CAREERS
CAREERS OVERVIEW
At Haybridge High School, we feel strongly that every student should leave us with the confidence, skills and ambition to create a successful future. Careers education is not confined to a single programme; it is woven throughout school life and forms a key part of our wider Personal Development curriculum, helping students understand themselves, explore opportunities and make informed decisions about their futures.
We are committed to empowering students to recognise their strengths, discover their passions and develop the knowledge, skills and experiences needed to thrive in an ever-changing world. Through a carefully planned careers programme, students are encouraged to think ambitiously about their future pathways while developing the resilience, adaptability, communication and teamwork skills that employers, colleges and universities value.
A key feature of our careers provision is our Industry Insights Programme, which brings the world of work directly into school. Every Friday, we welcome parents, carers, family members, employers and industry professionals to share their experiences and career journeys with our students. These regular encounters provide valuable first-hand insights into a wide range of professions, helping students broaden their horizons, challenge stereotypes and gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities available to them.
Whether progressing to A Levels, Higher Education, Apprenticeships, Technical Pathways or Employment, we support every student to make ambitious and well-informed choices. By connecting learning to future aspirations and providing meaningful encounters with employers and education providers, we inspire students to aim high and realise their full potential.
Our goal is to ensure every Haybridge student is equipped with the confidence, character and skills to succeed in the pathway they choose and to make a positive contribution to society.
CAREERS TEAM
Our Careers Programme is led by Mr T Holden and Mrs A McMahon. They are supported by Mrs S McGrath and Mrs T Smith, working together to deliver a dynamic and inspiring careers programme that is fully integrated into the wider life of the school.
Together, the Careers Team is dedicated to ensuring that every student benefits from meaningful careers education, employer engagement and personalised guidance, enabling them to take their next steps with confidence, purpose and ambition.
Contact the careers team here and select Enquiry Type: Careers.
CAREERS PROGRAMME
In December 2017 the government’s Department for Education launched the latest version of their “Careers Strategy”. This new strategy places the Careers and Enterprise Company at the heart of driving forward career provision for young people. Their enhanced role is to act as a catalyst in the fragmented landscape of careers and enterprise, supporting programmes that work, filling gaps in provision and ensuring coverage across the entire country. This new strategy adopted the Gatsby Benchmarks, which were originally developed by the Gatsby Foundation in 2014 by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation. These benchmarks were based on international research and helped identify best practices and guidance for education establishments for them to deliver high-quality career guidance to young people across England. These benchmarks have also formally been adopted by OFSTED and will now form part of their school inspection process.
The Eight Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance are:
- A stable careers programme
- Learning from career and labour market information
- Addressing the needs of each pupil
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experience of workplaces
- Encounters with further higher education
- Personal guidance
OUR CAREERS CURRICULUM
Year 7 – ‘Exploring the World of Work’
Students in year 7 will receive a careers assembly and tutorial during Year 7 careers’ week that introduces them to the world of work. Students also gain access to careers within different curriculum areas as a result of ‘where can this subject take you’ posters displayed in curriculum classrooms, as well as a 15-minute presentation in curriculum areas regarding subject-specific jobs available to them.
Year 8 – ‘Exploring Skills’ and ‘Options’
Students in year 8 will receive a careers assembly and tutorial during Year 8 careers’ week that introduces them to the skills required by employers. Students also gain access to careers within different curriculum areas as a result of ‘where can this subject take you’ posters displayed in curriculum classrooms, as well as a 15-minute presentation in curriculum areas regarding the skills learnt within each curriculum area, and how this relates to jobs.
Students also receive a Learning Pathways Interview with senior members of staff to discuss year 9 curriculum choices to ensure students are aware of the impact of their decisions from a careers perspective and support them on their chosen learning pathway.
Year 9 – ‘Exploring Careers
Students in year 9 will receive a careers assembly and tutorial during Year 9 careers’ week that introduces them to local labour market information, and careers more generally. Students also gain access to careers within different curriculum areas as a result of ‘where can this subject take you’ posters displayed in curriculum classrooms.
During this week, students will also be provided with a Unifrog login code, and a tutorial to allow them to begin the process of using this tool to explore careers in more depth.
Year 10 – ‘Understanding Progression Choices (pathways)’
Students in year 10 will receive a careers assembly and tutorial during Year 10 careers’ week that introduces them to the different career pathways open to them post 16 (such as apprenticeships, A-Levels and Btec routes). Students also gain access to careers within different curriculum areas as a result of ‘where can this subject take you’ posters displayed in curriculum classrooms, as well as a 15-minute presentation in curriculum areas regarding the pathways that students can take using a GCSE within that subject area.
Students will also gain experience in the world of work during Work Experience which takes place during Personal Challenge Week, as well as further experience through the annual careers fair.
In the summer term, students will also be provided with an initial guidance meeting with a trained careers advisor to discuss pathways. Students continue to have access to Unifrog to provide them with further information to help them explore career pathways.
Year 11 – ‘Making progression choices’
Students in year 11 will receive a careers assembly and tutorial during Year 11 careers’ week that explains how students begin the process of making a progression choice. Students also gain access to careers within different curriculum areas as a result of ‘where can this subject take you’ posters displayed in curriculum classrooms, as well as a 15-minute presentation in curriculum areas regarding the delivery of that subject at A-Level at Haybridge High School. All students are invited to Haybridge Sixth Form Open Evening to explore post 16 options at Haybridge further.
Students also have access to a range of assemblies that have a progression choice focus, as well as access to the annual careers fair for impartial careers advice.
Students receive a second guidance meeting with a trained careers advisor to discuss pathways, and to begin the process of helping students make a firm decision regarding post-16 destinations. Students continue to have access to the uniform website to help them make informed career choices.
Year 12 and 13
The programme will be delivered primarily through tutor time, Prep time as well as through assemblies, organised visits and external agencies. Year 12 will participate in a three-day work experience placement and will also have the opportunity to visit universities/industry placements and career exhibitions and Year 13 will receive a Careers Interview at the start of the year to help guide and support them with their Post 18 choices with our HE adviser. All students have access to 24-hour interactive careers packages which are available to offer advice and guidance, and help with application forms.
BAKER CLAUSE POLICY STATEMENT
This policy statement sets out the school’s arrangement for managing the access of providers to students at the school for the purpose of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with the school’s legal obligation under section 42B of the Education Act 1997.
Student’s entitlement
Students in Years 7 – 13 are entitled:
- To find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities, as part of a careers program that provides information on the full range of options available at each key stage.
- To hear from a range of local providers about all the opportunities they offer, through options evenings, assemblies, group discussions and taster events.
- To understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.
Management of provider access requests
A provider wishing to request access should contact the Careers team.
PARENT SUPPORT AND LOCAL LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION
We work closely with the Worcestershire Careers Hub and skills4worcestershire.co.uk to provide students and parents with up to date and local advice regarding careers and opportunities. Parents/carers can also access the Skills For Worcestershire website (below) for advice on supporting students with careers.
USEFUL LINKS/RESOURCES
LINKS TO FURTHER EDUCATION COLLEGES IN WORCESTERSHIRE AND THE LOCAL AREA
EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROVIDERS
The careers programme within Haybridge High School is enhanced further with a number of external providers who support the school providing up to date information on all education and training providers in the local area as well as providing work experience placements for Year 10 and Sixth Form.
The school has developed strong links with all local FE colleges as well as Worcestershire and West Midlands Apprenticeship Hubs providing students with work experience placements, focus groups, assembly talks, career workshops and mock interviews. The school constantly strive to expand this service within school.
Further information about this can be found by viewing our School Provider Access Policy.