Careers

At Churchdown School, we want our students to be inspired about their future.  We aim to equip all learners with the knowledge, skills and confidence to navigate the choices ahead of them so that they leave Churchdown School to go to their destination of choice.

Careers Education is embedded within the Curriculum and is integral to our PSHE, tutor  programmes and through work-related learning that includes work experience opportunities in Years 10 and 12, Business Networking events, Speakers and employer-led workshops.

At Churchdown School we are proud to say that we have a wide group of people that ensure that careers and destinations are at the heart of the school, from teachers delivering curriculum-based career guidance and leading key activities, to staff tracking destinations and providing individual support to students.

Whilst supported by everyone, there are key members of staff that support the programme. These include:

Mrs Ellie Stafford, our Independent Careers Advisor, is available to give impartial, unbiased advice in 1:1 career meetings, or at assemblies and events.

Ms Suzannah Dougherty is our Careers Coordinator responsible for supporting our career activities, including Y10 work experience, business breakfasts, mock interviews, careers appointments and employer-based activities, including the Careers Fair.

Mr Adam Polgrean is the KS5 Careers Lead responsible for managing the programme of careers activity within the Sixth Form. This includes managing the Higher Education application process through UCAS, supporting apprenticeship applications, delivering enrichment activities to support students on the post 18 journey and running a bespoke scholars and medics programme for those applying for specialist or highly competitive courses.

If you would like to contact the careers team, please email aspirations@churchdownschool.com

 

How do we support students with Careers Information, Advice and Guidance?

Our school has an embedded careers programme that aims to inform and encourage pupils to consider their career options and take steps to understand their choices and pathways. We provide statutory independent careers guidance to pupils from year 7 onwards. Our programme has been developed to meet the expectations outlined in the Gatsby Benchmarks:

1. A stable careers programme with a careers leader

2. Learning from career and labour market information

3. Addressing the needs of each pupil

4. Linking curriculum learning to careers

5. Encounters with employers and employees

6. Experience of workplaces

7. Encounters with further and higher education

8. Personal guidance

 

Our programme doesn’t show bias towards any particular career path and promotes a full range of technical and academic options for pupils. It is structured in a way that builds upon previous years, and the overarching aim is divided between the key stages so that pupils are encouraged to think appropriately about their future. We provide aims, objectives and activities for each year group.

Our careers programme is delivered through a number of methods, including careers education sessions for PSHE, tutor time, career guidance activities such as business breakfasts and guest speakers, individual interviews, information and research activities, and work-related learning including work experience.

 

Key Stage 3

Our Key Stage 3 careers programme will support pupils in their planning and choice of GCSE subjects. This includes:

• PSHE programme – careers, teamwork, enterprise, community and careers, equality of opportunity, ambition
• Online career profile – tutor time
• Career research in PSHE lessons
• Opportunity to meet an independent careers advisor or careers representative at school
• Careers Fair
• Various speakers and visits

Key Stage 4

Our Key Stage 4 careers programme aims to help pupils research and understand their choices and routes into education and training. This includes:

• Opportunity to meet an independent careers advisor or careers representative at school
• Business breakfasts hosted by local businesses
• Aspirational work experience programmes
• Mock interviews
• Careers Fair Information and guidance meeting to discuss post-16 options
• Various speakers and visits through curriculum

Key Stage 5

Our Key Stage 5 careers programme supports pupils in planning for their future, including university and alternative pathways. This includes:

• Opportunity to meet an independent careers advisor or careers representative at school
• Mock interviews
• Careers Fair
• National Apprenticeship visit
• UCAS discovery day
• Cardiff and Oxford University visits
• Unifrog access
• Work experience opportunities
• Destination Doctor visit
• Various speakers and visits through curriculum

Measuring success

Our ambition is that all students should be equipped to make decisions about their future careers and leave Churchdown School to go to a destination of their choice. We monitor access and uptake of the career interventions offered to different groups of students at Churchdown School. Indicators of success include:

• The percentage of students who have a Post 16 provision in place by the summer
• Post 16 and post 18 destination data
• Post 16 NEET data
• Progressions towards the Gatsby Benchmarks