Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)

Careers Education is taught in all years. There are 3 main themes :

• Developing self awareness: learners need to develop a sense of what their strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, abilities, skills and qualities are so they can begin to make decisions about which what sort of future learning pathways and work opportunities will suit them best.
• Developing opportunity awareness: learners aspirations tend to be limited by their experience of family, friends and the media. We teach learners the skills they need to explore the full range of possible opportunities, identify the job families (the groups of types of occupations) they are particularly interested in, how to find and make sense of careers information and use it to help them make informed choices and decisions
• Developing career management skills: learners will need to plan for their futures; be able to find opportunities, apply for jobs, be successful at interviews and be able to present themselves positively, particularly as moving from job to job becomes increasingly common in a persons working life

In key stage 3 (years 7 - 9) the programme will include :

• Self-awareness activities
• Identifying job families that do or don't interest me
• Accessing and making sense of careers information (software, paper and internet)
• Exploring different career ideas
• Learning pathways I can follow from age 13 through to 19 and beyond
• What employers expect
• Making key stage 4 option choices
• Awareness of stereotyping when making career choices
• Awareness of qualifications and how they affect my choices as I get older

In year 8 learners have one careers lesson every 2 weeks and an enrichment day called the Real Game, a simulation that explores the links between education, work and lifestyle and explores what is involved in different types of work, making choices and budgeting. In year 7 and 9 learners will have some careers lessons as part of their Personal, Social, Health Education (PSHE) programme.

In key stage 4 (years 10 -11) the programme will include :

• Investigating the main post 16 options: further education qualifications, apprenticeships, learning at work and higher education.
• How to use the Connexions Resource Centre, software programmes and the intranet to support career planning.
• Job application skills: how to write a letter of application and a curriculum vitae; interview skills. We organise a mock interview programme in conjunction with local employers
• College Experience: students are given the opportunity to visit local further education colleges for 'taster' days to help them decide which will meet their needs best.
• The school works closely with local colleges to raise awareness of the opportunities available. This includes a careers evening for students and parents in year 10 and a 16 plus morning in year 11 when college representatives come to school.
• Raising awareness of job opportunities, both locally and nationally, and trends in work.
• Students wishing to apply for employment with training (e.g apprenticeships, training programmes) will be given guidance on how to apply.
• Regular reviews of progress with the help of the personal tutor, and where appropriate others. Learners use a review programme called Planit to help them build up a record of their learning and achievements in school, and help them plan their next steps in learning and their working lives
• Raising awareness of the benefits and opportunities available in Higher Education (e.g. University)

The Key Stage 4 careers programme takes place through a combination of enrichment lessons, PSHE lessons and enrichment days.

Individual Information, Advice and Guidance

The school has a careers adviser who can provide individual guidance for students who want support with their career planning and dealing with other issues affecting their future.

Students are taught how to access the extensive information bank in the Careers Resource Centre. Students have free access to the up to date careers information and more general information stored there. Students are also taught how to use the school careers intranet site which has direct links to a range of websites that will help in career planning.

There are a number of websites we recommend that can be accessed by learners through the school's careers intranet site (through Fronter) that can help them with general guidance, option choices at age 14, and choosing their next steps after Kingsdown School.

Work and Enterprise Learning

Work and Enterprise Learning uses the context of work to develop, knowledge, skills and understanding useful in work, including learning through the experience of work, learning about work and working practices, and learning the skills for work. This will include developing skills for enterprise and employability, knowledge and understanding of employers, employment and enterprise and direct experience of work.

Current examples of Work and Enterprise Learning include :

• Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance
• Enterprise Activities e.g. Y10 Enterprise Day , Young Enterprise (Students have the opportunity to take part in the young enterprise programme, setting up their own business)
• Business simulation
• Mock Interviews
• Work Experience Programme (in year 10 students undertake a 5 day work placement along with a preparation and follow up programme that focuses on learning about work)
• Projects/Challenges: e.g. Engineering Day, Technology Day
• Learning through GCSE courses like for instance Business, English (Work Experience Debriefing and Presentations)
• Financial capability: students are introduced to budgeting and financial planning.

These activities take place in most cases in conjunction with local employers and community groups

Practical Learning Pathway (PLP) (in years 10 and 11)

This pathway is designed for students who find the traditional pathway of 8 or more GCSEs difficult, and would benefit from more practical learning opportunities. Learners can opt for this pathway as part of their key stage 4 option choices.

Outline of Course

This course comprises of some GCSEs, a BTEC Workskills qualification, a practical college course and a work placement.

What will I learn?

Students will work towards core GCSE subjects (Maths, English, Science, ICT, DT)

WorkSkills is a BTEC qualification that helps equip young people with the skills to gain and retain a job in challenging times. WorkSkills builds on the ABC of employability - Attitude, Behaviour and Communication - to develop the skills that employers are looking for and to give learners an edge in a competitive climate. Learners pass a unit by completing a range of tasks that demonstrate they can meet the requirements to the standard required, and submit their work as a series of projects. Learners combine the units they have passed (at either level 1 or 2) to gain a BTEC Workskills qualification. Learners will need a minimum of 3 credits for a Workskills Award and a minimum of 13 credits for a Workskills Certificate by the end of year 11. Units include managing your own money, searching for a job, applying for jobs, preparing for an interview, interview skills, preparing for a work placement, learning from a work placement, and safe learning in a workplace.

College Course - students will be able to choose one of the Pre-16 Vocational courses on offer at local colleges such as Motor Vehicle, Childcare, Construction and Hair and Beauty. These courses focus specifically on the subject area chosen and are practically based. These will lead to a level 1 vocational qualification and will be for either one or half a day a week. Students will need to be able to make their own way to college each week.

Work Placement - this will give you the opportunity to put the skills learnt through the BTEC course and college course into practice and give you the chance to gain valuable experience towards your future working life. This is for one day a week in year 11 only.

How will I be assessed?

BTEC Workskills - this is assessed through continual coursework: students complete a portfolio of work that is assessed.

College Course - continuous assessment is carried out during the chose course through practical demonstration alongside a small amount of written work.

Work Placement - punctuality, attendance and attitude towards work are all assessed during the time spent on work placement. The work placement supports units of the BTEC Workskills course.

Mr C North
Head of Careers