SWR Careers Leader Contact Details:
Sally Brown
Email: s.brown@swr.gloucs.sch.uk
01666 502378
Summary of the Careers Provision at Sir William Romney’s School
IT is essential that students are equipped to make the right choices for them when they leave SWR School at the end of year 11.
Sally Brown is the schools current Careers Leader and Aim High Coordinator and James Courtice is responsible for work experience allocation and health and safety checks in the placements.
The careers information which is provided by SWR starts in year 8 where the students are introduced to the careers process in the Personal Development lessons through ‘eCLIPS’. We also have a number of local education providers at the parents’ consultation evening.
In Year 9 the learners have the opportunity to select their options for their chosen GCSE subjects to be studied in year 10 and 11. Our involvement starts with the parent consultation evening where the Parents/carers can get a clear guide to the strengths and weaknesses of their children. A number of FE and HE providers to come to school to enable the parents/carers to find out about the options available to them post 16. This is followed by an options evening for both parents and students where the statutory choices are made clear and government recommendations are passed on and each subject offered by the school is represented by a member of staff. A number of FE and HE providers to come to school to enable the parents/carers to find out about the options available post 16.
The year 9 students have the opportunity to revisit eCLIPS during their personal development lessons and this is overseen by the careers leader and the students can access information to enable them to make an informed choice for their options.
This is followed up by a review meeting where parents are invited with the student to meet our careers leader on an individual basis and the options are discussed and recorded. The students then make their choices and the where possible they will get their first choices and the timetable is then established to fit in with the choices made.
Later on in the academic year, the students have the opportunity to investigate vocational options where we invite in a number of local professionals who have not gone through university to gain their qualifications. They come in and share their experiences with the students and they have an opportunity to ask questions.
In year 10, the students have one weeks work experience, this overseen by the work experiences co-ordinator and the students are encouraged to find their own placement and complete their own application. There is guidance offered throughout this whole process and the students with specific learning needs are given extra support. As part of the preparation for their work experience, the students have a practice interview day where professionals come into school and interview the students and a feedback form is given to each student.
Also in year 10 the students return to eCLIPS in their PD lessons and this is over seen by the careers advisor to enable the students to discuss their career opportunities.
In year 11 the Personal Development programme focusses upon students next steps after year 11 and moving on and preparing for further education. The students are taken as a whole year group to visit the two main FE colleges in the area. The students then have a one to one interview with the careers advisor to discuss their choices for their post 16 education. There is also weekly provision for a drop in session where the students can see the careers advisor for extra support.
If the demand is high enough then small groups of students can be taken to specific providers in the locality.
Impact of the careers programme
The schools careers leader receives formal feedback around October each year from Prospects which details the destinations of all students from the last year 11 cohort. This information is used to track student destinations against their desired pathways to ensure that students are proceeding into their chosen pathway. This information is also reviewed by Governors who will be informed of any NEAT students from the previous cohort.
Careers Information Review
Will be on a yearly basis. The next review is due by 1st December 2019.