Careers

Careers Leader: Mr James Gardiner | 0151 9312971 | j.gardiner@shca.pfcmat.org

Careers Senior Lead: Mrs J Mills | j.mills@shca.pfcmat.org

Read our Policy on Work Experience for pupils here

Sacred Heart Catholic Academy is committed to providing a planned programme of impartial careers information, advice and guidance to all pupils.

This is done through a range of processes designed to enable individuals to make informed choices and transitions related to their personal, educational and careers development.

Careers Journey

School Year	Activities
Year 7	Students begin their careers journey at Sacred Heart by thinking about their own qualities by completing a CV that will be kept and amended throughout their time at Sacred Heart. Throughout the year, employers will visit students from the local area, showcasing the different job opportunities available to them in the future. Other areas will be considered in PSHE lessons.
Year 8	Students will now have an opportunity to meet employers in a ‘Meet Professionals event’. This will allow students to discuss what is involved in various job roles, and allow students to start thinking about their future careers and what skills are needed for them to achieve this.
Year 9	Year 9 is a year where student have to make some very important decisions. Students are fully informed on their choices at GCSE. Students are supported in this decision making to impartial careers advice at a Careers Fair.
Year 10	Students in Year 10 to develop their skills of employability. All Year 10 students take part in a week long Work Experience with local and national businesses. Able and Disadvantaged will be given opportunities to access Higher Education days.
Year 11	Year 11 continues the opportunity for students to think about their future further with a ‘Meet the professional’ event. Visits to universities raises aspirations to encourage students to think about their futures, especially advice about A Level studies. Students also have an opportunity to discuss apprenticeships and other options at a Careers Fair.
Year 12	Year 12 students are made to fully consider their post 18 options by taking part in work experience which links strongly to their future career. Mock interviews are held. There are varied events to help students apply for university, including UCAS help, visits to Oxbridge and other Universities.
Year 13	Students are further helped with the UCAS process. For those students not considering Higher Education, external agencies and employers work with those pupils to help give them further advice and independent careers advice.

Work Experience

Work Experience Self Placement Form

Provider Access

Introduction

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 providers 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 to 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 and taster events;
to understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.

For pupils of compulsory school age these encounters are mandatory and there will be a minimum of two encounters for pupils during the ‘first key phase’ (year 8 to 9) and two encounters for pupils during the ‘second key phase’ (year 10 to 11). For pupils in the ‘third key phase’ (year 12 to 13), particularly those that have not yet decided on their next steps, there are two more provider encounters available during this period, which are optional for pupils to attend.

These provider encounters will be scheduled during the main school hours and the provider will be given a reasonable amount of time to, as a minimum:

share information about both the provider and the approved technical education qualification and apprenticeships that the provider offers
explain what career routes those options could lead to
provide insights into what it might be like to learn or train with that provider (including the opportunity to meet staff and pupils from the provider)
answer questions from pupils.

Meaningful provider encounters

One encounter is defined as one meeting/session between pupils and one provider. We are committed to providing meaningful encounters to all pupils using the Making it meaningful checklist.

Meaningful online engagement is also an option, and we are open to providers that are able to provide live online engagement with our pupils.

Previous providers

In previous terms/years we have invited the following providers from the local area to speak to our pupils:

Liverpool Football Club
Mode Training
MCDT
Hugh Baird
Army
RAF
Liverpool Hope
Woodspeen Training
Navy
ESPFA
Edge Hill
Start Liverpool
LIPA
LJMU
Unilever
House of Beauty
NWCS
Smaller Earth
Steven Gerrard
Amey
Southport College

Opportunities for access

The school offers the six provider encounters required by law and a number of additional events, integrated into the school careers programme. (See table below)

We will offer providers an opportunity to come into school to speak to pupils or their parents or carers.

Please speak to our Careers Leader to identify the most suitable opportunity for you.

PSHE opportunities to be available for all Year Groups 2023/24.

School Year	Autumn Term	Spring Term	Summer Term
Year 7		Careers Fair	FAME assemblies
Year 8		Meet the Professionals Careers Fair	No encounters – legislation requires encounters to have taken place by 28th February if in Year 9
Year 9		KS4 Options event Meet the Professionals Careers Fair Group sessions for Careers	No encounters – legislation requires encounters to have taken place by 28th February if in Year 9
Year 10	Mock Interview sessions Life Skill - Work Experience preparation.	Careers Fair Work Experience and prep	Work Experience
Year 11	Independent Career Interviews	Independent Career Interviews Careers Fair Sixth form Taster event	Independent Career interviews Confirmation of places in Sixth Form
Year 12		Careers Fair	Work Experience UCAS Preparation
Year 13	Independent Career Interviews UCAS Preparation Help	Independent Career Interviews University Finance help Careers Fair

Premises and Facilities

The school will make the main hall, classrooms or private meeting rooms available for discussions between the provider and pupils, as appropriate to the activity. The school will also make available AV and other specialist equipment to support provider presentations. This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the Careers Leader or a member of their team.

Meaningful online engagement is also an option and we are open to providers that are able to provide live online engagement with our pupils.

Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature at the Careers Resource Centre, which is managed by the school librarian. The Resource Centre is available to all pupils at lunch and break times.

Complaints

Any complaints with regards to provider access can be raised following the school complaints procedure or directly with The Careers & Enterprise Company via

provideraccess@careersandenterprise.co.uk

Resources for Parents

This section is to assist you in approaching your child’s career development with handy parent guides on both career options in general and in also in apprenticeships. Alongside this, we have also included website addresses to assist parents who themselves may require careers advice in the community. Additional information can also be found on the main page of our Careers area.

Guides for Parents

Amazing Apprenticeships

Labour Market Information

Career Alchemy

Target Careers

Apprenticeship information

Steering your teenager toward a job and career