job you want to do – hours, salaries, qualifications and skills
• Additional bespoke support for application forms and interviews

Aims of Careers and Work Related Learning

The aim of Careers and work related learning at Guildford County School is to guide students towards careers which are going to fulfil their aspirations, inspire them and equip them with the skills, qualifications and experience they need to achieve their goal.  We will encourage and guide students to be ready for the world of work – whatever form that might take.

Many students will enter Guildford County School without a definite idea of what career they want which is why we have developed a careers programme which takes students through structured PSHE lessons and extra-curricular activities that will enable them to make positive choices when it comes to Year 9 options, post-16 and post-18 choices.

Independent Careers Advice

Students have access to Independent Careers Advice, interviews are delivered in individual and group sessions where they can speak with a careers management consultant in order to help them make positive and informed choices for the future.   As well as giving advice on non-university options such as apprenticeships and vocational courses.

In order to track progression and to enable students to keep a record of their careers research, skills, CVs, personal statements and much more, we are using an educational platform called Fast Tomato.  Students will register in Year 7 and use this tool throughout their time at Guildford County School.  Parents are also able to register and use this tool side-by-side with their children so that they can also see the different careers and options that are available. 

Fast Tomato

PSHE, CITIZENSHIP & Careers

PSHE and Citizenship and Careers are delivered within the wider curriculum, through Tutor Time and also through collapsed timetable days during the course of the school year.  Content by Year Group and curriculum area is shown in the table below as a guide.  Careers foci are shown in bold text.

 Central Themes

Careers Guidance at Guildford County School – overview

• Year 7 will have an introduction to careers in the library in the autumn and Year 8 and 9 will start the Fast Tomato programme in the autumn term.  
• STEM Club

• Year 8 – Building on Yr 7 introduction. PSHE crosses over to include elements of Careers.

• What’s Important to me
•  Thinking About the Future
•  How Jobs have Changed
•  Our Chosen Career:

Introduce Fast Tomato. Subject teachers include references to careers to link with learning.

• Careers Interviews – Impartial IAG is delivered by Gaynor Eke & Gill Hearn- independent Careers Management Consultants. Both former Connexions Advisors (Level 6 IAG Qualification) and considerable experience in HR in industry. Assist with college/ 6^th Form applications.
• STEM Club

• Year 9 – Careers Interviews for students on Support List or Educational Pathway 

                           Plans. Also any other students identified by Tutors/ HoH/Senco.

• Skills Fairs – Identified students are invited to attend
• Students who would benefit from an alternative curriculum may be introduced to vocational study options
• STEM Club with a focus on Year 9 girls taking part in the STEM Challenge

• Year 10 – Every student is invited to Careers Interview

• Spreadsheets available to all staff to view student’s aspirations towards a particular career
• Careers Management Consultants have access to student progress/predicted grades list – assist with what students are interested in and whether they are on track to meet criteria of proposed career path and advise accordingly
• STEM Club

• Enterprise Education   –Guildford County Business Game 
• Off timetable all day.
• Volunteers from industry assist.
• Become business people for a day; CEO, Finance Officer, Managers and work force.
• Producing a product to specification and time bounded – make money

• Year 11 – Careers Interview for every student before they leave to ensure all students have the information or support they require before applying to 6^th Form/College

• Block Work Experience – Year 11 students go out to the world of work for a week in July (in 2018, this will move to Year 12)

Students have to source own placement

• Experience of writing CV/letters of application
• Contacting employers – using letter/email/telephone & face to face
• Assemblies before event for H&S talk
• STEM Club

6^th Form – Careers Interviews available on request. Identified students from Head of 6th Form who  require further support.

• Feature lectures from wide variety of industries invited into school
• UCAS Open Days https://www.ucas.com/advisers/guides-and-resources/ucas-widget
• Careers Fairs – in conjunction with other Guildford Schools eg RGS
• STEM Club

Fast Tomato

• Programme available to all years and accessible at home
• Instruction sheet to students/parents
• Information sent by parent mail / access information on school web-site

• U-Explore Personal Coach – Support to students identified as RONI

• Initial meeting in school – continuous support until in FE/work              

Enterprise Education

Guildford County Business Game in conjunction with the Business Studies department. Year 10 students are off timetable all day. Volunteers from industry/parents are invited to mentor a ‘company’ created by students. Students become business people for a day, they will vote in a CEO: Finance Officer: Managers and Work Force.

They will promote the company product using Media skills. Produce a product to a specified standard and sell their product to make money. The day promotes team work, collaboration and negotiation skills, they will use Maths; Art: D&T and ICT skills. All essential tools required for the World of Work.

Looking Ahead

At some stage during Year 10 you’ll have the option to take a more in depth profile assessment which will identify your strengths, personality and abilities. Your Career Management Consultant can then help you to interpret the results and show you how you can use it to help make future career decisions, ensure you understand your grades and what you will need to achieve your entry into your choice of course/career.

For more information, click here on the Morrisby profile

Skills Health Check

A Levels

If you are considering A levels after Year 11, the following links have useful information and advice on how you can make the right choices

The Russell Group Guide to making decisions about post-16 education. Here's the PDF of their publication: Informed Choices

What A-levels do you need for the degree you want to study?

Cambridge University advice on A level combinations

Alternatives Qualifications to A Levels

Alternative local further education provision can be discussed further during sessions with the Careers Management Consultants. There are increasing opportunities for pupils who would prefer to go straight into employment after year 11.

Take a look at the following websites for further information and advice.

NotGoingtoUni

Milkround

Job Profiles

icould

Careers Advice in Surrey (Post 16 route planner including apprenticeships)

Intequal 

Justit - Become-an-apprentice

Get my first job.co.uk

The Spartan Test  (on the SACU website)

National Careers Service - Search a job title and watch videos of real people describing their work

For any enquiries, please contact: Jonathan Thorpe, Lower and Upper School (jthorpe@guildfordcounty.co.uk) and Julie Phillips, Sixth Form (jphillips@guildfordcounty.co.uk).

Useful Websites