Our vision is for our students to become successful learners, confident, inspired individuals, active, responsible citizens. Our careers programme that each students receives on their learning journey from year 7 through to year 13 reflect these values. Through each step of the way, the programme is designed to inform, support, educate and inspire our students to make informed decisions about their future careers and pathways as they progress from South Wirral High School into further or higher education or the world of work.
| Year | Autumn Term | Spring Term | Summer Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 7 - Exposure Outcome – To expose students to different career pathways | Life studies: Unit 1: Transitions Introduction to Unifrog STEM day Careers convention University visit Careers day | STEM day | University visit STEM day |
| Gatsby Measure | 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 | 4, 5,7 | 4, 5,7 |
| Year 8 - Exposure Outcome – To expose students to different career pathways | Life studies: Unit 2: Careers exploration. Introduction to Unifrog Careers convention Stem day | Careers event day. | |
| Gatsby Measure | 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 | 4, 5,7 | |
| Year 9 - Educate Outcomes- To educate students on apprenticeships and university life and make correct GCSE options choices | Careers convention | KS4 Options evening Careers event day. Life studies: Unit 3: Careers exploration Introduction to Unifrog | |
| Gatsby Measure | 5,7 | 2,3,4,5,7 | |
| Year 10 – Encounters Outcomes – To provide students with work place visit or encounter with employer | Careers convention | Attend What Career Live? What University live? Careers event day Introduction to Unifrog | Post – 16 taster sessions. Sixth form/College options: Information on alternative provisions World of Work day University visits Careers interviews Work experience week 1-2-1 SEN interviews |
| Gatsby Measure | 5,7 | 5,7 | 2,3,5,6,7,8 |
| Year 11 – Employability Outcomes – positive destination, CV for students and inform of LMI | Sixth form open evening Careers interviews Y11 Health day Careers convention | Careers interviews 1-2-1 Destinations interviews Y11 careers day | Careers interviews 1-2-1 Destinations interviews |
| Gatsby Measure | 3,7,8 | 2,3,5,7,8 | 3,8 |
| Year 12 – Employability Outcome-Experiences of the workplace | Attend UK Apprenticeship and University Fair Introduction to Unifrog Careers convention | Workshops/ Speakers: Future education, labour market information, training and employment options Attend What Career Live? What University live? Careers interviews CV writing workshops | Workshops for UCAS applications Careers interviews Work experience week University Open Day visits |
| Gatsby Measure | 2,3,5,7 | 2,3,4,5,7,8 | 3,5,6,7,8 |
| Year 13 – Employability Outcomes – University place secured, work or apprenticeship ready, positive destination for all students. | Attend UK Apprenticeship and University Fair Introduction to Unifrog Workshops for UCAS applications Careers interviews Careers convention | Workshops/ Speakers: Future education, labour market information, training and employment options, and for HE and apprenticeship applications Attend What Career Live? What University live? Careers interviews Apprenticeship seeking workshops | 1-2-1 Destinations interviews Careers interviews |
| Gatsby Measure | 2,3,4,5,7,8 | 2,3,4,5,7,8 | 3,8 |
What is Careers Connect?
Career Connect provide trusted Career Coaches who offer a tailored service and a personal approach to empower individuals to take control of their career. Our Careers Coaches offer specialist advice; using high quality resources we help individuals make the choices that are right for them.
Career Connect’s range of services include:
Marie Machin and Lisa Kirham are South Wirral High School’s impartial Careers Advisors, from Career Connect. They are in school every Wednesday in the Sixth Form Office between 9am and 3pm for individual appointments. Marie & Lisa are available for parents to speak to at Open Evenings and Parents Evenings. Extra sessions for students wanting help with apprenticeship applications is available at request. The whole approach to careers is flexible and will cater to the needs of the students. Marie & Lisa can advise as well as help with applications, chasing up any extra information you require.
Who can book careers interviews?
Year 11, 12 and 13 are prioritised first, but they also see year 10s and sometimes year 9, if there are any students requiring the service slightly earlier.
How do I book an appointment?
Appointments are booked through appointments can be made through Mrs Barr (Associate Assistant Headteacher) or Mr Bell (CIAG co-ordinator)
– who work from an extensive spreadsheet that records students’ career aspirations and IAG throughout the year. Students are prioritised at the beginning of the year and checked up on during the year with follow-up interviews at Christmas and in March.
Around May every year, we work to fill any gaps and help students who still have no destination for September. Referrals can come through Head of House, tutors, mentors, senior staff, parents or students themselves who are concerned or express a need for more help. Referrals can also come from multi-agency meetings where staff think that particular students would benefit from careers advice.
Sixth Form
As part of our enrichment programme we offer our sixth form students relevant employability training, including interview skills or the opportunity to gain a sports leader’s qualification, which will earn you valuable additional UCAS points as well as UCAS advice and guidance through the university application process.
Whether you want to be a doctor, hairdresser, engineer or carer we can support you to ensure you are signposted to talk to the right people. You need to be able to demonstrate to a future employer what makes you special, what makes you unique. Working with many leading organisations we can support you with CV checking, work shadowing and careers fairs.
If you are in Sixth Form, or are thinking about joining, please request more information from any member of the sixth form team; Mr Harrison, Mrs Skeldon, Mr Bell or Mrs Barr.
The link below will help you search for a course or University, to find the right subject and degree for you. You can filter by entry requirements based on your predicted (or known) grades.
https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/courses
Maybe you are undecided on which courses are suitable for you? Use the link below to help you work out which degree courses suit your A-Levels.
https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/a-level-explorer
UCAS is also a helpful website for exploring and understanding apprenticeships, particularly useful if you are considering applying or searching for a higher degree level apprenticeships.
Understanding apprenticeships and higher degree level apprenticeships.
https://www.ucas.com/understanding-apprenticeships
How to search and apply for apprenticeships
Where should you look for a job?
Advertised vacancies – on job search websites such as www.indeed.co.uk or www.gov.uk/jobsearch, in the local paper, on the company website or in shop windows.
Speculative Applications – this is when you send your CV to employers who have not advertised a vacancy. It’s estimated that only a small percentage of all available jobs are ever advertised. That’s why getting in touch with an employer, even if they don’t have vacancies, might work if you do it in the right way.
Recruitment Agencies – The great thing about recruitment companies is that they want employers to pick one of their candidates, so they’ll work hard on your behalf.
Networking – Another way to tap into the hidden jobs market is networking. If you’re making contact with people, they’ll remember you the next time an opportunity comes up. It is also worth talking to family and friends as they may know of vacancies.
Careers and jobs fairs – Jobcentre Plus and other organisations arrange regular events which give job seekers the chance to speak directly to employers about opportunities. As well also finding out about vacancies, you’ll build useful contacts as well as gain industry and company knowledge.
Need help with your CV?
Local Labour Market information (LMI)
When thinking about career areas it is vital to consider ‘Labour Market Information’ – use the following tool to quickly compare jobs in terms of average salary, workforce growth/decline and common tasks:
http://www.lmiforall.org.uk/explore_lmi/
You might also like to visit the National Careers Service website’s ‘Explore Careers’ page https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/explore-careers for more detailed job profiles which also provide LMI.
Or this website also:
https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/gor/2013265922/report.aspx#tabquals
Useful websites
Here are a list of useful websites for careers exploration or job /apprenticeship seeking support.
Adzuna / Total Jobs / Job Centre / Indeed
SHL Test Tips
University Course Search
FutureLearn – Career Planning and Making the Most of Your Degree Course
Information for parents / carers
Parents will have great influence over the decisions that students make about their education and careers and we want to support you in helping them make choices based on accurate and up to date information.
All students will have access to the UNIFROG platform which brings all available information about careers, apprenticeships, jobs and university options into one single, impartial, user-friendly platform.
We also host an annual careers fair for all parents and students to attend to provide advice and guidance on next steps towards finding an exciting and interesting career.
Careers interviews are carried out by Marie Machin and Lisa Kirham, a qualified career guidance advisors from Careers Connect and appointments can be made through speaking to your child’s head of house or assistant head of house.
If any parents are interested in volunteering to talk about their career, we would be delighted to organise this and would ask you to please contact the school office on: schooloffice@southwirral.wirral.sch.uk
Information on how careers is taught within PSCHE can be found on the PSCHE/Life Studies Curriculum Maps here
Information for employers
Preparation for the world of work and gaining knowledge of the employability skills that they will need is vital in helping students’ futures, and also supports academic achievement.
If you have any opportunities for work experience placements or internships, please contact our Careers Co-ordinator via the school office: schooloffice@southwirral.wirral.sch.uk
Information for staff
Teachers have extensive experience and are well placed to have career conversations with students or refer them to other specialists. Teachers will take all opportunities to link their subjects to the world of work and to enrich career education by drawing connections with cross-curricular themes such as writing and communication skills. Teachers will also invite employers and working people to talk to their students about how they can use the knowledge and skills covered in the curriculum in future careers.
Here is a link to an article about the role teachers play in administering careers education within their subject area:
https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/mar/26/role-teachers-career-guidance
If you are planning an employer visit, trip or speaker, please can you log the activity here
Information for governors
Our governors have a statutory responsibility to ensure students are provided with independent careers guidance and our Link Governor for Careers is Jen Quayle.
If any governors are interested in volunteering to talk about their career, we would be delighted to organise this and would ask you to please contact the school office on: schooloffice@southwirral.wirral.sch.uk
Latest vacancies and opportunities for students can be found in a regularly updated Google Document available here
