Careers Information
Welcome:
Welcome to the ‘Careers’ at Fairlands Middle School. On this page there is key information for students, parents & carers, staff and other key stakeholders to understand the aims, vision, delivery approaches and impact of careers at Fairlands Middle School.
Careers Staff
- The Career’s Leader is Martin Davis.
- He is based next to student reception and can be contacted via email address or by phoning 01934 743186.
- Our Careers Link Governor is Ed Davey.
- We also have a business Enterprise Adviser(EA) Serena Rowland who is linked to our school and offers support from a business perspective on our careers curriculum.
- We work in partnership with the Somerset Careers Hub and Fairlands Middle School are implementing and evaluated on the Gatsby Foundation’s eight Career Benchmarks of good practice:
The 8 Gatsby Benchmarks are:
- A stable careers programme
- Learning from careers and labour market information
- Addressing the needs of each student
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experiences of workplaces
- Encounters with further and higher education
- Personal guidance
Introduction
A link to our Careers policy
Everyone aspires to create a stronger, fairer society in which people from all backgrounds can realise their potential. To facilitate this, we run a thriving careers programme, that is accessible to all, and inspires our students regarding different careers available, transition support, which subjects to choose at options and an understanding of different routes they could take to achieve different careers. We want everyone to have an opportunity to build a rewarding career.
Our Aim at Fairlands Middle School
Our aim is to build on Gatsby Principles so that every Year 5 – 8 student at our school should have knowledge of their own strengths and be able to link these strengths to possible future education and career opportunities.
Why it is important to consider careers early
- Students are now having to make decisions on GCSE options in Year 8. We want to prepare students for these decisions in good time, so they have time to reflect on their options.
- Students who have thought about their possible career destination are more likely to be motivated to work their best and achieve in their chosen area.
- Even for those who do not wish to make choices yet, considering their future prospects encourages students to take responsibility for their learning and discuss their future with parents and/ or carers.
- Students understand how to apply for a job and to consider the attributes and qualities employers may look for.
The careers plan at Fairlands Middle School sets out how the school intends to provide a careers programme, which will provide all pupils with the knowledge, inspiration and ability to take ownership of their own career plans. It aims to challenge perceptions and raise aspirations so that subject choices and career choices are free from gender bias. The plan should encourage pupils to look beyond their current environment and to help pupils investigate new and exciting career possibilities.
Careers Programme
The school undertakes the following careers-related activities:
- PSHE curriculum roadmap
- Tutor time career sessions grid
- Careers day – Collapsed timetable
- Annual careers fair experience
- Future skills questionnaire
- Virtual work experience
- Guest speakers linked to curriculum
- Year 8 advertising campaign (dragons’ den)
- Year 6 ROAR challenge
- Careers pilot sessions exploring possible career paths
CAREERS GUIDANCE – YEAR 7 ENTITLEMENT
Pupils are encouraged to identify personal traits, strengths and skills; to develop self-confidence and to have a positive outlook, setting themselves high expectations. All Year 7 pupils will have at least one meaningful employer interaction. Subject staff will talk about careers in their field of expertise and explain to the pupils how to access up-to-date career and labour market information. All Year 7 pupils will spend a collapsed day promoting apprenticeships, further education providers, independent training providers and career options within the local labour market.
CAREERS GUIDANCE – YEAR 8 ENTITLEMENT
Pupils are encouraged to look at their personal strengths and skills and how these may help them to achieve their career goal. Pupils will research a choice of career in order to understand what the requirements to achieve their career goal would be. Individuals are encouraged to look at actions they may need to take to improve their employability via the careers pilot platform. All pupils will take part in the advertising campaign. Subject staff will talk about careers in their field of expertise and explain to the pupils how to find out more. All Year 8 pupils will have at least one meaningful employer interaction. All Year 8 pupils will spend 2.5 hours visiting a careers fair run at the local further education provider. All Year 8 pupils will have the opportunity to discuss their dreams and possible careers during their PSHE sessions. Assembly events promoting possible course and career options.
Year 7
- Two sessions for students to join & explore career pilot.
- Careers integrated within subject lessons and trips
- Careers Drop down day with speakers & employability activities
- PSHE topic on their ‘dreams and goals’.
- Students complete a future skills questionnaire
- Speakers showcasing different careers and entry routes
- Assembly on what is an apprenticeship
- Labour Market Information Assembly
- Careers Sessions in Tutor time half termly
Year 8
- All complete a virtual work experience session through Springpod
- Careers Sessions in Tutor time half termly
- Two sessions for students to explore career pilot.
- Careers integrated within subject lessons and trips. To include employer speakers.
- Work experience – Take your Child to Work Day (Future addition)
- Talk about apprenticeships in assembly
- Careers Drop down day with rotating activities
- Students start to consider their skills and enhancing these from joining clubs and taking opportunities offered to them.
- The advertising campaign
Review of Careers Provision
We regularly review our careers programme, to improve and measure impact. We ask for feedback from Parents, Students, Employers and Staff via regular surveys to help improve our provision. Year 7 and Year 8 students also complete the Future Skills Questionnaire to measure the impact of our careers programme. If you would like to give any ideas or suggestions outside of this structure, please email our Careers Leader Martin Davis email.
Teachers/Curriculum
Our PSHE/Careers and Citizenship Curriculum, ensures that the key skills and essential knowledge permeate our curriculum, allowing our pupils to make links in their learning as well as develop the ability to think more deeply about what they are learning. In this respect, pupils’ learning is meaningful and purposeful, and designed in a range of contexts, which offer breadth and variety to their learning.
PSHE/Careers and Citizenship roadmap
All teachers include careers into their lessons, develop student’s employability skills. Staff have access to a wide range of resources on the school Intranet to showcase careers in their subject lessons. As an example; Benchmark 4 Portal
Teachers are encouraged to implement the below into the curriculum:
- Have a prominent display that links subject learning and skill development to different careers.
- Develop links with businesses and organisations.
- To invite alumni and other external speakers to come into school (virtually where an actual visit is not feasible).
- Where appropriate to organise external visits for students to local businesses/organisations.
- Record careers learning opportunities for students in schemes of learning.
- Take part in the whole school ‘Careers Day’ where all teachers participate in showing pupils possible career paths.
- Explore the possibility of developing real projects/challenges for students with a local business or organisation.
- Consider the needs and interests of all students and ensure that information challenges career stereotyping including gender, race and disability.
Employers & Training Providers
At Fairlands Middle School we are busy growing your employees of the future. We welcome the help of local businesses to raise the career aspirations of our students, develop their employability skills and give career or curriculum talks to help students learn more about the exciting industries in Somerset and the wide range of careers available.
We welcome Training Providers and employers to come into school and talk to our students. Please see our Provider Access Policy/Baker Clause for events and contact details.
Apprenticeship information for employers.
Fairlands Middle School has the benefit of a key business volunteer who works with us on a strategic level, encouraging the development of our careers programme and connecting us to the business community across the county. This role is recognised nationally as an Enterprise Adviser (EA) and they are part of the Heart of the South West Careers Hub community of support driving the connection between careers education and the business sector.
Our Enterprise Adviser is Serena Rowland.
Recommended resources for helping students and parents with career choices:
The Student Padlet is updated daily by the Somerset Careers Hub with opportunities relating to careers in all industries in Somerset and the rest of the South West as well as careers education resources. You may also find the following sites useful: