Careers Programme

Students:

All learners at Whitefield School will:

Take part in a careers programme in years 7-14 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 as part of their annual review
• 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

Parents:

All parents and carers can expect to: 

• Be able to make an appointment with a member of staff or specialist independent and impartial Careers Adviser to discuss their child’s progress and prospects
• Have access to tutors, subjects, learning partners and specialist advisers at parents’ evenings in years 7-14.
• Request to look at schemes of work and careers activities, information and resources, using and contributing to them if they wish.
• Can comment on the usefulness of the careers programme to their child and how it could be improved.

Our careers programme is focused on our pupils need for individual planning in order to ensure each pupil is aware of all of their options and prepared for a successful life after Whitefield. An example of events and key stage progression is listed below.

We recognise that there is a difference between being able write a CV and being ‘work ready’.  Helping pupils become ‘work ready’ means developing an understanding of the expectations and responsibilities that a job brings.  To prepare pupils for the world of work, we provide numerous opportunities for them to take on roles of responsibility, for example as Classroom, PE and Library Assistants.  Pupils also have regular opportunities to engage in mini-enterprise projects whereby they make products and sell them at end-of-term celebrations to raise funds for future projects.

Through our World of Work programme, our post-16 pupils also participate in a six-week unit away from the classroom during which they visit a range of different working environments and complete a set of tasks around school.  This programme seeks to develop important employability skills such as teamwork, communicating in the workplace, problem solving and decision making.

Year 12 pupils are given the opportunity to develop their employability skills by undertaking real-life supported work experience placements within the local community. 

Our teachers work closely with employers to ensure the placements are tailored to meet pupils’ individual needs. 

Throughout these placements, we encourage pupils to be as independent as possible.

We work closely with a qualified careers advisor to provide face-to-face and over the phone advice to pupils and their parents on all aspects of workplace training and employment opportunities. We also encourage pupils to access the National Careers Service which provides over-the-telephone and online careers services to 13-18 year olds:

National Careers Service

For further information about our careers programme, please contact our Careers Leader below.

For further information or to offer careers options to our pupils please email careers@whitefield.waltham.sch.uk

Whilst it is important that pupils learn within a familiar environment, we are keen to enhance their learning experience by giving them as many opportunities as possible to learn outside the classroom.  

We make full use of our spacious grounds and excellent facilities in order to bring learning alive for all our pupils. Pupils also benefit from regular visits to our allotment, the swimming pool and local leisure centre.

Likewise, we offer a range of educational trips and short-term residential visits. These experiences
are invaluable in helping pupils develop their sense of independence, strengthen friendships and learn new skills.

Parents and Carers introduction to Careers from Careers Advisor and Careers Lead – 9^th February at 2.30pm

Whitefield Careers Fair for pupils and parents – 10^th March from 2pm – 4pm

For further information or to attend the events please email careers@whitefield.waltham.sch.uk

National Careers Service https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk

Labour Market Information- LMI for all https://www.lmiforall.org.uk

Careerometer https://www.icanbea.org.uk/career-o-meter/ 

Career Pilot https://www.careerpilot.org.uk 

 icould-buzz quiz https://icould.com/buzz-quiz/;

National apprenticeship website https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

Project Search Project SEARCH Internships - Whitefield Academy Trust

TFL Step Into Work programme Steps into Work programme - Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk)

MENCAP Supported Internship  Supported internships | Mencap

We work closely with Waltham Forest Careers Service to provide face-to-face and over the phone advice to pupils and their parents on all aspects of workplace training and employment opportunities. We also encourage pupils to access the National Careers Service which provides over-the-telephone and online careers services to 13-18 year olds:

National Careers Service

For further information about our careers programme, please contact our Careers Leader below.

Kayleigh Hardy - k.hardy@whitefield.waltham.sch.uk