Careers Guidance & Information

1. Aims and objectives

At King’s Leadership Academy Warrington, we place great emphasis on each of our students having a personal development programme that ensures that they have “the academic skills, intellectual habits, qualities of character and leadership traits necessary to succeed at all levels and become successful citizens in tomorrow’s world”. This starts as soon as they arrive in Year 7 and builds significantly through Year 8-11. Our careers programme is designed to enable students to feel some sense of responsibility and achievement in determining and recognising not only their strengths and weaknesses but also their full potential.

The World of Work programme at King’s is measured against the Gatsby Benchmark through the use of regular student surveys; NEETS and destination information.

Every student is entitled to the provision of high-quality career education and guidance, embedded within their overall secondary education.

The objectives of our careers programme are to:

  • Provide comprehensive and impartial information and advice to students as part of their school curriculum
  • To ensure that students clearly understand the link between the subjects they study and the associated careers available to them
  • To raise aspirations and develop the core skills required to ensure that our students are viewed as employees of choice
  • To provide all students with a clear understanding of the post 16 opportunities available to them, including Higher Education (HE), Further Education (FE), apprenticeships, traineeships, and employment
  • To ensure that all students are both aware of the range of opportunities available to them and clearly understand the steps required to access them
  • To provide equality of access to careers inspiration and guidance

2. How do we measure the impact of the careers programme on students

The World of Work Programme at King’s is measured against the Gatsby Benchmark through the use of:

  • regular student and staff surveys
  • employer feedback after World of Work events
  • NEETS data
  • destination information (ongoing)
  • Compass careers and enterprise evaluation
  • 1:1 year 11 career interviews delivered through character and year 11 mentors.

3. Careers Policy

4. Provider Access Policy

5. Student Programme

Every young person needs high-quality career guidance to make informed decisions about their future. Good career guidance is a necessity for delivering technical education reforms and is a vehicle for social justice: those young people without social capital or home support suffer most from poor career guidance”. – www.gatsby.org

Below is an overview of the activities and events the World of Work programme includes to comply with The Gatsby Benchmarks:

The eight Gatsby benchmarks of Good Career Guidance

What we already do at KLA

1. A stable careers programme

  • Year 7 induction week and greeter system- aligned flight paths (Years 7-11)
  • Operation Reset with career focus
  • Beautiful work with inclusion of 'My World of Work journey'

2. Learning from career and labour market information

  • In-house talks everv learning cycle on subjesubject-basedeers
  • Guest speakers every learning cycle (medicine, engineering, sport)
  • Research tasks in ASPIRE curriculum to gain awareness of career market
3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
  • Mentoring notes for tutors to monitor and address career options
  • 1:1 career appointments when needed with a careers advisor
  • Regular WoW feedback surveys and adaptations to the programme based on needs
4. Linking curriculum leaming to careers
  • Using lead practitioners as subject experts In careers
  • Linking life skills (such as budgeting, cooking, and finances) in ASPIRE curriculum
  • SOW to have an element of career focus
5, Encounters with employers and  employees 
  • Guest speakers every learning cycle
  • Year 11 CV and personal statement workshops
  • Year 11 Career Interview event
  • Year 10 Careers Speed Dating
  • Year 9 Mode Interviews event
  • Year 7 and 8 Business Enterprise Day
6. Experience of workplaces
  • If students are interested in an industry with which we already have contact, workplaces could be arranged through Wednesday enrichment
7. Encounters with further and higher education
  • Talk the Talk sixth form workshop - talking about careers
  • HE/FE visits throughout the year to various universities
  • University open day visits
8. Personal guidance
  • Mentoring notes for tutors to monitor and address career options
  • Tutors to target/identify students at risk of being NEET and guide them on possible career paths

6. Useful Links

General Websites about Careers

www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk

This website provides a wealth of information to raise ASPIRATIONS regarding job profiles and skills.

www.careersbox.co.uk

Video clips and information on a wide range of careers to raise the SELF-AWARENESS of different industries.

www.icloud.com

Useful for linking school subjects to different career paths.  There is also a quiz ‘The Buzz Test’ to help young people explore their values, qualities and ASPIRATIONS for the future.

www.plotr.co.uk

A very visual website especially for younger students to help them RESPECT the world of work and different job roles.
 

Websites About Apprenticeships:

www.apprenticeships.org.uk

Everything you need to know about apprenticeships and current vacancies to encourage SELF-AWARENESS in different jobs.

www.allaboutcareers.com

ENDEAVOUR to learn more about apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes, University

 

Websites about Universities and Applications

www.ucas.com

First port of call for university courses in the UK, how to apply and student finance and ASPIRE to be independent.

www.thestudentworld.com

Information on foreign universities and how to apply to a university abroad whilst RESPECTING other cultures.

www.university.which.co.uk

Useful for comparing different university courses plus lots of information on how to choose courses (starting from GCSEs)

www.prospects.ac.uk

A graduate website – useful for finding out what careers particular degree courses can lead to.

7. Contact the careers team

The school adheres to the requirements of the Baker Clause, and will allow fair access to other colleges and training providers to discuss all routes available to Years 8 to 11 students. Should employers, providers or parents want to get involved in future World of World events, please do not hesitate to contact:

Leader of World of Work: G. Barrett

Email: 

Telephone: 01925 817939

The World of Work Programme is to be revised annually by G Barrett.  Next review July 2023.