CHS Careers Team, Programme and Policies
“The school’s careers programme is highly effective.”
Ofsted February 2023
A planned programme of Careers and Higher Education guidance forms an essential part of the curriculum at each Key Stage and students are provided with impartial information, advice and support as they make the difficult decisions about what subjects to choose and what career paths to follow. From Year 7 we are discussing with students the various pathways open to them, and the choices they can make for their own future at 14 (Year 9), 16 (Year 11) and 18 (Year 13).
The subjects we offer at both Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 enable students to select from a range of academic options and vocational courses that offer specific industry qualifications. This too enables students to pursue the route that is right for them and their future career aspirations. Vocational courses including Health and Social Care and Child Development at Key Stage 4 and Public Services and Childcare and Education at Key Stage 5, ensure that students keen to enter these professions are able to begin studying them whilst still in school, giving them a healthy head start for their future.
Our Curriculum Team works hard to maintain a careers focus in classroom lessons and enrichment opportunities. They often work in partnership with subject teams to provide students with information and advice on the industries, sectors and roles a study of a particular subject(s) can lead to. Our Science, Maths and DT teams frequently team up to provide students with information and practical experience of STEM careers. Lesson planning and curriculum area displays also link to careers and aim to continually inform, advise, help students to broaden their horizons and also dispel myths of who can and cannot do certain jobs.
Students have the opportunity to meet with an Independent Careers Advisor and will receive a written record of the discussion with an individual action plan. Follow-up discussions enable the Advisor and the student to monitor the progress of their action plan. All students have access to an extensive multimedia careers library, and receive talks from various external agencies and have the opportunity to visit internal and external Careers Fairs and Careers and Higher Education conventions.
From Year 10, students are able to take part in workshops and presentations centred around training in developing CVs, letters of application and interview preparation. We are also fortunate to work with a number of local, regional and national business partners who support our careers programme and offer students many 'real life' opportunities, which help them to acquire the skills needed to secure a job and excel in the role. Many of our young people have the opportunity to complete a work placement, usually in Key Stage 5.
Each Year 11 student has a one-to-one meeting with a member of the Senior Team/ Sixth Form Team/ Careers Team to discuss destinations and what is right for them. The majority of our students opt to stay at CHS and progress on to the CHS Sixth Form after their GCSEs. We also have a number of external applicants, who choose to join us from other schools in the area.
We have introduced all students to Start, a free interactive careers website, and we encourage them to use this to help them to make informed choices about further study and future careers. Start can also help students to work out which subjects and qualifications will help them prepare for the future and find the pathway that is right for them, along with offering practical help for creating a CV.
Students have been issued with login details and attended sessions to introduce them to the platform and how it can be tailored to their individual needs. They can easily access Start via the link on our Student Welcome page.
Parents/ carers play an important role in the career and education choices of their child(ren) and they can also use the Start site to support their child and update themselves on the latest pathways available. Access the Parent/ Carer area here: https://careers.startprofile.com/page/parents
Details of the CHS Careers Team can be found in the document at the top of the page. Our Assistant Headteacher, Miss Boulton is Careers Lead, and she can be contacted by email: jboulton@congletonhigh.com or by telephone via the main school office: 01260 730123.
For information on support with university applications, apprenticeships and work preparation, please see the relevant pages in the menu to the left of the page.
Labour Market Information (LMI) is a useful tool to help research future jobs in the local area, understand the skills needed for certain roles and the demand for future employment.
LMI helps to break down the complicated ‘world of work,' ranging from descriptions of different careers, entry routes or pathways to these careers, promotional prospects, salaries, skills and qualifications needed, etc. Crucially for young people, LMI also covers future demand - this means the kinds of jobs will be in demand after leaving school and what kinds of skills will be needed.
Why is Labour Market Information Important to Young People?
‘It is vital, in an environment where new industries are emerging and many of the most important jobs of the future don’t yet exist, that individuals have access to high-quality labour market information and earnings data to underpin their choices’. Anne Milton MP
We have sourced some links and resources for you to explore Labour Market Information both locally and nationally.
- This short film from Skills Development Scotland explains LMI in more detail. Please click here to watch.
- The LMI for All website, lmiforall.org.uk, funded by the Department for Education, brings together existing national sources of high quality labour market information and provides high quality, reliable labour market information (LMI) to inform careers decisions. You can access this here.
- You can find up-to-date facts and figures for our region via Nomis here.
Labour Market Information Documents
Careers by School and University Subject
Please also see the 'Supporting your child with careers' page in the Parent and Carer section of our website for further Labour Market Information (LMI) relating to specific subjects. Click here to be redirected.
- The BBC Bitesize Careers page (here) is a great place to start and has lots of information about National Careers Week, videos, podcasts, quizzes and more.
- We have a wide selection of presentations highlighting the careers opened up by studying different subjects. You can find these in the Supporting Your Child with Careers page in the Parent and Carer section. Click here to be redirected.
- How2Become is a good, all-round, resource for planning both education and careers. We also have over 50 How2Become reference books, covering a wide variety of job titles, available in the Careers Section of the LRC.
- Barclays Lifeskills offers lots of advice and tips on everything careers related from thinking about your GCSE and A Level options, choosing a Uni, finding the career that's right for you, interviews and CVs, right up to navigating your way through your working life.
- Visit Speakers for Schools to explore their latest work experience opportunities, browse and listen to a range of inspirational careers talks and see their other resources.
- Careersmart is an independent and impartial careers website established by Prospect union for professionals. It aims for individuals to be informed and confident in their career choices and decisions. Featuring articles and podcasts on a range of subjects and the latest labour market data from official 'big data' sources.
- Cheshire and Warrington Opportunities have gathered lots of helpful information about a wide range of job roles to help you assess your career options.
- The Careers Download (click here) is a monthly e-zine from the National Careers Week team and contains lots of useful information, tips and advice.
Useful Careers Information
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