The importance of excellent Careers Education and Guidance (CEG) lies at the heart of our vision to “create tomorrow’s citizens today”. It is vital that all human beings have the skills and knowledge to be able to contribute positively to society, make wise choices and feel a sense of achievement and self worth. As an all through school, our deep emphasis upon character building, the development of personal and community values, alongside knowledge and skills, is critical to creating a culture which promotes a relevant and first class careers education and guidance programme.  This is our driver when working with our youngest children when aged 4+ as they join our school until they leave as young adults, aged 18+ years.

The Careers Strategic Group will monitor and drive the strategy to ensure students are equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge and guidance that they need to make informed career decisions at key points in their schooling. They will ensure students have high aspirations and understand the various employment routes and opportunities in society to prepare them for the world of work. Our aims are:

  • To develop students academic and soft employability skills to ensure they are employment ready. For example, problem solving collaboration and adaptability.
  • To develop students so that they can use career management and employability skills;
  • To create a stable careers programme to prepare students for opportunities, responsibilities and experiences in later life, and promote inspiring careers and enterprise activities;
  • Preparing them for the choices to be made at the transition ages of 13, 16 and 18.
  • To help students make informed decisions, thus helping them cope with a challenging labour market;
  • To create a sense of self worth leading to economic and mental wellbeing leading to improved motivation, aspirations, attendance and attainment.
  • To promote social mobility for the benefit of students, their families, their communities and our wider society.
  • To challenge gender stereotypes, promoting the whole range of options which includes apprenticeships, T-Levels, degree apprenticeships, university, trainee roles etc.

Simon Balle All-through School is committed to giving high quality careers education and guidance, and ensuring that choices are realistic and attainable for each student. The provision offered includes the following: 

  • Personal guidance and how to use labour market information;
  • Promoting the use of resources available on the Google Classroom platform;
  • Supporting students’ transition to their next destination, including CVs and applications for apprenticeships, higher education and employment;
  • Engagement with local and national employers;
  • Work Encounter provision
  • Monitoring careers enrichment and engagement, so that career link activities and skills have been captured on Unifrog.
  • Promoting careers education in the curriculum;
  • Ensuring students have the opportunity to access specialist guidance when making a change to their career plan.
  • Ensuring the most vulnerable are offered extra support and guidance to enable them to be equipped to make informed choices on future education and training provision.

The skills, knowledge and experiences that they have gained throughout their time at Simon Balle All-through School will enable our students to go out into the globally competitive world with the skills, attributes and behaviours equipped for the twenty-first century. They will discover what they find interesting and be passionate about. They will leave school with the information they need to make their next best step and the life skills for the remainder of their careers journey. They will possess confidence and have a sense of self worth, being empowered to make decisions and resilient to be a lifelong learner.

Careers Education is led by Mike Moss (01992 410400) mossm@simonballe.herts.sch.uk

Provider Access Policy

Careers Curriculum

‘Creating tomorrow’s citizens today’ means that it is important for our careers education to be interwoven through children’s primary years, as a foundation and springboard for the formal structure of careers education in the secondary phase. We believe in:

  • The highest expectations for students’ achievements in English and mathematics – it is important for children in key stage two particularly to understand that this will open the most opportunities in the future.
  • Providing an enriching curriculum, both through the main curriculum and through extra-curricular activities – which all children will be invited to. The breadth of offer is intended to inspire, to support progression of skills, and to invite children to make a commitment to their interests.
  • Our emphasis on our values education supports children to fully understand the character virtues which they will need through their lives and careers. An emphasis is placed on ‘responsibility’, for example, and we promote students’ independence and responsibility for their own learning. Equally our high expectations for attendance and punctuality support preparation for the future.
  • The value of hope and aspiration teaches students’ to have broad and exciting horizons. Exposure to future careers is taught through every subject of the curriculum: for example, from Understanding the world in the Early Years (a focus is included on the emergency services and people who help us) to biology, chemistry and physics, to computing, to geography and the application of mathematics skills.

In the secondary phase careers education is delivered through our learning for life programme.

Careers bespoke activities

Year Activity
7 Introduction to Unifrog

Careers Insight Assemblies (reflecting Hertfordshire’s labour market)
8 Enterprise day – Create your own subscription box business

Careers Insight Assemblies  (reflecting Hertfordshire’s labour market)

Access to Unifrog resources
9 Get Work Ready – Students take part in interview and job application challenges that local, national and international employers use within their current recruitment process. (ELSA)

Future pathways – University taster days – speaker, Apprenticeships, T-Levels Q+A

Invitation to Duke of Edinburgh Award (Bronze Award)

Careers Insight Assemblies  (reflecting Hertfordshire’s labour market)

Access to Unifrog resources
10 Local employers invited in to provide 1:1 interview practice

Writing a C.V workshop

Careers Insight Assemblies  (reflecting Hertfordshire’s labour market)

Access to Unifrog resources
11 1:1 Careers guidance with Services for Young People

Access to Enterprise and Apprenticeships Fair

Careers Insight Assemblies (reflecting Hertfordshire’s labour market)

Access to Unifrog resources
12 CV building in PSHE

Presentations and engagements with universities and employers 

Apprenticeship curriculum (focus on preparation for degree apprenticeships)

Attend UCAS exhibition fair at the Excel Centre

Attend one university campus visit (University of Essex 2023)

Work Experience Placement week

Careers Day – guest speakers from local employers

Access to Unifrog resources
13 Apprenticeship curriculum (focus on applying/ securing degree apprenticeships)

Mock university interviews (for Oxbridge, Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine)

Choices and pathways

Careers Day – guest speakers from local employers

Financial education for next steps

1-1 careers and next steps guidance 

Access to and use in school of Unifrog resources

 

MCR pathways are available to all who require it

Gatsby

The Gatsby Benchmarks are a set of standards provided to schools to help them in the delivery of careers education, and as a way of measuring ‘Careers Education and Guidance’ which can be used by Ofsted in an inspection. Unifrog, along with school provision, provides CEG in line with statutory guidelines and the Gatsby Benchmark.

Transition

What support is provided for transition?

The careers programme includes a number of focussed events to support transition. This is underpinned by the work in PSHEE (Pastoral, Social Health Economic Education) and Unifrog.

Year 7 and 8 – In Year 7 students are introduced to Unifrog and the information and guidance it provides. They will complete a module on life skills and goals – Future planning, management and organisation in Year 7 and in Year 8 on career pathways and preparing for the workplace and employability. Across the year they will gain an understanding of a variety of careers and sectors and reflect on their strengths and areas to improve on. Specific activity days enable students to work on entrepreneurial skills and reflect on the softer skills, so valuable in the world of work. With academic support and excellent first wave teaching students will develop aspirations and academic guidance including a variety of education providers will help in their option decisions in Year 9.

Year 9 – GCSE Preferences/KS4 Preparation Programme: Students undertake a module on ‘Future Pathways and Careers’.  This is supplemented by presentations from Heads of Department on the skills and knowledge in their GCSE and ample opportunities in class to follow up on any questions. There is also a focussed Parent Information Evening and an offer of a 1:1 interview with the Senior Leadership Team to support this transitional stage and equip our students to make informed choices. This is supported by information from a variety of education providers. GCSE courses start in summer term 2 of year 9 to ensure they are on the correct pathway.

Year 11 – Students take part in a series of activities which explain the full range of post-16 options available to them including visits from our local college providers and various apprenticeships available. All students will receive at least one 1:1 careers meeting with an independent careers advisor and when necessary there will be follow up meetings. An individual bespoke support programme is in place for certain SEND students. Our mock results day allows students to pick up their mock grades and discuss their future options with careers advisors and staff on hand to talk over grade requirements at school and college. This is supported by information from a variety of visiting education providers in Year 10 and 11. Current Year 13 sixth form students host a subject fair afternoon for all prospective students showcasing A level and Vocational subject work. There is also a focussed Sixth Form Evening with sixth form students again leading the discussions. Initial intentions are made by Year 11 in November and followed up in February with 1:1 interviews with the Senior Leadership Team to support this transition stage and equip our students to make informed choices on their future pathways.

Year 11 – Results Day support: The vast majority of students achieve the requirements for their preferred post-16 pathway. Should this not be the case on results day, support including independent careers advice & guidance, is provided to students and parents.

Year 12 – A Parent Information Evening and a comprehensive induction programme introduce students to the Sixth Form. All students complete a transition questionnaire to enable the Careers Leader to target specific support, including independent careers guidance for students who have not had this prior to joining. All students meet individually with the Sixth Form team. A comprehensive programme of support is in place for students to support their next steps including support with the UCAS process, visits and speakers, apprenticeships and future employment support.

Year 13 – Preparing to move on from school: A series of lectures, workshops and information evenings form the backbone of post-18 transition information support. Staff provide support for all students individually regardless of their chosen pathway throughout their final year at Simon Balle, and independent careers guidance is given to all students. Our mock results day allows students to pick up their mock grades and discuss their future options with careers advisors and staff on hand to talk over grade requirements for university, apprenticeships or employment..

Year 13 – Results Day support: The vast majority of students achieve the requirements for their preferred post-18 pathway. Should this not be the case on results day, support including independent careers advice & guidance, is provided to students and parents.

Monitoring and Evaluation

We ensure that regular monitoring, evaluation and review are conducted by Heads of Department, Heads of Year and the Senior Leadership team to ensure the regularity, quality and nature of the Careers provision across the curriculum. Appropriate dialogues and interventions will take place if issues are identified to ensure that all students receive their entitlement and that feedback and marking is having a positive impact on learning. This is done through

  • capturing our careers enrichment and engagement on Unifrog.
  • Annual review against the Gatsby Benchmarks using the Compass tool.
  • stakeholders completing a Cross curricular mapping document against the CDI framework to identify any gaps.

Employers

Are you an employer looking to work with a school?  Then we are looking for you!

We are keen to work with employers who can pass on the benefit of their skills, experience and expertise.  Many of our careers events require volunteers who are willing to get involved in a variety of activities such as:

  • Speak to students in small groups
  • Present in assemblies
  • Answer questions posed by students (speed networking in small groups)
  • Interviewers (Google Meet or face to face)
  • Work with students to support our mock interview day and help edit their draft CVs
  • Stall holders at a careers fair
  • Link with curriculum areas to show students how their learning in specific subjects can lead in to various careers

If you would like to be involved with the careers programme at Simon Balle All-through School or know someone at your workplace who could be of any assistance please contact:

Careers Lead: Mr M Moss mossm@simonballe.herts.sch.uk

Independent Careers Advisor: Luisa Grandine luisa.grandine@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Link Governor for Careers: Mr John Wiggett wiggettj@simonballe.herts.sch.uk

Careers Team

Name Title Main responsibilities 
Mike Moss Senior Leader Careers Link Strategic Overview
Mike Moss Career Leader Developing strategy, careers programme
Lucy Owen Transition Year 5-8 focus
Rachel Kirk Vice Principal (primary) Primary careers provision
Luisa Grandine Guidance Adviser 1:1 interviews, tracking destinations
Russell Ford Sixth Form Manager WEX placements and sixth form careers provision
Steve Robins SEND KS4 Careers Teaching alternative pathways, work experience and mentoring 
Amanda Wood SENCo Co-ordinating EHCP and careers interviews
Rebecca Miller Sixth form Careers Apprenticeship lead at SBAS Focus on apprenticeships & Sixth form Careers
Chris Dowton Enterprise Coordinator Supporting employer engagement
Rob Moody Enterprise Adviser, Senior Partner Ernst & Young Strategic support around careers and links to international business.
John Wiggett Link Governor Overview of careers policy and link governor
Rosemary Iles Librarian Link with speakers for schools

Careers guidance is the responsibility of all relevant staff at Simon Balle All through School. As well as our key members below the Heads of Year and form tutors play a key role in promoting our programme and ensuring that students are prepared for their next steps. As a forum we monitor and evaluate the careers programme and policy regularly through the academic year. The published careers information is due for review in October 2023.