Spring Hill High School endeavours to follow the guidance of the ‘Association for Careers Education and Guidance’ (ACEG) and together they are intended to help raise the quality and breadth of careers and work-related education for young people.
“Pupils are being well prepared for adult life. They receive high quality careers advice and take part in work experience that is carefully matched to what they want to do after school”
Ofsted 2020
Our Impartial Careers Adviser, Julie Washington, PDSkills
You can contact her via email on: [email protected]
At Spring Hill High School, the impartial careers adviser is Julie Washington. Julie has 20 years experience working with young people in work-related learning, enterprise and careers including those who are NEET, disengaged or undecided about their career choices.
Julie strives to ensure all students receive a tailored careers service adapted to their needs. She has recently completed a level 7 Postgraduate Award in Careers Leadership.
Julie, along with the PSHE subject leader have put together a robust Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) curriculum. Careers education is mapped across ACEG guidance, The CDI Framework, The Gatsby Report and Ofsted guidelines.
The school holds the Quality Award for CEIAG, and is working towards the new Quality in Career Standard.
ACEG Framework Aims
- Developing careers through work-related education
- Learning about careers and the world of work
- Developing your career management and employability skills.
Opportunities in Careers at Spring Hill High School
- One to one impartial interviews tailored to the individual needs
- Work-related learning activities
- Work Experience (The Education and Employers Taskforce in 2012 found that students who experience four or more employer engagements are five times less likely to be NEET and will on average earn 16% more than peers who have had no employer engagements).
- Employability skills development
- Access to to employers as resource person who engage the students in talks and other activities
- Transition planning
- Interagency working - Working with outside professionals to ease transition
- Access to educational visits such as Careers Live, The Skills Show and Big Bang Science Fair.
Employers and Community Links
We are always on the lookout to establish links with employers to provide opportunities for our students to engage in work related learning! If you are interested in offering any opportunities for visits, talks, work experience, please contact Julie on 07795 955882 or email [email protected]
The Careers Adviser has brokered links with various organisations, a few are listed below. These agencies are well established and embedded into the school. Students are gaining valuable opportunities and an excellent service:
- Aim Higher - An Aim Higher mentor in 2020 from Birmingham City University have worked with some of our young people, (please ask Julie for more information)
- Unifest (A summer programme aimed at those interested in exploring what University is like)
- The Careers and Enterprise Company
- The Eden Cafe Erdington (work experience)
- HSBC (talks and financial education)
- Pets at Home Sutton (work experience)
- Birmingham Pet and Reptile (work experience)
- Akamba Safari garden centre (Reptile and African birds for work Experience)
- Erdington and Stechford Leisure Centres (work experience)
- Envirohort (vocational placements)
- Roots to Fruit (vocational support)
Useful Careers Websites
- www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk - 800 job profiles, job market information, employment trends & future prospects. Select ‘Careers Advice’ & then ‘Job Profiles’. By looking at the Job Families you’ll also be able to broaden your knowledge of career opportunities within different career areas.
- www.prospects.ac.uk - general careers information and a useful section on career options with your chosen degree subject. Select ‘Careers Advice’ & then ‘Options with your Subject’.
- www.careersbox.co.uk - film clips of people at work and talking about their jobs – gives a real insight into the world of work.
- www.icould.com – video clips as above, the Buzz Quiz, job profiles and high quality labour market information.
- www.apprenticeships.org.uk – main apprenticeship website. You can register for free and search for vacancies in your area.
- www.apprenticeshipguide.co.uk – lots of advice, information & vacancies
- www.skillchecklive.com
Parent and Carers
Each Autumn term the SENCO and Careers Adviser run the Pathways and Transitions workshop, where all are invited to hear about the Careers Programme, and how we manage transitions. Additionally, please feel free to get in touch with Julie on 07795 955882 or email at [email protected] to discuss any concerns.
Career Lessons
Spring Hill High School follows Prospects ‘STEPS' programme and learning outcomes that are mapped across the ACEG learning objectives. The school uses Prospects Post 16 Booklets in conjunction with Preparation for Working Life and one to one Career Guidance from Career Options.
Careers Education
Spring Hill High School embed careers education into all aspects of the curriculum, this is informed by the Gatsby Benchmarks and the CDI Framework.Learning outcomes that are mapped across the ACEG learning objectives.
Careers Programme meeting all Gatsby benchmarks
- A stable careers programme. Every school and college should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by pupils, parents, teachers, governors and employers.
- Learning from Careers and Labour Market Information. Every pupil and their parents should have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities.
- Addressing the needs of each pupil. Pupils have different career needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to each pupil. The programme should embed equality and diversity throughout.
- Linking curriculum learning to careers. All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. STEM subjects should highlight the relevance for a wide range of career paths.
- Encounters with employers and employees. Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills valued in the workplace, and includes speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes.
- Experience of workplaces. Every pupil should have first hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities and expand their networks.
- Encounters with further and higher education. All pupils should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and the workplace.
- Personal guidance. Every pupil should have guidance interviews with a careers adviser who should be trained to an appropriate level. They should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made.
The impact of the Careers provision and education is assessed by the analysis of the destination of leavers, completing the Compass tool which evaluates our careers activity against the eight benchmarks of best practice – known as the Gatsby Benchmarks and by feedback from students, parents and carers. Careers provision and education is monitored and reviewed in line with the school’s CEIAG policy, which is reviewed at least bi-annually.
The school is working towards the Quality in Careers Standard which assesses the effectiveness of all aspects of the Programme which supports Spring Hill High School students.
