Careers
Recent Government guidance on Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) from the First Joint Report of the Business, Innovation and Skills and Education Committees of Session 2016–17 published on 5th July 2016, identifies eight benchmarks of good careers guidance from research undertaken by The Gatsby Foundation.
We have used these 8 benchmarks to review and focus our own provision for Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance:
(1) A stable careers programme.
(2) Learning from career and labour market information.
(3) Addressing the needs of each student.
(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 Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance programme at Hatch End High School aims to prepare our young people from the moment that they arrive in Year 7, for the world of work and to provide them with a wide-ranging and comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and challenges ahead. Our staff are very experienced, have been involved with Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance for many years and the department is directly line managed by our Careers' Leader who is also a member of the school’s Senior Leadership Team.
Our Careers Department has an up-to-date and extensive stock of careers literature, both general and specific. All pamphlets, brochures and books are available for students to browse through and the main careers stock is borrowable and is located in the Learning Resources Centre. In addition, the school has careers software available to all students across our network which can provide bespoke information and guidance.
Students are encouraged to use the information services and staff to research areas of interest to them and during Key Stage 3 labour market information and careers education are delivered through a variety of subjects. For example in Year 7 History the students consider jobs from the past that no longer exist, alongside current occupations and possible new employment opportunities in the future, whilst in Year 7 Physical Education students take on different roles such as performer, coach, umpire and official in order to gain an appreciation of the different skills required.
View our Future Choices page for Apprenticeships Information
Labour Market Information about all Careers
Xcite – Local Harrow-based advice for employability and careers
Staff
Mr P Richards - Careers' Leader (Monday - Friday) Room J11
Mrs V Akbulut - Careers/ Work Experience Co-ordinator (Monday – Friday) Room J18
Ms J Ashley - Careers Advisor (Tuesday and Wednesday) Room J18
Career Events
Students are offered a variety of opportunities to encounter employers at specially arranged events:
Year 8 Options Fair
An informative event especially designed to help Year 8 students choose their options for GCSE. Representatives from colleges, universities and training providers are available to discuss subject choices and different routes into chosen professions.
Years 8/9 E3 Employer Engagement Event
Local and national employers deliver short presentations on the labour market and employability skills. Students are able to ask the employers what they want in a question and answer session that follows.
Year 10 Mock Interview Day
Mock Interview Day sees employers from organisations as diverse as solicitors, The Ministry of Defence, Recruitment Consultants and large corporate companies, give our students the opportunity to experience a formal one-to-one interview. Students prepare a CV and choose their own attire for the event, so employers can give feedback on their efforts and presentation.
Students have said the experience increased their confidence, eased their fears and helped them with their preparation and presentation skills for Work Experience and thereafter college or employment interviews at the end of Year 11.
Interviewers thoroughly enjoy the day too, and are always delighted to experience the maturity and professional attitude which our students show.
Work Experience
All Year 10 students benefit from a week of Work Experience in the summer term where they can hone their employability skills.
Sixth Form Level 3 BTEC National students undertake a full day's Work Experience every week to support their vocational studies.
These formal opportunities to experience the work place are supplemented by one-off opportunities such as Insight Days.
Encounters with Further and Higher Education
Our extensive Aspirations programme has given hundreds of our students in Years 7 - 11 the chance to visit at least one university campus. Year 12 begins with every student visiting a University Open Day and there are many other opportunities for our students to encounter representatives from further education, apprenticeship providers and universities through the course of their time in the Sixth Form.