Careers Education & Guidance

At Dormston School we are committed to providing a comprehensively planned programme of careers education for all students in Years 7-11 and information, advice and guidance in partnership with the local authority and external providers/professionals. We are committed to ensuring our students emerge from school with knowledge and character attributes to make informed and realistic decisions whilst maintaining high aspirations.

Mrs Louise Dawes is the school’s Careers Leader. She is available in school at breaktime, lunchtime and afterschool if you child requires information or support regarding career pathways or application support.

To contact Mrs Dawes please call 01384 816417 or e-mail ldawes@dormston.dudley.sch.uk

The school supports the government’s new Careers Strategy (published January 2018) and aims to embed the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks in to our careers programme. We will use the Compass+ Audit tool to evaluate our programme’s impact and measure our progress against the Gatsby Benchmarks and use Tracker to improve the quality of provision. The school has become part of the Black Country Careers Hub and will work alongside The CEC to deliver a high quality careers programme for all pupils.

Gatsby Benchmarks

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
Experiences of workplaces
Encounters with further and higher education
Personal guidance

www.gatsby.org.uk/education/focus-areas/good-career-guidance

Links are being constantly maintained and developed further with local Further Education Colleges, Sixth Forms, UTC’s and Universities. The school has developed a good working relationship with Cambridge University (Girton College) and Oxford University (Oriel College). We also work closely with Dudley EBP, The Black Country LEP and The Youth Education and Training Initiative (YETI).

Covid19 has impacted on the way our provision will be delivered but we will adapt our provision/delivery as necessary to comply with guidelines whilst ensuring students receive the advice and guidance to empower them to make realistic, informed choices about their future options and career choices. Provision, which is subject to change, may include ‘virtual’ delivery and will consist of a balance of:

Assemblies
Careers Fairs and workshops
PSHE Sessions
Guest Speakers
Tutor Sessions
Work Experience
One to one independent careers advice and personal guidance
Visits to Further and Higher Education Establishments
Visits to Employers
Celebration of National Careers Week

Last year we joined the Aspire to HE programme supported by Wolverhampton University. The programme offered numerous activities and projects aimed at raising aspirations, building confidence and dispelling myths surrounding university and HE study. They also supported the school financially by providing funding enabling the school to purchase laptops to support our students during the Covid lockdown. We look forward to working with them again this year.

Local training providers, employers, Armed Forces, the NHS Trust and the community sector also contribute to the careers programme.

Labour Market Information

LMI effectively describes The World of Work – ranging from descriptions of different careers, their entry routes, salaries paid, skills and qualifications needed at national, regional and local levels. Crucially for young people it also cover future demand – What kind of jobs will be in demand after they leave school and what kind of skills will be needed.

Labour market information can be everything from overwhelming and confusing in-depth statistics to hearing about a potential employer starting up near where you live. Learning how to use it can help young people to make informed decisions about their future study and career choices.

Why is LMI important to young people?

“It is vital, in an environment where new industries are emerging and many of the most important jobs of the future don’t yet exist, that individuals have access to high-quality labour market information and earnings data to underpin their choices”. Anne Milton MP

Please refer to our Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance Policy (CEIAG) for more details including our Access Provider Statement. This form can be downloaded from the main Careers and Guidance page on our website.

Careers in Year 7

Aim to help pupils understand more about themselves and build on ‘soft skills’ by encouraging pupils to join some of the many extra-curricular activities on offer at Dormston. All students participate in National Careers Week activities · Year Strategy Leader supports and has oversight of Year 7 careers programme.

Careers in Year 8

Aim to help students learn to recognise and develop personal skills and strengths and how interests and hobbies can support/influence career pathways. Use regional and national Labour Market Information (LMI) to guide students on future jobs and challenge stereotypes in the world of work.

· PSHE sessions focusing on transferable skills and the changing world of work including challenging stereotypes.
· All students participate in National Careers Week activities
· Year Strategy Leader supports and has oversight of Year 8 careers programme

Careers in Year 9

Careers Programme: Year 9

Aim to build self-confidence and esteem so that students will be proactive in researching careers and pathways and focus on GCSE option choices to support their goals.

· PSHE sessions focusing on researching careers using personal skills, strengths and interests and using up-to-date LMI to support
· All students participate in National Careers Week activities
· Selected students receive 1:1 guidance to support with GCSE option choices
· All students have access to independent, impartial 1:1 careers guidance to support with GCSE option choices
· Year Strategy Leader supports and has oversight of Year 9 careers programme

Careers in Year 10

Careers Programme: Year 10

Aim is to focus on employability skills, mock interviews, CV and personal statement writing. Increase employer engagement with curriculum area and participate in work experience.

· PSHE sessions prepare pupils on researching Post 16 options and careers and include talks from local employers, colleges and other external providers
· All students to complete a Work Experience Placement
· All students participate in National Careers Week activities
· Lunchtime drop-in sessions to support with Work Experience and Post 16 pathways
· All students receive advice and guidance supporting CV writing, mock interviews and employability skills workshops
· All students have access to independent, impartial 1:1 careers guidance
· Year Strategy Leader supports and has oversight of Year 10 careers programme

Careers in Year 11

Careers Programme: Year 11

Aim to ensure students are aware of all pathways open to them Post 16 and that they have the support to make informed and realistic choices about their future.

· PSHE sessions supporting all Post 16 pathways to make informed choices, completing application forms, CVs and personal statements
· Lunchtime drop-in sessions to support with Post 16 choices and applications
· All students attend Post 16 Careers Evening in school
· All students attend Careers Assemblies
· Selected students to attend Apprenticeship workshops
· All students have access to independent, impartial 1:1 careers guidance
· GCSE Strategy Leader oversees Year 11 careers programme

Parents and Carers

Parents/Carers We work closely with parents and carers to help them support their children to make informed careers choices. Parents are carers are encouraged to attend careers events and information evenings. We actively encourage parental feedback and will use this to evaluate our careers programme.

All up-to-date and relevant careers information, including LMI is on our website and will be detailed in our regular newsletters. Parents and carers are always welcome to contact the Careers Leader, Mrs Louise Dawes, regarding any careers related advice and guidance (ldawes@dormston.dudley.sch.uk) Mrs Victoria Evans, Work Experience and Careers Administrator, is also available if you require support with Work Experience.

Resources and Information