Careers Education and Guidance
The information and guidance contained in this section of the school website is reviewed on a regular basis and updated at least once per term.
We are committed to ensuring all students are fully supported and guided through the process of planning their futures. With a full-time careers professional and a programme of education, information, advice and guidance for all students from Years 7 to 13, we believe our students are well-prepared for their futures. All staff at Whitmore High School play an active role in preparing them.
We have a varied programme of careers education that is delivered through PSHE, special events, enrichment programmes, visits, trips and assemblies and also within individual departments and during form time. We are committed to following the Gatsby Benchmarks which underpin the Department for Education’s Careers Strategy. We review our provision on a regular basis through commissioning external review by organisations such as West London Careers Hub and by using specialist benchmarking tools such as Compass, provided by the Careers & Enterprise Company. In addition, the school ensures that all careers education activities are underpinned by a robust feedback and evaluation cycle, to capture and act on agreed improvements.
Provider Access Legislation
The provider access legislation (occasionally referred to as the ‘Baker Clause’) requires all schools provide opportunities for a range of education and training providers to access all year 8 to 13 students to inform them about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.
The school's Careers Provider Access Policy is accessible by clicking here.
Careers Education Programme
All students will:
- Learn about careers and have access to labour market information.
- Receive career guidance that addresses the individual needs of each student.
- Learn about careers through the curriculum.
- Experience encounters with employers and employees.
- Have first-hand experience of workplaces.
- Have encounters with further and higher education.
- Receive personal guidance
| Year | Examples of our Careers Programme Activities |
|---|---|
| 7 |
Access to career books in the library and careers staff for any questions “Dragons’ Den” activity in PSHE led by the Business department, introducing students to the world of business and enterprise |
| 8 |
1:1 careers advice and GCSE Options guidance meeting Using the Unifrog careers platform in PSHE lesson prior to making decisions about GCSE |
| 9 |
Small group careers meetings with our careers consultant to discuss an introduction to post-16 options. University visits e.g. Engineering at Brunel |
| 10 |
Work experience programme: one-week work experience and PSHE preparation for work experience Job interview experience days |
| 11 |
Information and guidance to Year 11 on post-16 applications and choices. Advice and support on applying for apprenticeships |
| 12/13 |
UCAS programme including University Fair and visiting speakers Advice and support on applying for apprenticeships, including degree apprenticeships Work experience programme for vocational (BTEC) students Spring and Summer schools e.g. Oxbridge, Medicine, Sutton Trust |
Careers Resources
Here are some useful links to websites and publications to help students, parents and carers plan their next steps.
Options Choices
Which way now? How to choose your KS4 options
It's your choice: A guide for students on how to choose options Post-16
Supplementary information for Parents & Carers
Apprenticeships
Students' Guide to Apprenticeships
Parents' Guide to Apprenticeships
National Apprenticeship Application Website
University
UCAS university application website
Further Careers Information
| Website | Link | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Market Information | www.lmiforall.org.uk/widget/ | Information about training, skills and pay rates for different jobs |
| National Careers Service | nationalcareers.service.gov.uk | This is the Government’s hub for careers advice for people of all ages where you can find help with drafting letters, CVs, exploring your skills or seeking careers advice. |
| Success at School | successatschool.org | This site gives clear and comprehensive information about a range of Career Zones (sectors), in an easy to access format. Students can create a profile to help to collate useful information. ’60 second interviews’ giving profile of professionals, providing a useful insight into specific careers. This website also provides CV templates. |
| Plotr | www.plotr.co.uk | Investigate careers, watch videos and get great advice, find out about employers and work experience opportunities in your area. |
| Careers Box | www.careersbox.co.uk | Video based job profile information and skills explorer tool. |
| Not Going to Uni | www.notgoingtouni.co.uk | Opportunities that exist outside of university. |
| Russell Group | www.russellgroup.ac.uk | Represents 24 leading universities, source of careers information & advice including ‘informed choices’ a downloadable guide to making post 16 choices. |
| Prospects | www.prospects.ac.uk | Find out which areas you could access after a particular degree and provides job profiles. |
| Health Careers | www.healthcareers.nhs.uk | Allows student to explore careers within the NHS with a really good quiz to find out what careers students may be suited to. |
| Job Applications | www.jobapplications.co.uk | This site has useful videos, demonstrating how to complete the online applications for many top companies in the UK, as well as providing detailed information on salaries and interviews. Applications forms can be printed off directly from this site. |
| Telegraph Careers | jobs.telegraph.co.uk/careers | Lots of information about specific sectors as well as advice on how to create a CV and prepare for interviews. |
Unifrog
In keeping with our commitment to provide students with outstanding careers guidance and tailored support when choosing their next step after school, we are using Unifrog; an award-winning, online careers platform.
Unifrog brings into one place every undergraduate university course, apprenticeship, and college course in the UK, as well as other opportunities, such as School Leaver Programmes and every college at Oxford and Cambridge. This make it easy for students to compare and choose the best university courses, apprenticeships or further education courses for them. They can also explore exciting opportunities further afield by looking at English taught undergraduate programmes available in Europe and the USA.
Additionally, the platform helps students successfully apply for these opportunities by writing their personal statement, applications and CVs and guiding them through the process, allowing teachers to give live feedback.
Students access the tool for the first time using a sign-up code which is unique to their form group (click here to access the sign-up codes). They then login using their email address (schoolusername.310@whitmore.harrow.sch.uk) and set their own password and they can do so from any computer, tablet or smartphone. We would encourage you to use the platform with your child so you can support them through the process of deciding their next step.
For more information, go to https://www.unifrog.org/code
Contact the Careers Team
Our knowledgeable Careers Team are located in the Learning Resource Centre where there is also a wide range of careers literature - pamphlets, brochures, books, websites - for students to read.
For more information, or to book a personal consultation, please contact our Careers team:
Email: office@whitmore.harrow.sch.uk
Telephone: 0208 864 7688
Careers Team:
Mr M Gritten - Assistant Headteacher i/c Careers
