Careers Education, Information, Advice & Guidance

At St Mary’s we encourage every student to be aspirational and offer them a comprehensive programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) from Year 7 onwards.

St Mary’s has achieved the Quality Mark for careers education and guidance that is based on the Gatsby Benchmarks. In 2014, Lord Sainsbury’s Gatsby Charitable Foundation published a report titled “Good Career Guidance.” The report identified eight benchmarks that are the core dimensions of good careers and enterprise provision in schools and these are:

1. A stable careers programme
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. Experiences of workplaces
7. Encounters with further and higher education
8. Personal guidance

The Gatsby Benchmarks have a key role in:

• raising young people’s aspirations and promoting access to all career pathways
• enabling all young people to develop the skills and outlook they need to achieve career wellbeing including adaptability and resilience

• underpinning the Department for Education guidance to schools on meeting their statutory responsibility for careers guidance

St Mary’s has a dedicated Careers Lead, Mrs Claire Scarisbrick, who oversees all aspects of careers education, advice and guidance at St Mary’s. Mrs Scarisbrick can be contacted using admin@st-maryshigh.herts.sch.uk

St Mary’s will facilitate access of providers to the School for the purpose of giving them information about the provider’s education or training

offer. This complies with the School’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997. For details click on this link:

 SMHS CEIAG Access Policy Feb 2019

For full details of our CEIAG policy please click on the link below:

School : CEIAG Policy July 2019

Key Stage 3

St Mary’s work closely with the University of Hertfordshire as part of their Outreach Programme and aim for each year group to have interaction with a University Outreach Officer in each year group.  This can include workshops, talks and University Visits and cover topics such as Apprenticeships, Colleges and Further Education, Study Skills and Student Finance Support amongst other areas.

Year 7 – students will:

• experience workshops on building Aspirations
• have University of Hertfordshire Interaction

Year 8 – students will:

• participate in a work shadowing day
• discuss aspirations in form time
• PSHE lessons entitled “From School to Life”

Year 9 – students will:

• participate in a careers carousel
• have University of Hertfordshire Interaction
• discuss careers in Form time
• have an introduction to Sixth form

Useful Websites:

www.icould.com contains information and advice on choosing GCSEs

www.whichuniversity.co.uk gives further advice on the link between GCSEs and university

www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk provides information, advice and guidance to help you make decisions on learning, training and work

Key Stage 4

We continue to work closely with the University of Hertfordshire in KS4 along with the involvement of other Further and Higher Education institutions, Apprenticeship Providers and local employers.

We also provide independent Careers guidance through YC Hertfordshire for every student in Year 11 and offer a drop in service for students to discuss careers.

Year 10 – students will:

• undertake a weeks work experience
• experience workshops and talks on employability
• Create a CV and have a mock interview with a local employer

Year 11 – students will:

• have multiple interactions with Universities, Colleges, Apprenticeship providers and Employers
• have support with further education choices, applications and employability skills

Useful websites:

www.ychertfordshire.org has information on colleges or further education and training providers

www.russellgroup.ac.uk and www.whichuniversity.co.uk can help with choosing the right subjects for degree courses

www.apprenticeships.gov.uk for information about traineeships and apprenticeships

www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk provides information, advice and guidance to help you make decisions on learning, training and work

Post 16

Students will have continued opportunities to visit further and higher education facilities, experience Apprenticeship and University fairs and have support throughout their Sixth form journey.

Students will also:

• have UCAS and Oxbridge Application Support
• help with Professional Work Placements
• experience interview coaching
• work on employability skills
• have workshops on apprenticeship Sourcing and application Support

Useful websites:

www.ucas.com

www.apprenticeships.gov.uk for information about traineeships and apprenticeships

www.opendays.com for information on university open days

www.ychertfordshire.org jobs page for those seeking work along with apprenticeships and details on local employers

www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk provides information, advice and guidance to help you make decisions on learning, training and work

https://www.hopinto.co.uk/ – Created by the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Network to bring employment, apprenticeship and training opportunities to the Community as well as provide students and teachers with resources into specific careers.