Introduction to Careers, Information, Advice and Guidance at Merstham Park School

Merstham Park School Careers Education Information Advice & Guidance (CEIAG)

Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) is an important aspect of the student learning experience at Merstham Park School(MPS). We prepare our students to make decisions where they can reach their optimum potential in their education and also their future professional life in the world of work. CEIAG significantly contributes to the school’s commitment to high achievement, inclusive, effective teaching and learning. 

The objectives of CEIAG at MPS are as follows:

  • To ensure that all students at the school receive a stable careers programme

  • To enable students to develop knowledge and understanding of themselves as individuals; their strengths and limitations, abilities, personal qualities, potential, needs, attitudes and values and raise aspirations

  • To enable all students to learn from information provided by the career and labour market

  • The CEIAG programme should be individual and address the needs of each student

  • To link the curriculum learning to careers learning

  • To provide students with a series of encounters with employers and employees

  • To provide students with experiences of workplace(s)

  • To ensure that students have a series of encounters with further and higher education

  • To provide each student with guidance and support 

  • To understand their rights to equality of opportunity that will include awareness that gender should not limit career choices

Management of provider access requests & opportunities for access 

The school offers a comprehensive Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance programme and welcomes enquiries  from parents and carers, employers, Higher Education or Further Education Colleges or other career relevant groups if they would like to support us in any of the above or in other ways that can be part of our programme.

The school will make a suitable space available for discussions between the provider and students, as appropriate to the activity. The school will also make available ICT and other specialist equipment to support provider presentations. This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the Careers SLT lead, Year leader or member of our team. 

Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature for students to access.

 

Procedure 

A provider wishing to request access should contact :

Named school contact: Sharon Grant (Careers Administrator)  Telephone: 01737 919491  Email: sgrant1@glfschools.org   

Careers Lead:  Mrs A Davis (Associate Assistant Head) Telephone: 01737 919491  Email: adavis1@glfschools.org   

Year 9 Options Lead: Mrs K Cole (Deputy Head): kcole1@glfschools.org   

Careers Programmes 

In January 2018 the Department for Education issued new Statutory Careers Guidance which outlined the eight Gatsby Benchmarks. The Benchmarks are designed to ensure that a 'gold standard' of Career Education is provided to all students to equip them for their pathways after school. 

To support our students, there is a structured programme of Careers which is to be delivered during Form time, Assemblies and PSHE lessons from Years 7 to 11.  Students have access to careers software and our school website has been designed to support our students and their Parents and Carers.

Throughout this year, students will also have the opportunity to engage with employers during Careers Week, enterprise activities, industry competitions, attending careers fairs, careers presentations, and more.

The school provides advice and guidance in respect of future opportunities covering sixth form colleges, university applications, apprenticeships and employment opportunities. 

The Benchmarks are as follows:

  1. A stable career 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.  Experience of workplaces

  7. Encounters with further and higher education

   8. Personal Guidance

At Merstham Park School we are working hard to ensure that these standards are met. Careers education and guidance is delivered through the following provisions:

 

Careers Journey

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10 & 11

Afternoon learning mentor sessions

(Benchmark 1)

Once a week - 15min

Once a week - 15min

Once a week - 15min

Once a week - 15min

Careers Lesson

(Benchmark 1)

Once a fortnight

Once a fortnight

Once a fortnight

Once a fortnight

PSHE Lesson

(Benchmark 1)

Once a fortnight Once a fortnight One a fortnight Once a fortnight

2. Learning from career and labour market information

Tomorrow’s Engineers EEP Robotics Challenge in Lego club

 

Access to career and labour market information on START

 

Your future careers and labour markets:Strengths and weaknesses, skills health check, inspirational individuals

 

How MPS Values link towards developing future successful adults

Being enterprising - New sport for the Olympics 

 

Access to career and labour market information on START

 

Your future careers and labour markets - Explore inspirational individuals 


 

Your future careers and labour markets in LM time:

 

What makes you tick? 

 

Analyse your strengths and weaknesses

 

Have you got the Skills you need? Complete a skills health check

 

Inspirational individuals -  sessions that  profiles exploring interesting  Females and males entrepreneurs, exceptional employers etc. What did they do? What made them successful? 

 

Access to career and labour market information on START

Being enterprising - perfect stay

 

Access to career and labour market information on START

 

Your future careers and labour markets in LM time:

Inspirational individuals -  sessions that  profiles exploring interesting  Females and males entrepreneurs, exceptional employers etc. What did they do? What made them successful? 


 

3. Addressing the needs of each student

How can I be a more effective learner

 

Regular access and work on START 

Becoming a healthy learner

How can I be a more effective learner

 

Regular access and work on START

Becoming a healthy learner

 

Medicine/Veterinary/Dentistry session at Reigate College  

 

Business session at Reigate College 

PSHE course content

 

Foundations for the future Learning Mentor time:

Have you opened a bank account?

How can you make the most of your money?

Creating budgets and managing money?

Financial awareness

 

Philosophy session at Reigate College 

How can I be a more effective learner

 

PSHCE: Dealing with Stress, Mental Health, Being Health Aware, Legal Drugs and Addiction, 

 

Regular access and work on START


 

4. Linking curriculum learning to careers

Work within all curriculum areas but specifically within Careers lessons:

Science

MFL

PE

Work within all curriculum areas but specifically within Careers lessons:

Geography

History

Maths

Work within all curriculum areas but specifically departments involved in the Options process.

Work within all curriculum areas but specifically within Careers lessons:

Art

Drama

D&T

English

Maths

Music

Textiles

5.  Encounters with employers and employees

Employer encounter  videos in Learning Mentor time

 

Careers Videos - encounters with employees in LM time

Employer encounter  videos in Learning Mentor time

 

Careers Videos - encounters with employees in LM time

Employer encounter  videos in Learning Mentor time

 

The National Apprenticeship Show South

 

Careers Videos - encounters with employees in LM time

Employer encounter  videos in Learning Mentor time

 

The National Apprenticeship Show South

 

City of London Freemen’s School in Ashtead Careers fair

 

Careers Videos - encounters with employees in LM time

6.  Experience of workplaces

Exploring careers NHS

Exploring careers NHS

 

Exploring careers NHS

 

Young Reporters (Students have to sign up)

7. Encounters with further and higher education

Royal Holloway University session exploring different pathways and routes (including A levels, T levels, Apprenticeships & BTEC courses

 

University encounters in LM time


 

Royal Holloway University session exploring different pathways and routes  (including A levels, T levels, Apprenticeships & BTEC courses

 

University encounters in LM time

East Surrey College Enrichment Visit

 

The National Apprenticeship Show South

 

University encounters in LM time

Reigate College Taster sessions

 

The National Apprenticeship Show South

 

City of London Freemen’s School in Ashtead Careers fair

 

Royal Holloway University session exploring different pathways and routes( including A levels, T levels, Apprenticeships & BTEC courses

 

University encounters in LM time

 

Thinking about my future: Reigate College session

 

Thinking about my future: East Surrey

8. Personal Guidance

 

Raising aspirations in LM time: 

Creating goals/reassess where you are

 

Intro to uni and what is involved

 

Explore real-life careers stories

 

What is education about?

1:1 Options meetings

 

1:1 Careers meeting with an independent careers advisor offered (For some students there may be a subsidised payment towards this.)

 

LM time sessions:

Subject choices

 

Thinking about subject choices

 

Explore the impact of subject choices


 

1:1 Careers meeting with an independent careers advisor offered (For some students there may be a subsidised payment towards this.)

 

LM activities:

What makes you tick? 

 

Analyse your strengths and weaknesses

 

Have you got the Skills you need? Complete a skills health check



 

Additionally to the above we have assemblies, enrichment mornings, enrichment activities, additional career and work related activities with internal and external partners (parents, local colleges, universities and employers) and inspiration and advice from staff.

How the school measures and assesses the impact of the careers programme on pupils

The School will assess the impact of its careers provision by completing a regular review of CEIAG provision, annual curriculum mapping of where subjects undertake CEIAG and a student survey. Within Careers lessons there are additional assessment opportunities.