To support this the Academy believes that students personal, social and employability skills should be developed across the key stages, ensuring students are prepared for their next steps.
As part of our commitment to careers education Southfield school welcome visits from employers, industry representatives and training providers to support our students in their journey to employability. If you are an employer, training provider or industry representative and would like to work with the school on careers activities (e.g. By giving careers talks, CV writing advice or helping with interview preparation), then please do not hesitate to get in touch with Mr A Barratt, our Head of Careers.
Please see details below of what happens in each key stage, links to useful websites and further information for parents and providers. The curriculum area on this website detailed possible careers associated with each subject. This might stimulate your interest and help you to consider your chosen pathway.
Mr A Barratt (Head of Careers)
[email protected]
01536 513063
This information is reviewed continually. A full review will take place in June 2021.
At KS3 careers learning takes place within the Healthy Living Programme (Years 7 and 8), PSHEC lessons (Year 9) and through the tutor time and the Personal Development (PD) Day programme. The focus for students in Year 7 and 8 is to begin to look at key careers terminology, roles and responsibilities within the workplace as well as considering how they are developing their own employability skills in preparation for working life. Students have encounters with employers in Year 8 as part of the ‘Take Your Daughter to Work Day’ and, again, as part of the Young Enterprise Challenge Day. In Year 9 students have the opportunity to engage with employers as part of a future planning careers day focussed on ‘Becoming the Best You!’. Year 9 students are, also, supported in making their options during form time sessions and 1:1 guidance if needed.
At KS4 careers learning takes place through PSHEC lessons, tutor time activities and the PD Day programme. All Year 10 students attend ‘World Skills Live’ at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham where they meet a range of employers. Year 11 students have a day focussed on Work Related Learning and Interview Skills. A number of activities in form times and as part of the assembly programme focus on supporting our students in making the next step after their GCSEs; whether this is going to sixth form, college or an apprenticeship. All Year 11 students, also, receive a 1:1 careers guidance appointment with a qualified advisor.
In the sixth form careers education takes place within the tutor programme, through forums and as part of study skills sessions, in which students are given time to focus on their next steps. Opportunities for independent guidance are available to students during lunchtime ‘drop in’ sessions and form tutors provide additional support when required. In Year 12 students are encouraged to take part in work experience and visit a university as part of their Personal Development Day programme. Year 13 students take part in a PD Day focussed on the local job market and interview skills in preparation for the wider world of work.
Useful websites for students:
Unifrog is a careers platform which all of our students have access to. It enables them to search for information about jobs, colleges ,universities and much more.
www.unifrog.org/sign-in
Amazing Apprenticeships is a website dedicated to supporting students who are looking for an apprenticeship. Their website is full of information about apprenticeships and links directly to vacancies across the country.
www.amazingapprenticeships.com
ICould careers is a website which allows students to explore careers linked to their subjects with relevant videos from individuals working in these areas.
www.icould.com/explore
The National Careers Service Website gives students the opportunity to search careers by category.
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/explore-careers
UCAS is responsible for the application process for British universities and their website details all available university courses and degree apprenticeships for sixth form students to browse.
https://www.ucas.com/
Useful websites for parents/carers
Unifrog is a careers platform which all of our students have access to. A great starting point for any interested parents/carers would be to ask their child to look at their Unifrog account.
Amazing Apprenticeships is a website dedicated to supporting students who are looking for an apprenticeship. Their website is full of information about apprenticeships including a dedicated section for parents/carers.
www.amazingapprenticeships.com/parents
The National Careers Service Website gives students the opportunity to search careers by category and may be useful for parents/carers interested in widening their understanding of the range of opportunities available to students.
For parents/carers with specific queries related to post-16 study, and beyond, our careers advisor is available during the sixth form open evening to answer any questions parents/carers may have.
Information for providers
Please see our provider access policy in the policies section of the website here for more information.
Sixth Form Courses
Student Portal
Access email, documents and learning sites
Applying for University