Careers Info for Students

Careers

We aim to raise aspirations, challenge stereotypes and encourage all students to consider a wide range of careers. Through careers education and guidance, we aim to ensure all students make the most of their talents and go on to further and higher education. We ensure that students are prepared for the next stages of their education, employment, self-employment or training. At Kingsdown are a school of excellence bursting with pride and ambition; we firmly believe that all students will be able to access a wider range of careers options with a strong academic grounding, accessed through our knowledge-rich curriculum.

We aim to:

• Ensure outcomes for all students are exceptionally high.
• Provide high quality, impartial careers guidance that helps students to make informed choices about which courses suit their academic needs and aspirations.
• Ensure students are prepared for the next stage of their education, employment, self-employment or training.
• Allow students to understand how their education equips them with the behaviours and attitudes necessary for success in their next stage of education, training or employment and for their adult life.

Students received a wide range of resources and lessons that are delivered through our personal development curriculum, tutor sessions, assemblies, trips, and visits, presentations from local business partners. There are also a variety of bespoke sessions that are tailored to the needs and interests of our students.

Our comprehensive careers programme will:

• Develop a broad understanding of the world of work and an ability to respond to changing opportunities.
• Develop independent research skills so that they can make good use of information and guidance.
• Develop and use their self-knowledge when thinking about and making choices.
• Develop the skills they need to review achievements, plan future actions, make decisions, present themselves well and cope with change and transition.

Our strategic lead for careers is Mrs L Strett (Assistant Headteacher) who is supported by our Careers Coordinator, Mrs E Eden.
Mrs Eden provides high quality, impartial careers advice to our students and can be contacted via email: careers@kingsdownschool.co.uk

You can also read our careers policy on this link: Careers Education

Kingsdown Careers Team

Hi, I’m Mrs Eden, your Careers Co-ordinator, I’m based in the Careers Centre (opposite the Art Block and next to the Library (LRC).

I will get to meet with you all, at least once by the time you reach the end of Year 11 for structured Careers support meetings but you are also very welcome to pop in and see me as and when you need to.
We know how challenging it can be trying to decide which pathway to take Post-16 (after Kingsdown) which is why our Careers programme and the individual Careers education, information, advice and guidance is designed to support you to make the right decisions to suit YOU and YOUR individual academic and personal needs and YOUR aspirations.
Please take a look at the links below, which we have gathered together to provide you with impartial (not biased) information and advice. If you have any questions, or feel you would benefit from some further guidance, please feel either pop in to the Careers Centre or E-mail me on careers@kingsdownschool.co.uk

Some useful links are provided for you below.

Our Careers Programme:

Will be uploaded soon

Evaluating our Careers provision

Relevant stakeholders are asked to review each event they attend as part of Kingsdown School’s Career Programme, which allows us to evaluate if the event was beneficial, whether or not students would recommend it to future year groups and how all parties feel the event could be improved.
If you have any further feedback, please send this to careers@kingsdownschool.co.uk

Labour Market Information

All students and parents/carers should have access to quality information about future study and work opportunities. Labour Market Information (LMI) can be used to make decisions on which career pathways to choose and how to enter these, and is usually based on certain areas.  Below you will find a recent update on the Labour Market that you may find useful.

• workwiltshire.co.uk
• https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/la/1946157355/report.aspx?town=swindon

Useful links:

• Resources

• https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/
• https://www.prospects.ac.uk/ - job profiles, particularly for jobs requiring degree-level qualifications, advice on CV and cover letter writing.
• https://www.tomorrowsengineers.org.uk/ - engineering-specific information
• https://kingsdowncareers.wordpress.com/ - for recent events and updates

• Colleges & Sixth Forms

• https://www.newcollege.ac.uk/
• http://www.cirencester.ac.uk/
• https://www.wiltshire.ac.uk/

• Other Post-16 (after Year 11) Providers

• Apprenticeships

• https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/ - apprenticeship vacancies and information

• Higher Education (Post-18 – After Achieving Level 3)

• https://www.ucas.com/

Or see Mrs Eden for a prospectus.

Business Partners:

We are pleased to be working with the following companies, who help to support and develop our careers programme:

 
•   Study Higher www.studyhigher.ac.uk/
 
•   Fantastic Futures www.villierspark.org.uk/fantastic-futures
 
• EBP
  www.educationbusinesspartnership.co.uk