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Careers education at Rastrick High School runs through from Year 7 to Year 11, involving a wide range of employers, apprenticeship providers and higher and further education establishments to ensure regular, meaningful interactions with a range of providers. We ensure that all students have access to a wide and varied range of information about the many routes that they can take in life, and ensures that all students can build the skills and knowledge that they need to thrive in employment.

At Rastrick, our Careers guidance is very much a personalised approach, meeting the needs of individual students and small groups. However, the information in the tabs gives you an insight into some of the approaches we take to ensure that all students have access to timely and relevant careers information and guidance.

Parents & Carers Information

In KS3, all students experience work on Careers, Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG) through their tutorial sessions, as well as lessons on Enterprise and Employability, which also incorporates elements of CIAG and building links with local employers such as Lloyds Bank.

Throughout KS3, targeted students are invited to attend further and higher educational establishment visits to provide advice and guidance, and raise aspirations, as well as being invited to attend part of our careers fair and meet with our independent careers advisor from C&K Careers to discuss their future. Moreover, students are encouraged to participate in a variety of STEM activities and competitions, both in lesson time and through extracurricular clubs, to develop their employability and enterprise skills, with again, where appropriate, employers delivering this learning. There are also direct opportunities to build skills that are vital for the workplace through subjects such as Physical Education, and also through volunteering activities, with students acting as volunteer librarians, student leaders and participating in schemes such as the Duke of Edinburgh award.

To support Year 9 students with their options process, there is a clear support package for students and parents/carers to support them in making the best choices for their GCSE subjects. This includes, but is not exclusive to small group sessions with our independent careers adviser as well as time dedicated in tutorials for students to complete work around their options and familiarise themselves with this process.

Targeted students receive specific CIAG interventions, where appropriate, such as being invited to raising aspiration programmes with local universities and businesses, such as law firms, etc. as well as students being invited to participate in apprenticeship events to deepen their understanding of this possible route.

At KS4, CIAG and Enterprise and Employability continues to be taught through the tutorial programme, again building on the links with local employers established in KS3. To supplement this work, students have dedicated sessions, both on a 1:1 basis and in small groups to meet with our independent careers advisor for advice and guidance. They also participate in large scale events such as our mock interviews hosted by local employers, and our careers fair, which incorporates a range of providers such as Colleges, Sixth Forms, Employers, Universities and Apprentice Providers.

The school’s assembly programme ties into the tutorial programme and the large scale events, with both in-school and external speakers sharing further advice and guidance with regards to careers. An independent careers advisor is on hand at all KS4 parents’ evenings to offer advice where necessary.

The academic curriculum also incorporates elements of CIAG and enterprise and employability, for example, in Business Studies, which further enhances the work students complete as part of the tutorial programme. Additionally, students on some courses will have the opportunity to visit relevant workplaces as part of their study.

In order to develop employability skills, students are encouraged to take part in volunteering opportunities with students further down the school, as well as participating in schemes such as the Duke of Edinburgh.

To prepare students for options after KS4, staff currently use the local and key sector labour market information (LMI) to guide assemblies and external speakers to support students in accessing appropriate education or training after the age of 16. Pupils also have opportunities to participate in Careers related trips and visits, such as our annual visit to local company West Yorkshire Manufacturing Services.

Supporting your child in choosing the best and most appropriate career for them can be a challenging process. At Rastrick, we want to ensure all students understand the ‘next steps’ that are most suited to their individual needs and make this process as smooth as possible. This is achieved by the school working to ensure the eight Gatsby Benchmarks are worked towards every academic year.

To ensure students develop a thorough understanding of the wide range of options available to them, once they complete their studies at the age of 16, such as A Level and Vocational studies, apprenticeships and employment. We strive to ensure all students have at least one meaningful encounter with a provider each academic year. In order to support these encounters, you may wish to talk to your son/daughter about careers they are interested in and the requirements for these careers on a regular basis.

You can access a number of services as a parent/carer to provide support when discussing careers with your son or daughter, and these are detailed below:

Please find some links to some of the colleges that our pupils often attend. This is not an exhaustive list, so please do ask if you need any more support:

Employer Information

Our in-school Careers Leader is Mrs Barnard (Assistant Headteacher, Quality of Education), and she is supported in school by our independent C&K Careers Adviser Ruth Evans. Mrs Barnard is also the school’s Apprentice Champion. You can contact our staff members for further advice on Careers, Information, Advice and Guidance by using the Contact Us page on our website.

We have strong links with many local employers and would love to continue to build these links. There are many ways that you can be involved with our Careers programme here in school; from supporting with talks, to more bespoke meetings, to the Careers Fair and mock interviews. If you would like to find out more, please email: personaldevelopment@rastrick.polarismat.org.uk

Pupils Information

Your journey through Careers begins in Year 7 and develops throughout your time in school. You will learn about Careers in PSHE, through the Personal Development curriculum in form time, through your academic subjects, through events such as the Careers Fair and Mock interviews and in many other ways throughout your time at Rastrick.

Every pupil will have a one-to-one Careers interview with our highly trained Careers Advisors from C+K Careers Ruth Evans and John Plant and you will all be fully supported with moving onto your next steps, whether that is a college course, A-Levels or an apprenticeship. Look at the ‘For parents’ section for links to colleges and apprenticeship routes and keep up to date with events on the Careers front page.

Look out for opportunities to take part in trips and visits, and remember that enrichment clubs also have key links to jobs.

MEET THE TEAM
DATES FOR THE DIARY

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Wednesday 5 February & Wednesday 12 February

After School Tester Sessions at Calderdale College.
For more information, and to book a place, use this link https://www.calderdale.ac.uk/event/after-school-tasters/

Thursday 13 February

Post 16 pathways: A parent’s guide to T Levels (webinar) from Calderdale college.
For more information and to book onto the webinar, please use this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/post-16-pathways-a-parents-guide-to-t-levels-the-newest-post-16-option-tickets-1139711179819?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios

Wednesday 26 February

The Engineering Centre Open Event at Calderdale College.
More information to follow.

Monday 10 March

After School Taster Sessions at Mill Studios at Calderdale College.
More information to follow.

Wednesday 12 March

After School Taster Sessions at The Engineering Centre at Calderdale College.
More information to follow.

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Thursday 8 May

Lloyds Banking Group: Introduction to T Levels in Business and Digital at Calderdale College.
More information to follow.

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Wednesday 2nd July & Thursday 3rd July

Year 10 Taster Days at Calderdale College.
More information to follow.

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