Student Careers Programme
Please note this information is reviewed in September of each Academic Year. The next review is September 2024
Click here to read the school's Careers Policy
Your Careers Lead is:
Lorraine Clegg
Contactable via office@churchlawtonschool.org.uk or 01270 877601
Gatsby Benchmarks
The Gatsby Benchmarks originated in a research report (Good Career Guidance) from the Gatsby Foundation in 2013. The report found 8 benchmarks of best practice, which are now more commonly known as ‘The Gatsby Benchmarks.’ They are:
- A stable careers programme
- Learning from career and labour market information
- Addressing the needs of each pupil
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experiences of workplaces
- Encounters with further and higher education
- Personal guidance
Compass has become the measure to support schools and colleges to self-assess their progress towards meeting the benchmarks. Please see the following link for the school's updated Gatsby Benchmark Tool Results
Careers Provider Access Statement
This policy aims to set out our school’s arrangements for managing the access of education and training providers to students for the purpose of giving them information about their offer. It sets out:
- Procedures in relation to requests for access.
- The grounds for granting and refusing requests for access.
- Details of premises or facilities to be provided to a person who is given access.
Click here to read the Provider Access Policy.
Careers Support
There is a wide range of careers support available in the Sixth Form.
There are sessions on applying to Further Education Colleges, universities, Work placements and apprenticeships for both students and parents.
In the summer term of year 12 there is support and guidance on completing a further college or university application including help with personal statements. There is also support in writing CVs and applying for jobs and apprenticeships.
Throughout the year there are a number of sessions on specific careers such as routes into healthcare, teaching, business, etc, as well as specific college or university options.
Up-to-date information is provided via email, tutors and careers noticeboards, open days and apprenticeship vacancies. Students are encouraged to attend taster days and open days with a guideline of missing no more than 4 school days to careers events.
Students are encouraged to research their chosen careers carefully. There are a number of useful websites to support students in their research shown below.
Careers websites
Visit the Careers of the Future webpage to find a useful guide based on research and data from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. This highlights a range of jobs which are all Careers of the Future in the West Midlands.
As part of Church Lawton School’s commitment to informing our pupils of the full range of learning and training routes on offer to them, we are happy to consider requests from training, vocational education and apprenticeship providers to speak to students and will also approach these partners ourselves when planning organising key Careers events throughout the school year.
CareerMag is a free magazine which provides students with helpful information about careers and qualifications, along with tips on a range of topics such as employability skills and CV writing. It looks at industry sectors in depth, giving students a clear view of all the choices available for early careers:
Students and parents can subscribe here.
General advice on careers
- www.brightknowledge.org – This one gives good information about career pathways and subject specific careers e.g sports science, architecture etc
- www.getsmaart.com – information, articles and blogs about careers, unis, gap years etc.
Apprenticeships
- www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk – lists all apprenticeship vacancies nationally.
- www.notgoingtouni.co.uk – advice on apprenticeships, foundation degrees, jobs + gap year.
Courses and applying to university
- www.ucas.com – directory of all higher education courses available in the UK and loads of other useful info.
- www.unistats.com –compare and review universities and courses using statistics.
- www.which.co.uk/university – great for searching for courses by entry requirements
- www.push.co.uk – university choice information and a quirky alternative insight into student life.
- www.whatuni.com – student articles, advice, information, opendays and uni comparisons.
- www.thestudentroom.co.uk – online student community, study help, personal and professional advice and access to student guides.
- www.unionview.com – videos of universities showing the buildings, accommodation, students and clips of actual teaching methods.
- www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk, http://education.guardian.co.uk and www.timesonline.co.uk/education – league tables to compare universities and subjects.
- http://www.inspiringfutures.org.uk/ select ‘students and parents’ then ‘our courses’ under the heading ‘skills development’. Courses for careers that it is hard to get information and advice on e.g. dentistry, working in the city, politics etc.
Summer Schools
- www.suttontrust.com – summer schools to encourage widening participation in universities.
- www.headstartcourses.org.uk – courses for any science and maths students to encourage them to consider science, maths or engineering at university.
Student Finance
- www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance – apply for your student loans and maintenance grants through this site. Also more info and advice on student finance including a calculator which can help you find out what financial support they are likely to get.
- www.slc.co.uk – the student loan company.
- www.scholarship-search.org.uk – Allows you to search all universities for available bursaries and scholarships. Also a budget calculator and loan predictor.
- www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students – info on bursaries for healthcare and social work students.
Gap years and volunteering
Work Experience
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