Careers Education and Guidance
The CEG department provides students with the skills, knowledge and guidance that they need to make informed careers decisions at key points in their schooling, and so prepares them for the world of work. Our aims are:
- To develop students through careers- and work-related education, and promote learning about careers and the world of work;
- To develop students so that they can use career management and employability skills;
- To create a stable careers programme to prepare students for opportunities, responsibilities and experiences in later life, and promote inspiring careers and enterprise activities;
- To help students make informed decisions, thus helping them cope with a challenging labour market;
- To improve motivation, attendance and attainment, and promote social mobility for the benefit of students, their families, their communities and our wider society.
Hitchin Girls’ School is committed to giving high quality careers education and guidance, and ensuring that choices are realistic and attainable for each student. The provision offered includes the following:
- Personal guidance and how to use labour market information;
- Promoting the use of resources available on the Google Classroom platform;
- Supporting students' transition to their next destination, including CVs and applications for apprenticeships, higher education and employment;
- Engagement with local and national employers;
- Work Encounter provision - available to students in Years 8, 9, 11 and 12;
- Monitoring careers enrichment and engagement, so that career link activities and skills have been captured on Unifrog;
- Promoting careers education in the curriculum;
- Engaging alumni to inspire students in their careers choices and pathways;
- Ensuring students have the opportunity to access specialist guidance when making a change to their career plan.
The programme at Hitchin Girls’ School is progressive so that, each year, students build on and develop the knowledge and skills that they have previously acquired.
The programme is guided by the Gatsby Benchmarks to ensure best practice.
The Gatsby Benchmarks are an 8-point framework that we meet:
1. A stable careers programme
2. Learning from career and labour market information
3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
5. Encounters with employers and employees
6. Experiences of workplaces
7. Encounters with further and higher education
8. Personal guidance
Our CEG programme of events and sessions include:
Year 7
Aspirational and Pastoral sessions in Learning for Life (L4L) and Tutor Time.
Year 8
- Take Your Child to Work Day (TYCTWD) Parent meeting presentation
- Careers sessions in L4L and Tutor Time
- Y8 Careers Day
Year 9
Year 10
Year 11
- Y11 Careers Day (Assembly and Tutor Time)
- HGS Careers Fair
- L4L Careers sessions including Unifrog and Job Explorer Database
(Click on this JED icon to try it in demonstration mode. JED is licensed to use in school and is available to all pupils via the Careers Zone.)
- Options talks
- Options event
- Careers interviews and an introduction to the Prospects Database
- Apprenticeship talks/focus
Sixth Form
- Visit to UCAS Higher Education Convention
- Visit to the Oxbridge Convention
- Support for potential UCAS Oxbridge and Medicine students
- Talks from Student Finance, employers, apprenticeship providers, gap year providers and HGS alumni
- One-to-one academic mentoring on UCAS applications and personal statements
- One-to-one CEG interviews on UCAS applications, apprenticeships, employment applications and gap year applications
- Day of workshops delivered by Young Enterprise
- Mock Oxbridge, Medics and Vets interviews
- Partner School Scheme with Invest in Education
- Opportunities to be Learning Ambassadors within school and Community Ambassadors within the wider community
Useful Websites
Unifrog
Unifrog is a careers application that allows students to explore information on all the pathways that are available to them at each stage of their school education. Students can explore many different careers and find information about what qualifications and experience might be needed.
The Gatsby Benchmarks
https://www.gatsby.org.uk/education/focus-areas/good-career-guidance
The Gatsby Benchmarks are a set of standards provided to schools to help them in the delivery of careers education, and as a way of measuring CEG which can be used by Ofsted in an inspection. Unifrog, along with school provision, provides CEG in line with statutory guidelines and the Gatsby Benchmarks.
Labour Market Information (LMI)
http://www.lmiforall.org.uk/explore_lmi/
Students and parents can explore good quality information about any future study options and labour market opportunities. Careerometer 2 allows students to investigate pay scales and compare different occupational employment patterns.
Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal
Explore career opportunities in Hertfordshire - jobs, apprenticeships, support to make informed career decisions, tips on gaining work experience, skills development and lots more.
Amazing Apprenticeships
https://amazingapprenticeships.com/
Apprenticeships.gov
https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/influencers/what-is-an-apprenticeship#
Working with Local Companies and Providers
HGS works with ELSA, an educational charity that creates links between schools and businesses to give young people the opportunity to experience the world of work and encounter real people in employment. We also work with the Careers Enterprise Company to create links between business and schools, enhance our CEG provision and implement best practice. HGS supports students to experience work experience with local and national employers, and we welcome links with employers who can offer work experience placements.
The Careers Team
Tel: 01462 621300
Tina Stojko, Assistant Head Teacher / Director Sixth Form (tina.stojko@hgs.herts.sch.uk), leads our team which includes:
Ruth Ward, Careers Coordinator/Adviser (ruth.ward@hgs.herts.sch.uk);
Clare Townsend, Careers Coordinator/Adviser (clare.townsend@hgs.herts.sch.uk);
Maria Meehan, YCH Services for Young People (maria.meehan@hgs.herts.sch.uk).
Sixth Form Careers is led by Tina Stojko.