Careers

Careers leader – Mr A Stokes

Contact: a.stokes@walton.staffs.sch.uk

The Careers Programme at Walton High School will offer a comprehensive and varied package from years 7 through to 13.  The aim will be to provide continuity throughout the school, giving pupils broad advice and the opportunity to discover their future path and make well informed choices.

Independent Careers Adviser – Becky Green

Contact:  becky.green@entrust-ed.co.uk

For information, advice and guidance contact Becky Green, Careers Adviser. 

Becky is in school on twice a week during term time (unless otherwise arranged with school). Appointments are made to fit with school class times. Appointments can be made through student’s class tutor, head of year, directly requested by the young person or by emailing.

Careers Provision

There are six careers sessions per year for all year groups across the school. Pupils will look at topics such as, challenging stereotypes, post-16 options, apprenticeships and careers, as well as future academic opportunities. This will be delivered by teachers, guest speakers and visitors from a variety of backgrounds.

We will organise visits to fairs and events specific to the needs of pupils (e.g. pupils interested in engineering), arrange workshops and advertise any online events to all year groups.

All pupils at Walton are signed up to a website called Unifrog, which is an excellent platform to gain a wealth of career and pathway information. Pupils will be actively encouraged to use this website at home, as well as during sessions at school.

We also hold our own bespoke careers fair in January, where, in liaison with Entrust, we hope again to bring around 40-50 companies, educational establishments and apprenticeships providers, enabling pupils to speak directly to people, to inform themselves of various future possibilities.

A Careers Library has been created within the existing library, where up-to-date information on careers is available to pupils, as well as a computer suite, allowing pupils to do research.

The Careers Leader will also;

• be liaising with Entrusts Careers Advisor, Becky Green to ensure as many pupils as possible, receive individual advice and particularly focussing on pupils who are potentially at risk of lacking support in this area or who struggle to access the materials.
• be attending relevant meetings in the community (e.g. Careers Hub at Sir Graham Balfour)
• be liaising with sixth form and other colleagues to ensure continuity from lower school and clarity in our careers curriculum.

Measuring impact

How we measure and assess the impact of the careers programme on pupils:

Pupils will fill in feedback sheets in PSHE sessions and the Careers Leader will liaise with Becky Green to make sure careers meetings result in an action, where necessary.

Pupils will also be asked to indicate their plans in various PSHE sessions throughout the year, so we can monitor their progress/decisions as they go through the school.

Quality in Careers Standard Award

We are very pleased to hold the award for Walton High School and we will continue to endeavour to provide outstanding Careers and Information Guidance.

Please follow this link for more information on Quality in Careers – http://www.qualityincareers.org.uk/

Access

If you are an employer, company, education provider or organisation wanting access to our school, to delivery career information, please do not hesitate to contact the Careers leader on the email above.

Useful careers websites and resources for parents, staff and students

‘Unifrog’ Each Walton Student will have access via a personalised log on account that the school Careers Leader provides.  A school-purchased careers programme with all the information you need – anything from how to produce a CV, write a university personal statement, find careers that match you, find out about different GCSE choices, recording your work experience and information to help you develop your career ideas. https://www.unifrog.org/student

‘National Careers Service’ Job Profiles:

Use the following link to access job profiles. Use these profiles to explore your career ideas.

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk

‘Careerswales’ Job Profiles:http://www.careerswales.com/en/tools-and-resources/job-information/job-families/

National Apprenticeship Service – use the following link to search and apply for vacancies

https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/

Icould- Free access to over 1000 personal video stories, detailed job information, plus practical tips, insight and advice and Labour Market Information http://icould.com

Careers box- National on line careers film and video library. You will be able to watch real people doing real jobs to help give you more of an insight

http://www.careersbox.co.uk/

‘All about Careers’ A careers site highlighting job profiles, updates on job sectors, career matching tool and featured employer links www.allaboutcareers.com

‘My kinda future’ – A careers site to build your CV, meet employers and find a job http://www.mykindafuture.com/

‘Get my first job’ – a website to look at Apprenticeships and Traineeships https://www.getmyfirstjob.co.uk

U Explore – http://website.u-explore.com/

Students – Start provides you with all the information you need in one place, you can set up a personalised profile to help you make better education and career choices.

Parents- Use Start at home with your child to help cut through the fog of careers advice and begin making more informed choices – every step of the way

Success at School- https://successatschool.org/ Career advice for schools and students aged 13-19. Search jobs, advice & find out about employers, work experience, courses, career choices, apprenticeships.

Not going to uni – Find apprenticeships in Not Going to Uni, the online apprenticeships guide that offers you advice on how to become an apprentice, find traineeships, college courses or work experience https://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk

Find out more about apprenticeships including a parent pack for lots of information 

https://amazingapprenticeships.com/app/uploads/2019/N11/Parent-Pack-ovember-2019.pdf?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=parents%20pack&utm_campaign=aaa%20november

General useful careers sector websites

http://ccskills.org.uk/careers – creative jobs and careers

https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/ – NHS careers

http:careers-in-sport.co.uk careers in sport http://www.sportengland.org/

http://www.citb.co.uk/ Construction Industry Training Board

The Gatsby Benchmarks  –https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/schools-colleges/understand-gatsby-benchmarks