Careers

 

 

Careers Programme Overview

Careers education is fully integrated into the curriculum at Hodge Hill Girls’ School. All subjects reference careers relevant to their disciplines, promoting awareness of pathways and transferable skills. Our PSHE curriculum plays a vital role in delivering careers education, supported by Learning Support staff for pupils with SEND. The SENCo works closely with the Careers Leader and external partners to ensure appropriate guidance is provided.

Each year group follows a bespoke programme via Unifrog during PSHE, outlined below:

 

Year 7

Pupils are introduced to careers and develop a foundational understanding of the working world.

Topics include:

• Who am I?

• What is a career?

• Dream jobs

• What is an entrepreneur?

• Work-life balance

• Careers of the future

 

Year 8

Pupils build on their understanding of careers and begin to explore personal interests and aspirations.

Topics include:

• Identifying interests

• Writing a ‘superhero’ CV

• Rewards and challenges of work

• Creating a vision board

• Careers and climate change

• Defining success

 

Year 9

Pupils begin planning for future education and career pathways.

Topics include:

• Identifying skills

• Post-16 pathways

• Decision-making and KS4 subject choices

• Managing money and working life

• Understanding the labour market

 

Year 10

Pupils prepare for practical experiences and consider long-term career goals.

Topics include:

• Reflecting on their career journey

• Exploring employer profiles

• Identifying suitable career paths

• Preparing for work experience

• Wellbeing in the workplace

• In-person vs hybrid vs remote work

 

Year 11

Pupils receive focused support for post-16 choices and next steps.

Topics include:

• Employability skills

• Post-16 options and application processes

• Volunteering and part-time work

• Apprenticeships vs higher education

• The impact of AI on future jobs

 

Month	Activity	Information About the Activity	Year Group(s)
September	- Introduction to Careers Coordinator- Post-16 Evening	Pupils meet the Careers Leader; parents and pupils attend information session about post-16 options	Year 11
October	- Labour Market Information Month- Destinations Data Submission	LMI shared with pupils across school; destination data collected and sent to Local Authority	Whole School / Year 11
November	- Careers Convention- Aspirations Day	External employers and providers visit the school to inspire and inform students	Whole School
December	- NHS Careers Competition Launch	Year 8 and 9 introduced to NHS career paths and encouraged to enter national competition	Years 8 & 9
January	- STEM-related Activities	Events, visitors, or lessons focused on science, technology, engineering, and maths careers	Various
February	- NHS Competition Entries Due- Apprenticeship Week	NHS competition entries submitted; Apprenticeship Week promotes alternative post-16 routes	Whole School
March	- National Careers Week	School-wide focus on careers with daily activities, form-time tasks, and assemblies	Whole School
April	- Visitor Month- Targeted Support for Vulnerable Pupils	Employers visit school; 1:1 and small group sessions with SEN, G&T, and potential NEET pupils	Targeted Year 10 Pupils
May	- Gender Equality in the Workplace Awareness	Tutors deliver facts and quizzes on gender in careers during form time	Whole School
June	- Enterprise Month- Interview Practice- STEAM Week	Pupils complete enterprise projects; employers support mock interviews; STEAM week held	Year 10 (mainly)
July	- Work Experience	All Year 10 pupils complete a week-long placement with employer support and school visits	Year 10
Ongoing	- Careers in PSHCE (Unifrog)- Careers Interviews- Drop Down Days- Careers Library- Open Days Info- “Job of the Week” Emails	Careers programme delivered via PSHCE; careers adviser interviews; themed days; library maintained; job emails sent weekly	Whole School (targeted Y10/11)

During your time as a pupil at Hodge Hill Girls’ School, you will have many opportunities to enhance your careers and work-related learning skills. There are several places where you can access information when needed, including:

• Email careers leader Ms Nazish: n.nazish@hodgehgs.bham.sch.uk

• Receive a careers interview with the career’s adviser (please email Ms Nazish).

• Access the careers section in the library.

 

Click here for useful careers information.

 

The following websites are excellent resources:

 

https://www.unifrog.org/ - UniFrog

 

https://www.lmiforall.org.uk/careerometer  - Labour Market for All allows students to enter the career of interest into the search bar, this results in the website providing the latest labour market information for that specific job. The purpose of this resource is to help envision the demand of a particular role is, before going down a career path journey in that sector.

 

https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk – The National Careers Service is the Government’s hub for careers advice for people of all ages. Here you can find; help with drafting letters, CVs, exploring your skills, or seeking general careers advice.

 

https://www.gov.uk/topic/further-education-skills/apprenticeships– The National Apprenticeship Service resource provides general advice and information regarding apprenticeships for school leavers.  Furthermore, the site advertises current job vacancies for post-16 students.

 

https://icould.com– iCould aims to help young people to make the most of their potential by illustrating how others have used their potential to succeed. Take the ‘Buzz’ personality profile quiz to help discover unlocked potential!

 

www.startprofile.com – Start Profile helps young people to investigate careers of their interest, watch videos, and receive informative advice. Helps students to seek out different employer groups and discover the work experience opportunities in your area.

 

https://www.careersbox.co.uk– Careers Box is a video-based job profile information, and skills explorer tool.

 

https://successatschool.org – Success at School provides clear and comprehensive information about a range of Career Zones (sectors). This is illustrated in an easy to access format. Students can create a profile to help to collate useful information. A useful tool on the site includes ’60 second interviews’ which provides a profile of professionals in a specific sector, this gives a pupils a useful insight into specific careers paths.

 

https://www.how2become.com – How2Become offers detailed advice on how to access a range of sectors. This website offers the purchase of resources compiled in conjunction with professionals working in these fields. This is designed to enable students to achieve their dream career or course. A selection of these books, including online psychometric testing access, have been supplied to the school by How2Become.

 

https://www.fasttomato.com– Fast Tomato is an interactive careers website to engage young people with a ‘careers matching’ programme to help with career choice (log in for a free guest pass).

 

https://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk – Not Going To Uni is a useful resource to seek opportunities that exist outside of higher education and university.

 

https://www.ucas.com– UCAS is the main website for students seeking information about university courses available to them, directly with the application process involved. A useful resource provided by UCAS is the Stamford test, this helps with ideas about specific subjects to study.

 

https://russellgroup.ac.uk – The Russell Group website gives comprehensive information representing 24 of the U.Ks leading universities. The site is a source of careers information & advice, including ‘Informed Choices’-  this is a downloadable guide to making post-16 education/employment choices.

 

https://www.prospects.ac.uk – Prospects provides extensive resources for individuals to find out which careers avenues they could access after undertaking a particular degree.

 

https://www.mycareerspringboard.org – My Career Springboard is a tool designed for students. The site is divided into two main sections: The Career Test, and the Career Exploration Tool. In tandem, these two interactive tools allow students to find some career inspiration and gain an insight into their different career options.

 

https://uk.job-applications.com– The UK Job Applications site provides useful videos, demonstrating how to complete online applications for many top companies in the UK, as well as providing detailed information on salaries and interviews. Applications forms can be printed off directly from the website.

 

https://jobs.telegraph.co.uk/careers– The Telegraph Careers tab provides various information about specific sectors, as well as advice on how to create a CV and prepare for interviews.

 

https://www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/#root – All About School Leavers display current apprenticeship and school leaver programme opportunities, to the latest school leaver job news, and gives career journey advice.

 

https://allaboutapprenticeships.co.uk – All About Apprenticeships advertises live apprenticeship vacancies, organised by sector or area. The site offers plenty of advice on making applications.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/introduction-of-t-levels/introduction-of-t-levels - Government information regarding the new T-Levels qualifications.

The Gatsby Benchmarks 

 

Benchmark 1: A Stable Careers Programme

Every school and college should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by Students, parents, teachers, governors and employers. 

 

Benchmark 2: Learning from Career and Labour Market Information 

All students and parents should have access to good quality information about future study options, and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed adviser to make the best use of available information.

 

Benchmark 3: Addressing the Needs of Each Student    

Students have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each student. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout. 

 

Benchmark 4: Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of careers paths. 

 

Benchmark 5: Encounters with Employers and Employees 

Every student 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 activities including visiting speakers, mentoring, and enterprise schemes. 

 

Benchmark 6: Experiences of Workplaces 

Every student should have first-hand experience of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing, and/or work experience. This should help to help their exploration of career opportunities and expand their networks. 

 

Benchmark 7: Encounters with Further and Higher Education 

All students should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes, and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace. 

 

Benchmark 8: Personal Guidance 

Every student should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a career’s adviser. This can be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. This individual should be available whenever significant study, or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all students but should be timed to meet their individual needs. 

 

Education Options

There are various routes your child could take post 16, including:

•  Apprenticeships
•  A LEVELS
•  BTEC's
• T LEVELS

Please click on the website below for more details:

https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/parent-zone/all-questions/what-are-the-choices-for-my-child-at-16?/parent/info/what-are-the-choices-for-my-chil/

 

What Are T Levels?

T Levels are a new route to post-16 education which were introduced in September 2020. This course of education follows GCSE’s and is equivalent to the standard 3 A Levels. The 2-year programme has been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses, so that the content meets the needs of industry, additionally preparing students for world of work.

T Levels offer students a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience during an industry placement of at least 315 hours (approximately 45 days). They provide the knowledge and experience needed to open the door into skilled employment, further study, or a higher apprenticeship.

For more information, please visit the website below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/introduction-of-t-levels/introduction-of-t-levels

 

Types of Jobs

Students who have an idea of what they would like to do as part of their future career aspirations, may find it useful to plan their next steps to explore all the possibilities available to them. To help both parents and students to understand how to reach these goals, the following websites may be of some use:

• UniFrog https://www.unifrog.org/
• Career Pilot https://www.careerpilot.org.uk
• National Careers Service https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk
• iCould https://icould.com

At Hodge Hill Girls' School, we are committed to ensuring that pupils have an excellent career and work-related education.

Thus, we as teachers must ensure:

• We have a careers board in each subject department, displaying the different skills gained, and which careers this could lead to.
• Develop links with various businesses/organisations.
• To invite visitors to come into school to talk to pupils about different career paths, helping to inspire students to the possibilities of their future career journeys (this can be arranged virtually).
• If possible, to arrange external visits to local businesses/organisations.
• Record careers learning opportunities for students (using compass plus).
• Take part in Careers week and share which career paths pupils could take based on their subject area.

 

Careers Ambassadors will be selected from each subject department, with regular meeting and inset sessions being delivered. This will help teachers to develop and implement the careers curriculum in their area.

Useful websites you could use with pupils include:

• UniFrog https://www.unifrog.org/
• Careers Box https://www.careersbox.co.uk 
• iCould https://icould.com
• Career Pilot https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/

Opportunities for access a number of events, integrated into the school careers programme, will offer providers an opportunity to come into school to speak to pupils and/or their parents/carers. Please email to our Careers Leader n.nazish@hodgehgs.bham.sch.uk  to identify the most suitable opportunity for you.

Please find the link below for our provider access policy:

Hodge Hill Girls' School's Career Policies

Pupils at Hodge Hill Girls' School take part in Work Experience Week in the Summer Term in Year 10. Our partner company “Learn to Work” organise the work experience programme for Hodge Hill Girls' school pupils.

Pupils are prepared for work experience by learning about employability skills, body language, interview preparation (by having a 20 min interview with a real employer) etc. The school helps to aid this preparation by putting in place, workshops, assemblies, and face-to -face interviews.

The LMI Careerometer can be used to explore and compare key information about occupations, in the current labour market. It can help you learn about different occupations and identify potential careers.

For further information on the LMI Careerometer, click here.

Careers is an integrated part of the curriculum. All subject areas make reference to and discuss career opportunities specific to individual areas, as well as exploring the transferable enabling skills which each enables pupils to develop across all year groups. The PSHCE programme plays a key role in supporting the delivery of the Careers’ Strategy.

Pupils with SEND are further supported by staff in Learning Support; our school SENCo liaises with our Careers’ Leader, Careers adviser, Learn to Work staff and additional outside agencies for pupils as necessary.

Pupils are given a lengthy careers interview in which the careers adviser provides a career plan. Pupils can then use this in their next EHCP review. Pupils are kept an eye on and may be given another interview.

Pupils are given extra support when applying to post 16 places.

Pupils are given extra support when applying for work experience with the help of the Learn to Work team.

Please see the link below for some excellent resources to help support SEN pupils with Careers and Work related education.

https://resources.careersandenterprise.co.uk/all-resources-all-one-place?filter=21&page=1

The Provider Access Legislation requires schools and colleges to provide opportunities for a range of training providers to speak to pupils about approved technical qualifications and apprenticeships.

At Hodge Hill Girls’ School, we are committed to meeting the requirements of this legislation and ensuring that our pupils are fully informed about all available pathways. We provide pupils with a wide range of opportunities throughout the academic year to learn about technical education routes, including T Levels, apprenticeships, and vocational qualifications.

To fulfil our obligations under the Provider Access Legislation, we offer the following:

• Unifrog PSHE Lessons: Pupils explore technical qualifications and apprenticeships through structured lessons as part of the PSHE curriculum.

• Aspirations Day: Students participate in talks, workshops, and activities delivered by external providers, including training and apprenticeship organisations.

• Post-16 Evening: This event provides pupils and their families with detailed information on technical pathways, supported by college and training provider representatives.

• Careers Convention: We invite a wide range of training providers to this event, offering pupils the chance to speak directly with experts about post-16 and post-18 opportunities.

• NHS Careers Competition: Through this competition, pupils explore a variety of NHS careers and the different routes to enter them, including apprenticeships.

• National Apprenticeship Week (February): Activities include assemblies, provider-led workshops, and employer presentations. Parents and carers also receive information packs to support conversations at home.

• National Careers Week (March): Pupils and parents are introduced to a broader range of post-16 pathways including T Levels, apprenticeships, and vocational qualifications.

• STEAM Week: Pupils learn about routes into STEM-related careers, including technical education, through employer engagement and real-world projects.

• Big Bang Fair: Pupils attending the fair engage with training providers and employers, gaining insight into technical routes into science, technology, engineering, and maths careers.

These activities are designed to ensure that all pupils—regardless of background or academic ability—are informed about the full range of options available to them, supporting informed and ambitious decision-making for their futures.