Gatsby Benchmark Two: Learning from Career and Labour Market Information
“Every pupil, and their parents, should have access to good-quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities.”
(Good Career Guidance-The Gatsby Foundation)
- We ensure that career and labour market information sits at the heart of our programme to help our pupils gain a broad overview of the education system and of how the world of work is organised.
- We believe it is important that as our pupils begin to make choices about their own careers they need access to up-to-date information on the full range of opportunities available to them in education, training and work.
- Our Learning Resource Centre is filled with accessible, comprehensive and up to date literature that provides the perfect venue for student self-study and research into careers and labour market information (LMI). The pupils are able to reach out to Mrs Towers for informal help or advice. Click here to read more.
- Our website provides students and parents with the very latest information about college courses, training opportunities, work vacancies and LMI. We regularly send text messages and emails home to parents/carers to inform them of any career related developments, and use our careers news feed to promote opportunities and developments.
- In Year 9, we fully prepare our pupils before they make choices about GCSE and other options. This includes our Year 9 Options Day, where our pupils research the courses available in our school at KS4, local colleges and other opportunities. In addition, our pupils use tools such as KUDOS, LMI resources and UCAS to research the implications of choosing particular combinations of GCSEs in relation to their future academic and career aspirations. You can read more about options day here.
- Following Year 9 Options Day, our comprehensive online options booklet is emailed home to all Year 9 parents/carers, and includes details of all our KS4 courses as well as links to our careers website, where future career options and the latest LMI can be perused alongside their child.
- As the deadline approaches for making decisions around options, our students and parents are invited to our KS4 Information Evening where future choices are discussed with staff from the school and local colleges.
- Having benefitted from the careers information provided by the Careers Fair and Work Experience, our Year 10 pupils embark upon a five-week form based programme where they begin to think about their future in more detail. They research LMI, future study options, academic requirements and potential careers, then produce a Curriculum Vitae.
- Throughout Year 10 and Year 11 the pupils benefit from assemblies, drop-ins and form based sessions led by local colleges and apprenticeship providers. There is always a strong college presence at our Year 10 and Year 11 parents’ evenings.
- We work closely with The Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge for Schools and Colleges programme (ASK), funded by the National Apprenticeship Service and part of the Department for Education. Year 10 pupils first become involved with ASK during an inspiring apprenticeship awareness assembly.
- Our Y10 pupils spend a day gaining an insight into continuing their studies post-16 at either Cardinal Newman College, Preston’s College, or both.
- In Year 11, pupils who express an interest in an apprenticeship are invited to the ‘The National Apprenticeship Show’ in Bolton and ‘Worldskills Live’ in Birmingham.
- Our Year 11 pupils receive valuable information on future study options and current LMI from employers as part of their mock interview experience. Click here to find out more.
- During personal guidance interviews and drop in sessions we use career and labour market information to help our pupils identify the best possible learning, training and employment opportunities relevant to their aspirations.
- We provide details of advertised apprenticeship posts via our careers feed. In addition, we personally contact local companies and business to enquire about their apprenticeship opportunities. This information is regularly updated to include information on qualifications, duration, application opening dates and contact details. You can view the latest version here.
