Careers Guidance
We understand that it is important to develop yourself through careers, employability and enterprise education, as well as learning about careers and the world of work and developing your career management and employability skills. Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) forms an integral part of student life at Swanshurst School. We want to encourage all students to consider a broad range of careers and pathways that are right for them and use contacts from the world of work and further and higher education to help them understand where different choices can lead them in the future.
To support you with making decisions about your progression pathways and to investigate different careers you will take part in different activities and events to help you with this from Year 7 through to Year 13 which might include a visit to a university or attend a presentation/workshop with an employer. You will also have access to different online resources to help you with your decision making and to be able to record your skills and experiences - see the Useful Careers, Information & Guidance area and the What career or degree could I do with my subject?. Resources are shared with students through Edulink. Below (in the programme area) are just a few examples of the activities that are in place to support you with making decisions about your progression.
Where possible you will continue to engage in activities that include face to face experiences with employers such as preparation for the world of work; employability skills and work experience as well as opportunities with universities, colleges, training and apprenticeship providers. Some provision is also supported with virtual events and opportunities e.g. virtual work experience. We would encourage all of our students to continue to take part in these opportunities and to use the resources available to widen their knowledge and experiences of the world of work; progression routes and careers.
Careers provision within the school and sixth form is mapped and gapped against the DfE Careers guidance and access for education and training providers, Statutory Guidance 2018 and also mapped against the Gatsby Benchmarks 1-8 and currently being mapped against the new CDI Framework for careers, employability and enterprise education. Every school should be using the Gatsby Benchmarks to improve their careers provision and these benchmarks are:
1. A stable careers programme
2. Learning from career and labour market information
3. Addressing the needs of each student
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
5. Encounters with employers and employees
6. Experiences of work places
7. Encounters with further and higher education
8. Personal Guidance
Provider Access Legislation & How to Contact
The provider access legislation (PAL) is now in place. It specifies schools must provide at least six encounters with approved providers of apprenticeships and technical education for all of their students:
- Two encounters for pupils during year 8 or year 9 that are mandatory for pupils to attend
- Two encounters for pupils during 10 or year 11 that are mandatory for all pupils to attend
- Two encounters for pupils during year 12 or year 13 that are mandatory for the school to put on but optional for pupils to attend
This new legislation will become a key mechanism to further help learners understand undertake, not just apprenticeships, but wider technical education options such as T Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications.
Provider Access Legislation stipulates that schools must allow colleges and training providers access students to discuss non-academic routes that are available to them.
We welcome colleges, training providers and employers to speak to students in years 8 -13 to discuss apprenticeships and technical educational routes. We also welcome the same opportunities for our year 7 students.
Please contact dbeckford@swanshurst.org (Mrs Beckford) for further information.
In addition to the above, students from year 8 upwards receive presentations from Higher Education Institutions (Universities) and employers. Students in year 10/11 and year 12 also receive career interviews with a qualified careers adviser.
Measuring the Impact of the Careers Curriculum
The programme is reviewed annually using the Compass evaluation tool to assess ongoing progress in relation to the eight Gatsby Benchmarks. We assess the impact of the careers programme with feedback from students, teachers and employers so that we can continue to provide and improve the quality of our careers provision. Students destinations are tracked to ensure that they can successfully move onto the most appropriate pathway for them.
For further information please contact the school and ask for Mrs Beckford, Careers Leader or email dbeckford@swanshurst.org.
Careers Programme Journey
Careers Programme Journey
Year 7
Spring Term
- National Careers Week: 3 - 8 March 2026 - Career opportunities shared with students
- National Apprenticeship Week: 10 - 16 February 2026 - resources shared with students
Summer Term
- STEM Experience Day (all year 7 pupils)
- Presentations from external providers covering different pathways and qualifications
Year 8
Autumn Term
- Students complete Future Skills Questionnaire
- ‘Which Way Now Day’ (all Year 8 pupils)
A day focusing on ‘how to make choices for KS4 pathway’ including interactive, multimedia presentations; opportunities to meet employers and to ask them about their own careers and progression pathways; and introductions and workshops using online platforms including:
- Workshops on how to use: www.unifrog.org (online platform for help with selecting GCSE subjects and information on destination aspirations including comparing universities & apprenticeships) – click here to go to a video that explains
- www.icould.com (subject career videos and labour market information)
- Presentations from external providers covering different pathways and qualifications
- Q&A opportunities with employers
Spring Term
- National Careers Week: 3 - 8 March 2026 - Career opportunities shared with students
- National Apprenticeship Week: 10 - 16 February 2026 - resources shared with students
- University Masterclasses – subject enrichment for some Year 8 students
Summer Term
- STEM Experience Day – (all Year 8 pupils)
Year 9
Spring Term
- National Careers Week: 3 - 8 March 2026 - Career opportunities shared with students
- National Apprenticeship Week: 10 - 16 February 2026 - resources shared with students
- University Masterclasses – subject enrichment for some Year 9 students
- Career & Progression conferences/events for some Year 9 students
- STEM for Girls Career Day for some Year 9 students
Summer Term
Opportunity to meet Employers and preparing for Work Experience (all Year 9 pupils) including workshops on:
- Meet employers to learn about different employment sectors, employability skills and labour market information
- Employer Led workshop (Royal Navy)
- How to use Unifrog, an innovative and easy-to-use careers guidance software helping young people make better and more informed choices about their career path. Connected to live labour market information and course data, Start allows users to create a personal profile which generates suitable jobs, qualifications and new destinations to explore. Ideal for schools and colleges, students and parents, covering work experience; post 16 choices; university; apprenticeships
- C.V. writing and covering letter and how to apply for work experience
- Unifrog workshop to support preparation for year 10 work experience
- Attend various interactive workshops to support career aspiration
- Presentations from external providers covering different pathways and qualifications
Year 10
Autumn Term
- Assembly - work experience
- Building my work skills workshop – looking at how students’ skills connect up to the working world ‘employability skills’ – all Year 10 students
- How different Pathways help build skills and invest in future success and Build your career journey workshops – all Year 10 students
- University trip (some year 10 students)
Spring Term
- National Careers Week: 3 - 8 March 2026 - Career opportunities shared with students
- National Apprenticeship Week: 10 - 16 February 2026 - resources shared with students
- Visits to employers – subject enrichment for some Year 10 students
Summer Term
- Work Experience offered (all Year 10 pupils) – Wednesday 8 July to Wedbesday 15 July 2026
- Unifest University - Summer residential for some Year 10 students
- Career interviews with external careers advisor (Year 10 pupils)
- A taster day at college (some Year 10 pupils)
- Apprenticeship presentation (all Year 10 pupils)
- Unifrog session to help with post 16 choices
- Presentations from external providers (Further Education Colleges) covering different pathways and qualifications including T Levels
- Students complete Future Skills Questionnaire
- University trip (all year 10 pupils)
Progression including accessing www.ucas.com & registering with www.unifrog.org – online resource to compare universities & apprenticeships including Labour Market information (all Year 10 pupils). Attend progression event showcasing Level 3 subjects (A Levels & BTECs) (all Year 10 pupils)
Year 11
Autumn Term
- Additional careers interviews with external careers advisor
- Careers & Higher Education event for some Year 11 pupils
- Workshops on how to use ucas.com, apprenticeships.org.uk, unifrog.org, nationalcareers.service.gov.uk
- Virtual work experience opportunities e.g. Medic Mentors for some students
- Extra support with post 16 applications for SEND students including visits from colleges
- Presentations from external providers including colleges and training providers covering different pathways and qualifications
- Post 16 information evening
Spring Term
- Careers & Higher Education event for some Year 11 pupils
- Workshops on how to use ucas.com, apprenticeships.org.uk, unifrog.org, nationalcareers.service.gov.uk
- Sixth Form Open Evening including information on vocational pathways including apprenticeships and technical qualifications
- Post 16 progression interviews for Year 11 pupils
- After-school workshops on how to use online resources to make post 16 and post 18 pathway decisions
- Virtual Careers Fair
- National Careers Week: 3 - 8 March 2026 - Career opportunities shared with students
- National Apprenticeship Week: 10 - 16 February 2026 - resources shared with students
Summer Term
- Sixth Form Induction Day including preparation work for Post 16 subjects
- Careers and progression advice on GCSE results day
- Virtual Work Experience Opportunities for some students
Year 12 and 13
Autumn & Spring Term
- Workshops on how to use: www.ucas.com (university), www.getingofar.gov.uk (apprenticeships), www.unifrog.org (online platform for comparing universities & apprenticeships), www.icould.com (subject career videos and labour market information)
- Apprenticeship Presentations
- Virtual Work Experience Opportunities
- Training Provider presentations including benefits of apprenticeships
- Unifrog workshop to support preparation for post 18 progression
- Career & Progression conferences/events for some Year 12 students
- Employer career presentations & workshops in school for some Year 12 students
- Realising Opportunities Programme (Year 12 students)
- Access to Birmingham Programme including Routes to the Professions & Inspired (Year 13 Students)
- Pathways to Birmingham Programme (some year 12 students)
- Social Mobility Foundation Programme – internship (some year 12 students)
- Sutton Trust Summer School (some year 12 students)
- UNIQ Summer School – Oxford (some year 12 students)
- Medic Mentor conferences (some year 12 students)
- Workshops on Employability Skills, C.V. writing and work experience (all Year 12 students)
- Workshop & role play on understanding employability skills
- University Masterclasses – subject enrichment (for some Year 12 students)
- Career & Progression conferences/events
- University Post Applicant Taster Days
- Visit to apprenticeship events & conferences for some Year 12 & 13 students
- Visits to employers – subject enrichment
- Post 18 workshops for students not applying to university including training providers; apprenticeships & employability skills
- Presentations from external providers covering different pathways and qualifications
- National Apprenticeship Week: 10 - 16 February 2026 - resources shared with students
Summer Term for Year 12
- UCAS Convention
- Work Experience (all year group) – Monday 6 July to Wednesday 15 July 2026 (to be confirmed)
- Practice Interviews with employers
- University Open Day visits
- Apprenticeship Presentations
- Higher Education Presentations including Student Finance
- Personal Statement Workshops in-house and at local universities
- University Subject Taster Days (for some students)
- University Academic Enrichment Summer Schools (for some students)
- Oxbridge Summer Schools (for some students)
- Presentations from external providers covering different pathways and qualifications