Careers Information for Parents and Carers 2022-23

Year 7

In Year 7, students are introduced to the concept of a career, and will explore their own career priorities and preferences. Year 7 students will set up their Unifrog account and will be supported to use the platform effectively. For example, students will be supported to use the Unifrog Careers Library to identify careers of interest, and will record their own extra-curricular activities on their Unifrog profile and reflect on how these activities help them to gain employable skills. Students will understand what makes a successful career, and will reflect on their priorities and preferences for their own career. The career learning that takes place in Year 7 is designed to equip students with the skills and vocabulary they need to explore and reflect on different career paths in Years 8 and 9.

Students joining the school in Year 7 will set up their Unifrog account in their first few weeks at WHTC.

We have also set up a parent login so that parents/carers can explore Unifrog as if you were a student yourself, allowing you to understand how Unifrog supports your child’s career learning, and helping you to support your child in their use of the platform. The sign up code you need is: WHTCparents and you can sign up here: www.unifrog.org/code. To create an account, enter the sign up code WHTCparents and then create an account with your own details.

Year 8

In Year 8, students will begin to explore a range of different career sectors, including careers in technology, engineering, architecture and the civil service. Students will learn about different types of workplace, the qualifications and training needed for these careers, and will compare the different skills required to excel in different careers. This is supplemented by guest speakers from selected employers which will give students a direct insight into these sectors. Year 8 students will learn how to use sources of information about different careers, including up-to-date Labour Market Information (LMI) such as the number of people employed in a sector, salary statistics, and average working hours. Curriculum learning is linked to careers throughout; career learning will highlight how the subjects that students study in school link to a range of successful careers.

Year 9

In Year 9, students will continue to explore a range of careers, including banking and finance, healthcare, and law, supplemented by selected guest speakers. Students will understand the different types of qualifications and training needed for different careers, and the skills required to excel in these careers. Students will make use of up-to-date Labour Market Information (LMI) to help them make career decisions. Students will learn how different subjects link to different careers, helping them to make informed choices about GCSE options that will lead to their desired career. Having compared a range of careers and identified those that interest them the most, Year 9 students will be ready for career learning in Year 10 and Year 11 in which they will learn in more detail about the workplace and recruitment, and post-16, post-18 and post-university routes into these sectors.

Year 10

In Year 10, students explore the world of work. This builds upon prior knowledge about different types of workplaces introduced in Years 8 and 9, and complements Year 10 work experience which takes place at the end of the Autumn term. Each Year 10 student will undertake a high-quality work experience placement, organised by WHTC with our external work experience partner. Students will undertake preparation for their placement and reflection after their placement as part of their career learning. As part of this preparation, students will learn about writing a CV, workplace behaviour, rights and responsibilities at work, and the recruitment process. By the end of Year 10, students will have a solid understanding of the world of work and are therefore ready to begin planning for the next stage of their career in Year 11.

Year 11

In Year 11, students prepare for next steps after WHTC. They will learn about the range of post-16 and post-18 education and training options open to them including colleges, apprenticeships, universities, and other kinds of qualifications and training providers. Students will learn about how to make use of information about universities including university websites and university league tables. Students will compare different ways of getting a university degree including degree apprenticeships. Additionally, Year 11 students will learn about routes into the workplace after college/university including apprenticeships, graduate schemes and postgraduate study. Our aim is that students are fully informed about their options after WHTC, and are therefore able to make informed decisions in order to progress successfully on to the next stage of their education.

Unifrog

All students have access to Unifrog, an online careers platform which allows students to explore hundreds of job profiles, identify different training routes into their chosen career, identify and shortlist universities, and access resources about the world of work and university life. Using Unifrog, students can explore post-16 and post-18 education, career options and learn further about the GCSE and A Level subject options that are appropriate for their individual career paths via a personalised VLE. Using Unifrog is embedded into career learning at all stages in the school.

Newsletter

All students have access to a fortnightly careers newsletter produced by the University & Careers Lead in school, which promotes a range of external opportunities related to universities and careers including taster lectures, open days, university access programmes, employer talks, work experience and competitions. This newsletter will be posted on your child’s year group Team on Microsoft Teams. We encourage parents/carers to look at the newsletter with their child, to understand the range of opportunities available and support students in selecting and participating in relevant activities.

Website

Further information about the careers programme at WHTC, and a range of careers resources for parents/careers and students are available on the school website at http://my.entiempolibre.m-y-c.net/881/careers.

We aim to raise aspirations, challenge stereotypes and encourage all pupils to consider a wide range of careers. Through careers education and guidance, we aim to ensure all pupils make the most of their talents and are prepared for the next stages of their education, employment, self-employment or training. Central to this aim and Wembley High’s core values is the focus on academic achievement; we firmly believe that all pupils will be able to access a wider range of careers options with a strong academic grounding, particularly in the core Ebacc subjects, and as a result go on to further and higher education.

Our aims, therefore, are:

1. Ensure outcomes for all pupils are exceptionally high.
2. Inspire and motivate pupils to develop their aspirations.
3. Provide students with well-rounded experiences.
4. Support pupils in making informed choices which are suitable and ambitious.
5. Develop the skills and outlook pupils will need to achieve career wellbeing, including adaptability and resilience.
6. Prepare students for the transition to life beyond secondary school (higher education and the world of work).

Our logically sequenced careers programme is designed to ensure that students leave school ready to move towards a successful career in their chosen field, and equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to plan their career and to face the opportunities and responsibilities of their working life.

Students explore a range of careers in fields including healthcare, finance, engineering, the creative industries, technology, the public sector, and law. Students are also exposed to the full range of education and training pathways that can lead to successful careers in these sectors, including sixth form, colleges, apprenticeships and universities. We also have a wide-ranging guest speaker programme whereby leading employers and education providers visit school to speak to students; speakers in 2021-22 have included Capgemini (consultancy), DePuy-Synthes (engineering), Fortinet (cyber-security), Burges Salmon (law), Stanton Williams Architects, Investment 20/20 (finance apprenticeships), Futureproof (technology training provider), and King’s College London School of Medicine.

The careers programme equips students with the knowledge, skills and confidence to make use of sources of information about careers, and make informed decisions about their future education and careers, to enable them to move into successful and fulfilling working lives.