We take our duty to provide students with high quality, impartial careers advice and guidance very seriously as we prepare our young people for their futures, whether it be university, employment or further training within apprenticeships.
CEIAG is delivered through the curriculum, during tutorial times, dedicated sessions and can be accessed by all students throughout the year.
Our ‘NEET’ figures (i.e. those young people are Not in Education, Employment or Training soon after leaving school) are remarkably low: just 1% for each of the last few years at aged 16 and even lower for those leaving our sixth form. This suggests that all of the work we do on CEIAG is having a very positive impact.
CEAIG in the curriculum
As part of our SMSC delivery known in school as “The Life Programme”, all year groups from 7-13 experience a series of lessons related to careers, allowing them to reflect upon their own skills and interests in relation to possible future careers. In years 9 and 11, there is plenty of additional support to help with decisions about subject choices. Sixth form students receive a huge amount of information, advice and guidance when it comes to the next steps in their education or future career.
Independent Careers Advisor
LHS employs an independent careers adviser for one day per week through Warrington Borough Council WBC. Her primary role is to hold one to one appointments with students, providing impartial information, advice and guidance. All students are entitled to book appointments and our advisor targets specific groups of students (Pupil Premium, SEND and those identified by the RONI report provided by WBC). She is easily accessible to students as she is located near to Sixth Form Student Services and therefore is always available to see students on a drop in basis. Student Services, both in the main school and in the Sixth Form, play a key role in ensuring students attend their appointments and, in the case of student absence, other students are secured to attend appointments so time is used efficiently. The appointment service is advertised in the weekly bulletin of both main school and lower school, so students are frequently reminded of the service.
Targeted Careers Guidance
Throughout the year different cohorts of students are targeted, based on their academic year group. A representative from the careers advisor service is also available at all parents’ evenings and open evenings throughout the year.
September: The careers advisor meets with Year 11 students identified from the RONI report in the first instance, alongside Year 13 students who have decided not to apply to university.
January / February: All Year 11 students have a one-to-one interview with the Sixth Form team to discuss suitability of options for the following year, which includes consideration of possible future careers. Follow-up careers interviews are arranged in those cases where it is determined that students would benefit.
All Year 9 students have a meeting with a member of the Senior Leadership Team to discuss GCSE options and, again, consideration of possible future careers forms a part of these discussions.
June: All year 12 students complete a week’s work experience. In preparation they receive advice through assemblies and the tutor programme on various aspects of employment, including interviews, completing CV’s and health and safety in the workplace. All 200+ students in Year 12 take part in work experience, with placements varying from local primary schools, hospitals, solicitors, opticians, retail and digital media placements. Some are even fortunate enough to be placed overseas. For example, in 2019, we had students at:
Sellafield
Liverpool Women’s Hospital
Burberry
Coca-Cola
Rolls-Royce
National Trust
RBS
BBC
Students have gained an immense amount of experience:
“Work experience has only solidified the decision of what I want to do at university. I have met some amazing people that have enhanced my experience and helped me develop my skills. This opportunity has only made me want to work harder to enable those next steps in becoming a teacher and made me more passionate about succeeding.”
“It was an outstanding week that has confirmed to me that what I want to do at university is the right thing as well as providing me with incredible experiences that will help further my personal statement and CV. I highly recommend this to media students within one week I; interviewed players writing my own questions and conducting the interview alone, I attended 3 press conferences with Sky Sports, ITV , BBC and local radio stations, I learnt how to take images for magazines where seven of my own images were used across the social media pages and the magazine, I wrote a section and article for the magazine as well as doing a live match report on game day and taking over their Instagram again on game day.”
Engagement with outside agencies
We feel that our engagement with employers and universities is a real strength of the school, especially for sixth form students. For example:
Apprenticeship Evening: This is held in the Spring term and all students from Year 9 and above are invited to attend. Last year, over 40 representatives from universities and employers took part including Manchester Metropolitan University, Salford University, Manchester University, Chester University, Sellafield, Royal Navy, Hydes Brewery, Morrisons, Barclays and Unilever.
This Parent’s Pack with further information about apprenticeships provides some useful advice and guidance
National Careers Week: This takes place in March and is aimed at both Key Stage Four and 6th form students. This involves various activities in tutor time and assemblies, but is centred on a week of lunchtime sessions delivered by employers and other organisations, with students choosing which ones they wish to attend. Last year, over 16 representatives from different areas of employment took part and included: clinical psychology, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Royal Bank of Scotland, career pathways for scientists in the pharmaceutical industry, video gaming – design/production, art, animation, audio, programming, engineering – Amec Foster Wheeler, pharmacy, TV/digital production, professional sport/physical training/sport science.
Year 12 Futures Experiences: a selection of universities come in over the course of the year to deliver taster lectures to Year 12 students who are about to begin their UCAS applications. Around 30 different courses from a wide selection of universities and apprenticeships have been represented in each of the last two years.
NEET Prevention and Destination Data
Data is collected throughout the school based on destinations in Years 11, 12 and 13. These are all reported to Warrington Borough Council. Students at risk of becoming NEET are identified very early on, using the RONI report, and these students are given priority appointments with our careers adviser and, where necessary additional interventions. SEND students are also targeted as part of this process. Over the past few years, this has proved very successful, with 99% of our students moving into further education, employment or training.
Other Opportunities
The Sixth Form Bulletin advertises opportunities on a weekly basis; for example, taster sessions at universities or apprenticeships. A weekly email of all Warrington apprenticeships is forwarded to all Year 13 students to ensure they have access to the most recent advertisements.
Year 13 students have also had mock interviews conducted by volunteer parents from a variety of different backgrounds. Year 13 medics have also had interview preparation sessions and CV workshops for all. Our Student Support Officers also spend a great deal of time with any potential NEET or vulnerable students assisting with career plans and getting them ready for interview.
We also look for as many opportunities was we can to provide one-off opportunities for students to gain a better understanding of particular careers. For example, in the last year or so:
- A team of year 7s have been involved in a HS2 STEM workshop facilitated by engineers.
- The ‘Amazing Apprenticeships’ team have been into school to give presentations to students and parents in years 9-13.
- We have had a trained chef working with our Catering students, using our specially designed industry-standard kitchen to plan, cook and serve food in our school restaurant, “Chapters”.
- PE students regularly take part in events that further their understanding of different careers in sport. For example, they have the opportunity to complete the Community Sports Leaders Award, the Level 1 Rugby Officiating qualification and the National Pool Lifeguarding Qualification.
Impact
In 2018, 85% of our students in year 13 went on to study at university, with over two thirds of those securing a place at their first choice university and a large number of unconditional offers made. 35% of students secured places at Russell Group universities. The remaining 16% of students either secured an apprenticeship, went onto further education or employment. Official figures for ‘retention’ are 99% with National 95%. Our retention rate stands at 99%, significantly higher than the national average (96%).
Our vision
At Lymm High School, we are committed to providing the best possible, impartial information, advice and guidance. Through our careers program, we strive to develop students’ knowledge, understanding, confidence and skills to help them make well-informed choices about their future.
We work in conjunction with our qualified careers advisor, Joanna Cunliffe, who provides one to one sessions with students and provides them with expert and impartial advice on a range of opportunities available to them. Our CEIAG link within school is Mrs B Dowdall (bdowdall@lymmhigh.org.uk ).
The Gatsby Benchmarks
The Gatsby Benchmarks are a framework of 8 guidelines that define the best careers provision in schools and colleges. At Lymm High School, we meet these benchmarks in the following ways:
Stable Careers Program
- As part of the Life Programme, students study careers education that focusses on:
| Year 7 | Different types of employment and employment skills |
| Year 8 | Work life behaviours and gender stereotypes |
| Year 9 | Finance and labour market information |
| Year 10 | CV writing workshop and post-16 choices |
| Year 11 | Budgeting and interview skills |
| Sixth form | Which careers will suit you? |
Career and Labour Market information
- Fast tomato subscription
- Use of icouldbe.com as part of the Life Programme
- Apprenticeship Evening
Addressing the need of each pupil
- Impartial careers advice
- Careers aspiration form
Linking the curriculum to careers
- Careers focus week
Encounters with employers
- Apprenticeship evening
- Careers fair
- Guest speakers in assembly
- Trips as identified here (to follow)
Experience of the workplace
- Year 12 work experience placements
Personal guidance
- KS4 and KS5 one to one sessions with a qualified careers advisor
- Year 9 options interview
- Life Programme