Careers

Careers guidance at Thomas Hall School

 

1. Introduction

At Thomas Hall School, we believe in providing our students with comprehensive and tailored careers guidance and support to help them make informed decisions about their future. Our Careers' guidance outlines the key events and initiatives that we have in place to ensure our students receive the necessary guidance and opportunities to explore various career paths.

2. Career Pilot Access (Year 8)

Starting from Year 8, students will have access to Career Pilot, an online platform that provides information on different careers, job sectors, and educational pathways. This platform will help students explore their interests, skills, and aspirations, assisting them in making informed decisions about their future educational and career choices.

3. Annual Careers and Enterprise Focus Day

We will organise an Annual Careers and Enterprise Focus Day, which will bring together students, parents, educators and professionals from various fields. This event will include workshops, presentations and interactive sessions aimed at providing students with insights into different careers, industry trends and opportunities available to them.

4. External Speaker Series

To enhance students' understanding of the world of work, we will invite a minimum of one external speaker each year. These speakers will represent diverse professions and industries and will share their experiences, expertise, and advice with our students. This initiative will expose students to real-world perspectives and help them broaden their horizons. The school holds an unbiased opinion towards post-16 education and invites a variety of educators to speak to all students from Year 8 onwards. These will showcase the variety of options available when they leave school from A-Levels, Technical Qualifications, Apprenticeships, Internships et cetera.

5. Careers Interviews and Careers Advice (Year 10+11)

Starting from Year 10, students will have the opportunity to participate in one-on-one careers interviews with qualified career advisors. These interviews will provide personalised guidance and support, helping students explore their interests, aptitudes and aspirations, as well as assist them in developing appropriate career goals and plans.

From Year 10 onwards, students will also receive careers advice sessions on a regular basis from various teachers. These sessions will cover a wide range of topics, including exploring different career paths, understanding educational requirements, researching post-16 options, and developing key employability skills. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions, seek clarification, and receive personalised guidance to assist them in making informed decisions.

7. Tailor-Made Careers and Post-16 Plans

We recognise the importance of providing individualised support to our students. Therefore, we will utilise the Compass+ future skills questionnaires taken in Year 7, 10, and 11 to create tailor-made careers and post-16 plans for each student. These plans will account for their skills, interests, aspirations, and aptitudes, helping them identify suitable career pathways and make informed decisions regarding their post-16 education and training.

8. Work Experience

All Year 10 students will be offered the chance to take part in a work experience placement at a desired employer. The students are aided by their teachers within PSHE lessons, and are given access to a simplified platform to assist. However, the challenge of finding, contacting and securing these work experience placements are a life experience. Before attending and experiencing the world of work first hand.

9. Curriculum Links

In addition to the required PSHE curriculum, the school has embedded term-themed lessons/ Low stakes quizzes, focusing on careers and their options post 16. We continue to strive to offer more to each student. And the addition of the Prince’s Trust award carried out within the school. Formalised career progression will be certificated and monitored by each student. Career related learning is also embedded within the Tutor Programme. With charity-based enterprise challenges and the World of Work videos to broaden the students' horizons and further their personal development.

10. Monitoring and Evaluation

We are committed to continuously improving our career provision. We will regularly monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of our Careers Policy and initiatives through feedback from students, parents, staff, and external partners. This feedback will enable us to identify areas for improvement and ensure that our career guidance remains up-to-date, relevant, and aligned with the evolving needs of our students. As a school, we are regularly assessed against the eight Gatsby Benchmarks outlined by the Careers and Enterprise Company and continue to pursue 100% in all eight benchmarks.

11. Review and Update

As a school, we are regularly assessed against the eight Gatsby Benchmarks outlined by the Careers and Enterprise Company and continue to pursue 100% in all eight benchmarks. This Careers Policy will be reviewed annually to ensure its continued effectiveness. Any necessary updates or revisions will be made based on feedback, changes in legislation, and best practices in career guidance and support.

By implementing this, Thomas Hall School aims to empower students with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities they need to make successful transitions into further education, training, and the world of work.