Careers

Our Careers Programme is based around the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks for good careers guidance, and every subject now embeds them within their curriculum or extra-curricular activities.
Since the introduction of the Gatsby Benchmarks, schools and colleges have innovated, technology has advanced and there have been significant changes to both the education landscape and the labour market. The Gatsby Benchmarks have recently been updated to reflect the changing world around us and meet young peoples’ needs in 2025 and beyond.

While the core of the benchmarks remains the same, the changes made are very important and come from five main themes:

Careers at the heart of education and leadership

Here at St Cuthbert’s careers guidance is both a whole-staff and a whole-institution endeavour. Careers is integral to our school’s vision and strategic school improvement plans.

Inclusion and impact for each and every young person

We pay particular attention to the importance of tailoring programmes to the needs of each student. Particular attention is given to inclusion and any additional or different support that may be needed by vulnerable or disadvantaged students or those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to ensure that they ‘live life in all its fullness’.

Meaningful and varied encounters and experiences

We are proud to be involved in the government’s Equalex Pilot, working closely with the Liverpool City Region’s Careers Hub to shape the future of experiences of the workplace. This focuses on flexible delivery and the impact of encounters and experiences of education and work over both KS3 and KS4 including on-site, off-site and virtual encounters.

Focusing on the use of information and data

We have ensured that all young people can explore all future pathways equitably. The focus is now on students using information to inform decision-making. Data collection has been refocused to include aspirations and intended destinations, to help tailor support. Longer-term and sustained destinations data remain important as part of the evaluation process.

Engagement of parents and carers

Parents and carers are one of the biggest influences on young people’s career decision-making within our community. Here at St Cuthbert’s, we understand the importance of sharing careers information with parents and carers and supporting them to use it with their children. By working together, we hope to encourage a lifelong love of learning, Post-16 and beyond.

Every school should have an embedded programme of careers education and guidance that is known and understood by pupils, parents and carers, staff, governors, employers and other agencies.

All pupils, parents and carers, teachers and staff who support pupils should have access to good-quality, up-to-date information about future pathways, study options and labour market opportunities. Young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their parents and carers may require different or additional information. All pupils will need the support of an informed adviser to make the best use of available information.

Pupils have different careers guidance needs at different stages. Careers programmes should help pupils navigate their concerns about any barriers to career progression. In addition, opportunities should be tailored to the needs of each pupil, including any additional needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils, young people with SEND and those who are absent.

As part of the school’s programme of careers education, all teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. Subject teachers should highlight the progression routes for their subject and the relevance of the knowledge and skills developed in their subject for a wide range of career pathways.

Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment opportunities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes, and could include pupils’ own part-time employment where it exists.

Every learner should have first-hand experiences of workplaces to help their exploration of career opportunities and expand their networks.

All pupils should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them, including academic, technical and vocational routes. This should incorporate learning in schools, colleges, independent training providers (ITPs), universities and in the workplace.

Every pupil should have opportunities for guidance meetings with a careers adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These meetings should be available for all pupils whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all pupils but should be scheduled to meet their individual needs. The careers leader should work closely with the careers adviser, SEND coordinator and other key staff to ensure personal guidance is effective and embedded in the careers programme.

All learners at St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School will:

Take part in a careers programme in years 7-11 that helps them to:

Understand their education, training, employment and other progression opportunities
Develop the skills they need to plan and manage their own personal development and career progression
Access relevant information and learning from taster activities and experience
of work
Make and maintain individual progression plans to help them improve their prospects of success
Offer feedback and ideas on how to improve the careers programme
Have access to, and support with using careers information that is:

• Easy to find and available at convenient times and in convenient locations, including on the internet
• Clearly labelled and referenced
• Comprehensive, giving details of all progression opportunities and associated support arrangements such as financial help
• Unbiased and up to date

Obtain careers guidance that is:

• Impartial
• Confidential
• Focused on individual needs and fit for purpose
• Supportive of equal opportunities
• Provided by people with relevant training and expertise

Our students are well prepared for life beyond St. Cuthberts.
We are very proud of the fact that this summer, 84% of leavers secured places at the Further Education provider of their choice, and 97% were either in education, apprenticeships or training.

Students will be supported all the way through their college application process and we will help ensure their CVs are prepared and show what they have to offer. We also offer personalised advice with Career Connect to individuals wishing to apply for competitive courses such as medicine, and we have a CEIAG room with a vast amount of prospectuses for them to look through particularly for Higher Education.

Our students will also go through a comprehensive process to provide them with Mock Interviews and advice on how to prepare and improve on these.

Alison Bellmon, our designated Careers Adviser can be contacted via email:

alison.bellmon@careerconnect.org.uk

or via their website www.careerconnect.org.uk

As part of Career Connect, we aim to provide impartial information, advice and guidance to help young people make realistic choices about their future education, training and work.

As the Career Connect Advisor in the school it is my job to help identify options for suitable career, build CV’s, help students prepare for interviews, advise on College applications and where to look for jobs.

In order to make an appointment with the Career Connect Advisor, students can request to see them through their form tutor, Ms Hannah or drop into the office during lunch and break times on the days they are in.

If any parents would like to speak to the Career Connect Advisor regarding their child’s education, please contact the school directly or email Alison.bellmon@careerconnect.org.uk.

Your Career Connect Advisor in school currently is Alison Bellmon.

Additional access to Career Connect or further information, advice and guidance can be found through accessing the online Career Portal (see below).

www.careerconnect.org.uk – click on to register – our school portal code is 18167 – you can set up your own username and password

What’s it all about?

Unifrog transforms the way young people find and apply for post-16 and post-18 opportunities. It brings all the available information into one single, impartial, user-friendly platform that helps students to make the best choices, and submit the strongest applications.