Careers
Post-16 Choices
Choosing what to do after leaving secondary school is one of the most important decisions of your child’s life. Every student has to be in some form of recognised education and training up to the age of 18. Some will already have a clear idea of what they want to do whilst others will need guidance and support.
A levels and beyond
Some students may already know that they want to go to university and even which career they want to go into. If this sounds like your son or daughter, direct them to the UCAS website, bestcourse4me, and individual university websites for advice on which A levels they will need to take to get into specific courses and careers.
Russell Group Informed Choices Document: http://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/informed-choices.aspx
Which? University Guide: http://university.which.co.uk/
Other choices
Many students leaving Staindrop choose to continue their education at a sixth form or college but there are other choices too, such as getting a job with training. What is most important is that your child chooses the course or training to suit both their skills and aspirations.
After GCSEs, there are 3 main pathways to choose from and making the decision between the different pathways needs careful thought.
- Full time, general academic study e.g. A levels, offered at schools and colleges
- Work based learning e.g apprenticeships, learning on the job but also with a learning provider
- Part time, work-related learning e.g I day per week with a learning provider if employed, self-employed or volunteering for 20+ hours each week.
The following websites and documents may prove useful in helping make a decision.
Apprenticeships Search: http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk
National Careers Service: 0800 100 900 www.direct.gov.uk/NationalCareersService
To further explore your career choices visit www.plotr.co.uk
Careers
Staindrop Academy believes that the key elements of a good Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) Programme should be to develop the self-awareness, opportunity awareness, decision making and transition planning skills of its students. It should also look to raise aspirations, broaden horizons and break down stereotypes. It should help students to understand the purpose and benefits of education and it should aim to inspire them to greater achievement in their formal qualifications as well as successful progression into the next stage of their lives and their longer term career ambitions irrespective of their starting points.
General Careers Websites
www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk
http://www.wherestemcantakeyou.co.uk
https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/support
https://www.successatschool.org
Specific Careers Websites
www.tomorrowsengineers.org.uk – For careers in engineering
https://www.engineergirl.org – for girls’ careers in engineering
www.ideasfoundation.org.uk – for careers in the creative industries
http://careers.abpi.org.uk/your-career/school-and-college-students/Pages/default.aspx – for careers in medicines/pharmaceutical research
www.healthcareers.nhs.uk – for careers in medicine
www.careerscope.uk.net – For careers in the Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality sectors
Thinking about University
https://www.stepintothenhs.nhs.uk/careers – for careers in the NHS
www.careerscope.uk.net – for careers in the Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality sectors
www.northeastmotortradeapprenticeships.co.uk – for careers in the motor industry
https://www.lawcareers.net – for careers in Law
https://www.allaboutlaw.co.uk/ – for careers in Law
https://www.talk-business.co.uk/2020/07/14/how-to-become-an-estate-agent/ -for a career as an estate agent
Careers
Is your child considering A-levels? Do they know what career opportunities the subjects they take will open up for them? Take a look at this website to find out:
Local Sixth Form and College Links
Queen Elizabeth 6th Form College Darlington
St John’s Catholic School and Sixth Form
King James I Academy and Sixth Form
Thinking about Apprenticeships
UCAS Information on Apprenticeships
Thinking about University
https://www.topuniversities.com/courses/engineering/guide
https://www.informedchoices.ac.uk/
Careers in the Armed Forces
www.army.mod.uk – For careers in the Army
www.royalnavy.mod.uk – For careers in the Royal Navy
www.raf.mod.uk – For careers in the Royal Air Force
Staindrop Academy Careers Programme
Staindrop Academy’s CEIAG programme is designed to meet the needs of all students and is based on the government’s statutory guidance for schools (December 2017). The key elements of a good Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) Programme should be to develop the self-awareness, opportunity awareness, decision-making and transition planning skills of its students. It should also look to raise aspirations, broaden horizons and break down stereotypes. Staindrop Academy has a critical role to play in preparing young people for the next stage of their education or training and beyond. Expectations should be set high, including for the most vulnerable and those with special educational needs and disabilities, so that every student is stretched and acquires the attributes that employer’s value. This will help every young person to realise their potential and so increase economic competitiveness and support social mobility and future economic well-being.
A robust and inspiring CEIAG programme should also be an integral part of the whole school and should be embedded within a clear framework linked to outcomes for students rather than as an ad-hoc set of activities. The programme should reflect the school’s ethos and meet the needs of all students. Staindrop Academy’s CEIAG programme is incorporated into the school’s Wonder Day Programme as well as offering a whole suite of other opportunities linked to the students’ needs at different stages in their school life. All students in Year 7 to Year 11 have the opportunity to access information from a wide range of education and training providers on all the different routes available to them including technical qualifications and apprenticeship routes. We believe that the whole school staff have a responsibility for the ‘careers education’ of the students and, therefore, it is important that all staff maintain an up-to-date knowledge of the opportunities that relate to their subjects, encourage students to explore ideas and are happy to provide additional information to students, or to refer them to other resources/colleagues with a more specific knowledge.
We also provide students with opportunities to experience the ‘world of work’ and to develop their key employability and enterprise skills throughout Years 7-11. This is achieved through their formal education as well as through extra-curricular activities both in school and outside of school.
Finally, we aim to continue to develop a range of different resources in order to support the students and their parents in researching and planning their futures. We work closely with Durham County Council, The North East Local Enterprise Partnership and other relevant agencies in order to offer appropriate support irrespective of ability so that all our students can make successful transitions within, and beyond, the school.
School careers programme:
| Career Related Activity | Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 | Year 11 |
| Apprenticeship advice | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Assemblies by FE colleges | ● | ● | |||
| Assemblies | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Careers in the curriculum | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Careers library | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| College application session | ● | ||||
| College application support | ● | ||||
| College prospectus library | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| College taster days | ● | ||||
| Internal careers events | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Lunchtime visits from FE Colleges | ● | ● | |||
| Mock interviews | ● | ● | |||
| National Apprenticeship Week | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| National Careers Service phone service | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| National Careers Service Website | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| National Careers Week | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| One to One career adviser meetings | ● | ● | |||
| Parent/carer careers evening | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| PSHE lessons | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Tutor time | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| University mentoring | ● | ||||
| Visits from employers | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Wonder Days | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Work experience | ● |
Staindrop Academy carries out an annual review of its CEIAG provision. This is done by analysis of local and national NEET figures as well as student surveys. The provision is also mapped against the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks.
This policy statement sets out Staindrop Academy’s arrangements for managing the access of providers to students at school for the purposes of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with the legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education act 1997 (the ‘Baker Clause’).
Students in Years 7 – 11 are entitled to:
- find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point;
- hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through options evening’s, assemblies and group discussions and taster events;
- understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.
Business and Education/Training Providers
We are always delighted to work with local education and training providers as well as local business in order to enrich our careers education offer to our students.
Any local business or providers wishing to request access to Staindrop Academy should contact Mr Marwood who is in charge of CEIAG at the school. This can be done in the first instance by e-mailing at p.marwood@staindropschool.com or contacting the main reception on 01833 660285.
