We commission the service of an external Level 6 qualified Independent Careers Adviser to deliver Independent Careers Advice appointments to our students.

The Careers Adviser will see:

• All Year 11 Students
• Year 12/13 students
• Year 10 students towards the late Summer term, subject to availability of the Careers Adviser.
• Any student who expresses the wish to meet with the Careers Adviser.
• Any student who staff members believe will benefit from meeting with the Careers Adviser.

Meeting with the Careers Adviser will give our students the opportunity to receive impartial information, advice and guidance around their next steps. Students are able to look at different ways of researching career ideas they may have and identify careers which may suit their skills, abilities and personality.

Meetings are scheduled, wherever possible, to coincide with key decision-making points in Year 11, when students are considering their post-16 options and preparing for the transition beyond GCSEs.

During their meeting, students will have the opportunity to:

• Receive impartial information, advice and guidance about the options available to them after Year 11.

• Discuss their future plans, aspirations and potential career pathways.

• Explore different ways to research careers and discover opportunities they may not previously have considered.

• Identify careers and pathways that could suit their individual skills, abilities, interests and personality.

• Consider the next steps needed to achieve their goals.

A Personalised Action Plan

Meetings usually last approximately 45 minutes and take place in a private setting, allowing students the opportunity to discuss their aspirations, questions and concerns in a supportive environment.

Following the meeting, the Careers Adviser prepares a personalised Action Plan summarising the discussion and identifying relevant next steps. This is saved in the student’s Unifrog account, within the Locker section, so students can revisit the advice and recommendations whenever needed.

Preparation for the Careers Guidance Meeting

Students are encouraged to prepare for their careers interview by doing the following tasks on their Unifrog account:

1. Complete (or re-complete) the Personality Quiz.
2. In the Careers Library, identify three careers that interest them.
3. Add an Activity or Competency which reflects a skill required for one or more of the career options you identified in the Careers Library.
4. Create a shortlist of either college courses / sixth form courses / apprenticeships that they may be interested in.
5. Complete the Post 16 Intentions tool on Unifrog. If students are unsure of their pathway, they are to select the option "I don't know" from the drop-down menu.

Parents and carers are also notified by email shortly after the meeting has taken place, enabling them to support their child’s future planning and continue conversations at home.

Our aim is to ensure that every student feels informed, supported and empowered to make decisions that reflect their individual strengths, interests and ambitions, helping them take positive steps towards a successful and fulfilling future

If you would like an appointment with the Careers Adviser, or wish to attend the appointment with your child, please contact the Careers Leader via info@stmarys.net

Here is a picture of our Careers Adviser, Claire Johnstone. In National Careers Week, we put a pop-up Careers Drop-In service in our Canteen during both lunch breaks so that students in all year groups can come and speak with both the Careers Adviser and Careers Leader should they wish.

 

Gatsby Benchmark 1 A Stable Careers Programme

Gatsby Benchmark 3 Addressing the Needs of Every Pupil

Gatsby Benchmark 8 Personal Guidance