Careers Education for all year groups is delivered through all three strands of our careers programme: our discrete PSHE curriculum, our enrichment programme and explicitly through the various subjects within our broad and balanced curriculum.

All year groups have at least one module of the PSHE curriculum dedicated to differing elements of Careers Education, appropriate for that key stage and year group.  Additionally, Years 7-11 are exposed to our ongoing and comprehensive enrichment programme of careers insight talks, focus groups and workshops related to different industry sectors. STEM opportunities feature throughout the academic year and presentations regarding progression pathways expose students to their next steps and their ongoing ‘career journey’.

Careers Education is the ‘golden thread’ within our broad and balanced curriculum and all students throughout the school will experience how the classroom learning in all subjects is related to the wider world of work, employability skills and progression pathways. Teachers will link classroom learning in these areas of Careers Education at least once a half term for each year group in every subject and all subjects have a ‘careers in the curriculum map’ outlining these opportunities. This enables students to really understand how what they are learning links to why they are learning it and how this will help them in their future.

 

Years 7 & 8:

In Year 7, students will focus on the transition to secondary school and the skills of becoming an independent young person. Throughout both the tutorial programme and Enrichment/PSHE lessons, students will begin to focus on aspirations and goals and considering their futures and their own personal strengths. They are also introduced to the world of finance in helping them to prepare for being a young adult and the independence that this brings.

In Year 8, students complete a further PSHE module on financial education which enables them to consider managing a budget, financial security and the impact and risks of technology. As an Apple Distinguished School students are well versed in using technology and are taught about the risks that technology can present and how to manage against these.

 

Year 9:

Careers Education in Year 9 is focused on preparing students for their transition between key stage 3 and key stage 4. It is designed to support them to make decisions regarding their futures and to enable them to begin to take more control over their own career management. Like other year groups, Careers Education is delivered through all three strands of our careers programme but, in addition, the Year 9s have a drop down ‘Enterprise Day’ day focusing on entrepreneurial and employability skills. 

Towards the end of Year 9, when students change to their GCSE options, all complete a PSHE module on career management which enables them to consider employability skills like teamwork, career identify and values and preparing for employment from aged 14.

 

Years 10 & 11:

Careers Education in key stage 4 is centred around preparing students for their next steps beyond secondary school and to enable them to have knowledge and understanding of the different post-16 pathways available to them. It is designed to support them to become ambitious, well rounded and employable young people, each with the relevant work-ready skills and experience to continue their journey beyond Tomlinscote.

In Year 10, all students complete a week of work experience which enables them to have a meaningful encounter within the workplace. They have a discrete PSHE module in the Spring which prepares them for work experience through lessons focusing on CV writing, interview skills, employability skills and career identify. Furthermore, students begin to consider what an online profile is and how best to manage this to manage the impact on this on their future choices. Additionally, all students in Year 10 take part in a summer 'Moving On' event led by the Prospect Trust Careers Team which gives them an insight into post-16 progression pathways as well as giving them the option to begin to consider subject and course choices ahead of the autumn term of Year 11.

In Year 11, students focus in on the different post-16 pathways available to them in the autumn term; coinciding with the applications they are making at this pivotal stage of transition. Their PSHE module enables them to develop a knowledge and understanding of each of these pathways as well as returning to financial education and considering post-16 finances, budgeting and being financially independent.