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Careers
My Career, Aspiration and Employment
At The Abbey School students follow a careers curriculum that is broad, inclusive and tailored to the needs of every student. Its aim is to inspire and enable all students to make informed decisions about their future.
Careers is delivered through a range of form time activities, assemblies, workshops and external visits. Subject-specific careers information and activities will be delivered through the appropriate curriculum areas throughout the year and in our “Careers Week”. Students also experience support from one of our ‘business mentors’ and receive an interview with a CXK advisor. Opportunities for students to participate in activities by external providers have been built into the careers programme. This will ensure that opportunities available for students suit their personal and academic needs.
At The Abbey School, our Careers Leader works with a team of dedicated professions within the school, the community and an Enterprise Network advisor to provide students with the information, advice and guidance that is key to them making informed choices about their future. This journey begins in Year 7 and is an integral part of their learning throughout their time at the Abbey School.
We have great careers resources available to all of our students. These include;
- A dedicated Careers Hub, displaying information on careers and college/university prospectuses.
- Upper school students all receive an interview with our CXK Adviser who provides impartial advice to our students.
- The ‘Business Mentors’ (parents and local employers) provide bespoke opportunities and advice to our Year 9 –Year 13 students.
- Our dedicated Business and Work Experience Co-ordinator supports and organises bespoke opportunities for our students.
- The universities of Kent and Christ Church support careers curriculum delivery through a published programme of Aim Higher activities
My Post 14 Choices
During Year 8 students make their option choices for GCSE and BTEC courses.
Mrs Lucas oversees the Options process for all students in the year to ensure students choose and follow the most appropriate courses. During our Options Evening, students have the opportunity to ask questions to subject specialist staff about the qualification and potential career routes. This is a lengthy operation and it is helpful if parents discuss their child’s options prior to choices being made (including a range of skills and interests that perhaps link to future employment or study) so that every student’s choice along their career path are as broad as possible.
My Post 16 Choices
During Year 11 students are supported in making their choices for future study.
With the change in law and the raising of the Participation Age to 18, all students must remain in some form of education or training up to the age of 18. As a school we would encourage as many students as possible to remain and study in our Sixth form as well as accessing courses from The Queen Elizabeth Grammar School. This is dependent on the grades they achieve. Moving on to Sixth form or College means you are at the start of Further Education.
Students will need to consider their post-16 choices very carefully. They need to be aware that the subjects they choose at this time could have an effect on the courses they can choose to study at 18. UCAS (the Universities Clearing and Admissions Service) offers students an advice portal to support them in their post-16 decision-making.
For information on post-16 courses please refer to the Sixth Form prospectus.
My Post 18 Choices
Higher Education (18+) is for students who have an interest in attending University or college to follow an undergraduate degree course or diploma.
Higher Education
The online portal to Higher Education in the UK is UCAS.
Students can search the range of courses delivered at University easily through their search tool. Students can look for a subject they want to study at Degree level or by location (the University they want to attend).
Not Going To Uni
A number of our students may choose not to attend University but to follow other routes in their career. The KS5 Student Support Manager organises a range of local apprenticeship events that students can access during their time in the Sixth Form.
Not Going To Uni is a website offering information on apprenticeships and other forms of education (alongside other opportunities) available to those students who choose not to move onto Higher Education). The website allows students to search for apprenticeships at Intermediate, Higher and Advanced levels within all employment sectors. Students can also search freely within the website or look into the Advice Centre / Be Inspired tabs to find a variety of activities they might not have previously considered.
Websites for further careers information
Careers Box
Careers Films on the WebStart
Start is a free and comprehensive digital platform, offering schools and colleges a single starting point to help simplify and improve careers guidance in schools
icould
icould is an online charity providing career ideas and information for young people.
Entitlement Statement
As a school, we have a statutory duty to provide students in Years 8 to 13 with careers education, information, advice and guidance. This is extended in the Abbey School to include Year 7.
Guidance takes place through a multitude of opportunities including (but not exhaustive) during tutor led PSHE, through small group talks, careers fairs, employer visits and with one to one interviews.
You are entitled to:
- clear advice and information about ALL the options available, so that you understand what they involve
- support and guidance to help you make choices and complete a career plan for the future
- regular personal support on information on how well you are doing
- help to decide what to do when you leave, including further learning, training and employment
- a programme of careers education helping you develop skills and knowledge to make choices and to be successful in the transition to work and learning
- an opportunity to set out an individual learning plan, and
- an opportunity to learn about the world of work
| Autumn Term | Spring Term | Summer Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 7 |
Assemblies Careers Hub Visit and Talk Stem Challenge Day |
Enterprise Workshops Careers Fair (organised by Year 12) Faversham Creek Trust Visit |
Army Teamwork and Careers Day PSHE Form Time |
| Year 8 |
Careers Hub Visit and Talk Assemblies PSHE Form Time |
Upper School Pathways Event Careers Fair (organised by Year 12) Faversham Creek Trust Visit |
Employability Skills Talk Year 8 Options and Careers Guidance |
| Year 9 |
Careers Hub Visit and Talk Assemblies |
STEM Careers Fair Careers Fair (organised by Year 12) |
Kent Police Careers Talk Forensic Career Day |
| Year 10 |
Post 16 Information Evening Assemblies |
Careers Fair (organised by Year 12) | Work Experience |
| Year 11 |
The Big Interview Apprenticeship assemblies Applying for Jobs/CV Writing Workshop |
One-to-one careers advise CXK Apprenticeship Show PSHE Careers Skills |
|
| Sixth Form |
University Visits E-mentoring |
One-to-one careers advise CXK Finance Business Mentoring UK University and Apprenticeship Search Fai |
Work Experience |
Provider Access Statement
The Abbey School Provider Access Policy
This policy statement sets out the school’s arrangements for managing the access of providers to pupils at the school for the purpose of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.
Pupil entitlement
All pupils in years 8 – 13 are entitled:
- to find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point;
- to hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through options events, assemblies and group discussions as well as taster events;
- to understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.
Management of provider access requests
A provider wishing to request access should contact Mrs S Priestly (job title) Telephone: 01795 532633 Email: spriestley@abbeyschoolfaversham.co.uk
Opportunities for access
A number of events, integrated into the school careers programme and calendar, will offer providers an opportunity to come into school to speak to pupils and / or their parents / carers. This can take the form of assemblies, lesson visits or special events throughout the year.
Please speak to our Careers Leader (Mr Forrest) to identify the most suitable opportunity for you.
Premises and facilities
The school will make spaces available for discussions between the provider and students, as appropriate to the activity. The school will also make available specialist equipment (as far as is reasonably possible) to support provider presentations. These will be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the Careers Leader (Mr Forrest).
