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The Marlborough Science Academy

Careers Guidance

Careers Advice and Information

The Marlborough Science Academy is committed to providing all students in Years 7 – 13 a high quality programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG). This is provided through an extensive range of careers activities designed to ensure that students are fully informed of the opportunities available to them and are prepared and able to make informed choices regarding their next steps and future careers.

OUR TEAM

Mrs Nikki Golds -  Careers Lead

Mrs Ashley Skirving - Careers Coordinator

Careers email: careers@marlborough.herts.sch.uk

Services for Young People: Miss Faye-Suzanne Bowman & Miss Hayley Sharpe

Link Governor: Ms S.Roberts

THE Gatsby Benchmarks

Our careers provision is designed to ensure that the government’s required Gatsby Benchmarks are in place and implemented through our extensive careers programme including PSHCEE lessons and special events.

The eight Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance are as follows:

  • A stable careers programme
  • Learning from career 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

The school is currently working towards the Investors in Careers Quality Standard.

THE CAREERS COORDINATOR

The Careers Coordinator is available to speak to students by appointment. The Careers Coordinator also arranges trips and activities throughout the school year to support the Careers programme.

We are proud to announce that this year we are taking part in the Quality in Careers Award. We are passionate about providing our students with the training, knowledge and skills to enable them to choose their future career path, employment or further study in an ever-changing world. The Quality in Careers Award programme is an exciting opportunity for our school to showcase the extensive range of our provision and outstanding careers opportunities for our students.

SERVICES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE - HERTFORDSHIRE

We have Personal Advisors who are in school twice a week to offer specialist careers guidance. Students across all year groups are offered interviews on request. These can be arranged with the Career’s Coordinator; in addition, all Year 11 students will have a one-to-one careers interview. The Personal Advisor also attends the Key Stage 4 and 5 options evenings. Additional interviews are provided to Year 12 students to support their decisions and options for their next steps after Post 16.

THE CAREERS LIBRARY

The Careers Library is located in the LRC and has a wealth of information including that on all the latest apprenticeships, university prospectuses as well as books and leaflets on many different types of future career roles.

It is continually updated, and students are able to easily access all the information they require.

Apprenticeship Information 

If you would like any information on Apprenticeships please speak to the Careers Coordinator in the first instance. You could also have a look on Unifrog or the

National Apprenticeship website.

WORK RELATED LEARNING – Our Current programme for Parents, Students, Teachers and Employers

Students also take part in the following career-based activities throughout their time at school:

Year 7 - Blue light day 
  • Police
  • Herts Fire & Rescue
  • Army
  • Ambulance Service

This day will involve students to be broken down into groups and rotating round different services. Practical sessions.

Day Objectives:

  • Help give students an opportunity of early exposure to different career options
  • Sparks interest in future careers,
  • Enables students to understand the importance of Emergency services (the role they play in society as well as fostering respect and appreciation for what they do)
  • Provides students with the chance to meet professionals who can serve as inspiring role models

 

Year 7 students are given the opportunity to experience the world of work first-hand by taking part in a variety of work based activities:

  • Unifrog sessions delivered in PSCHEE lessons focusing on understanding different types of jobs, careers and employment, and the types of skills and knowledge required to be successful in these
  • Completion of the Unifrog personality quiz and recording of their experiences and achievements
  • Introduction into the World of Work - Work related learning day.
Year 8 - What's out there 

Introduction into different careers. Possiblity for students to choose which business to speak with creating student choice. Each session 30 mins.

Sessions

  • Businesses
  • Unifrog (what it is, how it can be used and completion of skills/personality tasks)
  • A session on work shadowing (etiquette, reasons and expectations).

Day objectives:

  • To identify and describe at least three modern businesses or industries of their choice, demonstrating an understanding of current career opportunities in these fields.
  • To effectively navigate the Unifrog platform, complete at least one skills/personality assessment, and explain how this tool can support their career exploration and decision-making process
  • Students will also use Unifrog to gain knowledge of Labour Market Information (LMI) and the skills needed for a variety of jobs including soft skills.
  • During PSCHEE lessons Year 8 students take part in a short psychometric questionnaire which provides interest based careers guidance on the Fast Tomato Careers Programme.
  • Students are also provided with guidance and information regarding the subjects on offer at GCSE so that they are able to make informed choices about these in preparation for the start of the courses in Year 9. Students will attend the Options Evening and have follow-up interviews to support their decisions. The SFYP advisor is also available to support students and there is an opportunity for students to talk to further education providers e.g. Oaklands College.
  • Visiting speakers from various companies and organisations provide a number of talks and workshops throughout the year
year 8 - work shadowing day 

Parents/carers arrange placements for students. Those unable to find a placement will be given an opportunity in school

 

  • Year 8 students take part in a Work Shadowing Day which they organise themselves by going to work with a parent or relative. The day enables them to gain experience of the workplace and understand the skills, tasks and requirements of a specific job role.  Students complete a Work Shadowing Booklet enabling them to record their planning and outcomes following their experience. 
year 9 - who do you think you are? 

This day will focus on employability skills – preparing yourselves for the world of work – soft skills – how they are just as important as academic grades.

Day Objectives:

  • The aim is to help students understand the importance of soft skills in the workplace, recognise their own capabilities, and take proactive steps towards improving their employability.
  • With the help of Services for young people, students will be able to emphasise the practical application of knowledge and encourage self-reflection, which are crucial for preparing students for the world of work.
  • Potential to take students to Services for young people for team building sessions for students to identify soft skills. This will be followed by a lecture/presentation/workshop with students on the importance of employability skills, where they are used in careers and applications.
  • Further session for Services for young people on HR factors such as dress sense, work etiquette, interview techniques etc

 

  • Visiting speakers from various companies and organisations provide a number of talks and workshops throughout the year
year 10 - welcome to the real world! 

This will form a number of different activities/sessions running at the same time. The year group will be divided up into 4 and will be on a rotation throughout the day. The focus will be on Colleges/Universities/Apprenticeships and looking at Careers of the Future.

Group A: Future Careers Talk – AI in Careers - Laura Knight Sapio company

Group B: Careers in Cyber Security – Bharti Patel

Group C: Colleges session (Sarah – Oaklands – looking at courses and applications) or Criminology at University (Uni of Herts)

Group D: Apprenticeships

All groups rotate for periods 1 – 4

Period 5: All students in Da Vinci for Finance in the real world led by Barclays (Life skills programme)

Day objectives:

  • Students will be able to identify and describe at least three careers of the future, including opportunities in cyber security, and explain how these fields align with their personal interests and skills
  • Students will demonstrate an understanding of the various postsecondary education pathways available to them, including college courses, university programs, and apprenticeships, and be able to articulate the application processes
year 10 work experience 
Work experience placements sourced by students and Services for young people
 
  • Year 10 students will take part in a series of Life Skills lessons in PSCHEE including CV writing and job applications
  • All students will take part in a Careers Day including a number of workshops delivered by a variety of organisations for example in the past these have included the NHS, AECOM, Morgan Sindall and Hertfordshire University
  • Visiting speakers from various companies and organisations provide a number of talks and workshops throughout the year   
year 11 services for young people 
  • Year 11 students take part in a one-to-one meeting with a Services for Young People Careers Advisor interview resulting in an action plan saved and monitored on Unifrog.
  • Year 11 will have an interview with a member of the Senior Management Team to discuss future plans for Post 16.
  • Students will have the opportunity to attend College Taster Days for vocational courses as appropriate.
  • Support in applying for their Post 16 destination via the careers coordinator or Services for Young People Personal Advisor.
  • Assemblies with guest speakers from the World of Work, eg Oakland's College, 
year 12 / 13 - Work experience 

Work experience placements sourced by students and Services for young people 

All Post 16 students participate in our careers and enrichment programme which means they regularly meet captains of industry, company directors and entrepreneurs in school to encourage, motivate and inspire achievement at the highest levels. There is also an ongoing commitment to equipping our students with the skills needed to support independent living including financial advice, health and well-being or living on a budget.

Careers activities include:

  • UCAS Workshops (including support with personal statements)
  • Hertfordshire and Cambridge or Oxford University visits
  • Various workshops with external speakers from the world of work
  • Introduction to LinkedIn
  • Bedfordshire University UCAS Fair Event
  • Volunteering opportunities for example at a Residential Care Home, helping in Accelerated Reading LRC sessions, classroom volunteering, helping in Primary and Nursery Schools
  • Information, advice and guidance on career choices
  • Year 13 work experience placements
  • Services for Young People – one to one career interviews for next steps after Post 16
  • Training to work with and support younger students including those who are hearing impaired at Heathlands School.
Making maths real - year group tbc 

Work with head of maths

employer engagement 

From providing strategic advice to the senior leadership team to mentoring pupils or running enterprise competitions, engagement from employers at The Marlborough Science Academy can take many forms.

What is the motivation for your business to engage with The Marlborough Science Academy?

  • Develop young people’s futures by supporting the development of generic work skills, attitudes and behaviours or specific skills such as STEAM;
  • Broaden career horizons and improve workforce diversity and social mobility;
  • Improve educational and employment prospects for disadvantaged pupils;
  • Build a network through which to identify and recruit your future talent;
  • Support your own employee development and engagement and their personal and professional development, increase employee engagement by giving back to the community;
  • Embed corporate social responsibility priorities by contributing to your local community.

How can you support Careers, Employabilty and Enterprise Education at The Marlborough Science  Academy?

During the year we host a variety of employer engagement opportunities for our students across all year groups.

We are always seeking volunteers to host students on work shadowing and join us for big interview days, our work experience and Careers events.

Below is a practical guide prepared by the Careers and Enterprise Company and CBI which will provide you with ideas and examples of additional ways that you can support the career development of our students.

If you would like to know more about engaging with this area of the school curriculum please email: careers@marlborough.herts.sch.uk 

The Marlborough Science Academy looks forward to working with you. 

Sponsorship Opportunities 

If you are interested in working in partnership with us, please contact Diana Dean, School Business Manager, on 01727 856 874 or email: admin@marlborough.herts.sch.uk  

 

How to support Careers & Enterprise activities in schools.

The Careers & Enterprise Company

The Careers & Enterprise Company

 

 

This is an online Careers programme for students to record careers experience and training. It also provides up-to-date current information about Apprenticeship opportunities and UCAS information.

Assessment

Assessment is carried out in a variety of ways including:

  • Self and Peer assessment
  • Assessment of strengths with action points and now tasks
  • Verbal feedback
  • Use of Unifrog to collate and record experiences and information
  • Services for Young Peopleone to one interview’s with Year 11 and Year 12 students recorded on Unifrog, with an action plan evidencing plans for next steps
  • Assessment of learning in PSCHEE lessons

Careers information is sent out regularly via social  media posts. There is also information on edulink that students can access as well as on the post 16 google classroom page.

 

 

click below link to access the degree apprenticeships information

https://successatschool.org/advice/apprenticeships/degree-apprenticeships-what-are-they-and-are-they-for-me/582

Local labour Market Information

Please click here to access the Local Labour Market Widget. This can be used to explore and compare key information about occupations and identify potential careers:

 

DESTINATIONS FOR POST 16 STUDENTS 2024 

The vast majority of our students go to University after completing their A level studies. A growing number of students access high level apprenticeships whilst others decide to join the work force. 

Please click here to see the university courses and destinations 2024