Careers Education and Guidance at Derby High

Transcription

1 Careers Education and Guidance at Derby High Derby High School aims to help pupils achieve their full potential and make successful transitions to adult life through the delivery of progressive programme of activities, talks, questionnaires and work experiences. Year by year summary of provision Derby High Careers Fair The careers fair is a biannual event with the next one planned for November For the 2015 event all of the girls from Year 7 through to 13 will be invited to attend. The Fair features approximately 20 stations representing the main career areas. We are fortunate that the majority of the stations are manned by volunteers from Derby High wider community of parents, old girls and professional contacts. These volunteers are supplemented with invited guests from areas such as the armed forces. U3 and L4 (Years 7 & 8) In tutor time and in their annual tutor review pupils are encouraged to consider their strengths and weaknesses and to set targets. Target setting is also discussed as part of the PSHE programme in L4. In 2014 there was an L4 session called Follow your dreams where speakers from various employment fields were invited in to inspire pupils and kick start their interest in the world of work. There will be a similar event in U4 (Year 9) In U4 pupils have a four week programme of careers education via the PSHE lessons. This is delivered by the PHSE staff and careers teacher. All girls have the opportunity to use the Fast Tomato career guidance software. Career Box and I Could are also used. They are encouraged to seek advice in school regarding option choices and have the opportunity for one to one counselling. These sessions are scheduled around the time of the GCSE Options Evening. At this event the pupils and parents attend presentations by the senior staff and

2 the Head of Careers. This is followed by the opportunity to visit stands manned by GCSE subject staff. In U4 there is a half-day session during where students hear from a variety of Derby High Old Girls. The Old Girls talk about what they have done with their careers since they were in Year 9. The current pupils are then given the opportunity to ask questions. L5 (Year 10) In L5 most girls undertake work experience and lessons are given in the PSHE programme to look at opportunities and Health and Safety issues. Discussion and feedback relating to work experience takes place and also forms part of the language curriculum. During their work experience placements the pupils are required to keep a diary of their observations and reflections. There is a prize awarded at speech day for the pupil who is thought to have gained the most from their work experience placement. U5 (Year 11) In the autumn term of U5, a series of lessons is given as part of the PSHE programme to look at options at age 16. In Autumn 2015 Morrisby Online Career Profiling was used. This proved very successful and will now be an annual part of the careers service. Morrisby testing is undertaken by the pupils just before they make their initial post-16 choices. The testing is followed up by as many individual careers meetings as needed. Although most of the girls have a clear idea of the direction they are heading, there are a handful each year who require extensive support at this stage. Further guidance on choosing options is given at the Sixth Form Options evening in October where there is a speaker from a local university. Year 12 In the autumn term of Year 12 students experience a brief insight into higher education. It is a deliberately light touch at this stage as the girls settle into their A Level courses.

3 In the spring term of L6 the girls hear from a number of guest speakers on topics such as Year in Industry, Higher Apprenticeships, Projects Abroad and interview skills. During this year girls have the opportunity for individual guidance from the careers teacher and also from their personal tutor. The Head of Sixth Form arranges for tutors to conduct focused career interviews with tutees. The information from this is used to identify those students who are likely to need more detailed guidance and further support. There is close liaison between the Head of Sixth Form and Head of Careers to ensure that individual needs are catered for. In this term of Year 12, Higher Education information is provided for parents and pupils as part of the parents evening. There are speakers from a local university, usually Nottingham, and all parents are provided with a booklet outlining the UCAS process. During the autumn term students are asked if they are interested applying to Oxford and Cambridge and if so they meet regularly with and receive support material from the Head of Sixth Form. Year 13 In Year 13 the emphasis is on securing higher education places and/ or post-18 employment and training. The girls are fully supported on an individual basis by their sixth form tutors. The small size of the tutor groups means that each sixth form tutor is focussing on only four or five girls. The Head of Careers is heavily involved at this stage, particularly with the students who are not planning to pursue the traditional university path. Work Experience & Work Related learning Work Experience The Careers Department aims for all students in Year 10 and above to undertake at least one week s work experience. Work Experience is available for all pupils during the last week of June. Some girls may choose to go on the language field trip which takes place at the same time and those girls are encouraged to participate at the end of June in Year 11.

4 The school works with Derbyshire County Council to provide one week placements and the pupils are charged for this service. Students are encouraged to organise their own placements. Derbyshire County Council has a website which gives details of available placements and all girls have access to this and log in details are provided. The website provides job descriptions and risk assessments for pupils and parents and supporting paperwork are completed by employers, parents and students. All placements are checked for Health and Safety and a member of staff visits all students who take part in work experience. If this is impossible, for example if the placement is far away, a phone conversation will take place with the employer. The school provides the employer with details of any special needs the student might have. A debriefing lesson takes place at the end of Year 10 and a prize is awarded on Speech Day to the girl who is deemed to have made the most of her work placement. Girls in Years 12 and 13 may carry out placements in their free time to support applications to vocational courses at university. Work-related learning This is provided through: Visits to school by visiting speakers, for all girls in Year 9 and above. Derby High Careers Fair Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, Year 10 and above Young Enterprise Scheme, Year 12 Individual Guidance, Monitoring and Recording One-to-one Guidance & Personalised Research From Year 9, students can self-refer for an interview with the careers teacher. One to one help is also provided by the tutors and heads of year. Additionally, the careers library forms part of the school library and is open to students during regular library hours. A careers room is available for private interviews and contains information. The resource centre is maintained by the school librarian and students receive help to use the information from the school librarian and careers teacher. ICT access is available in the library for Careers software and UCAS. Students receive lessons on the use of the Careers

5 resources during the Year 9 PSHE programme and during Year 12 careers lessons. Action Planning and Recording of Achievement. As part of the tutorial and target setting programme, students learn to action plan and keep records of their achievements throughout their time in school. In Year 11 girls prepare a Record of Achievement and in Years 12 and 13 girls are encouraged to note down their achievements to support their UCAS application and also produce a Statement of Achievement which they are presented with at their Leavers Evening.