At Ludlow CE School, our careers education programme provides our students with the opportunity to plan and manage their careers effectively, ensuring progression which is ambitious and aspirational. It promotes equality of opportunity, celebrates diversity and challenges stereotypes.
Careers education begins early in Key Stage 3, being explicitly delivered though focus days and the PSHE curriculum time, to ensure our students are able to make well-informed choices for post-14 and post-16 pathways. A designated teacher manages CEIAG, developing the programme around the eight Gatsby benchmarks for ensuring best practice, and to meet the requirements of the Department for Education’s statutory guidance 2021. Please see the related document for an introduction from our Careers Lead.
The programme includes a Careers Convention for Key Stage 3 and 4, where students have the opportunity to meet and talk with people from a variety of local colleges, apprenticeship providers, the National Citizenship Service, employers, health care and the armed services. We also have calendared visits for external speakers, who come in to work with students. This can include: local colleges, employers, employees, and ex-students, alongside the Forces, staff from the NHS, and the Nationwide, who help students to understand how to manage their money, alongside exploring careers in business, banking and finance.
The GCSE options process is underpinned by an understanding of education and career pathways through the Planning My Future Day in Year 9, and students are encouraged to access an online advice program. Parents and carers are also engaged early in the option selection process.
We ensure every student has an experience of further education through a college taster day in Year 10, and a number of college-based enrichment workshops through Key Stage 4. Visits to Higher Education establishments are also offered with support from the AimHigher programme. We aim for all Year 9 to visit a Birmingham-based university, and for KS4 More Able students have the opportunity to visit an Oxford University college.
Our school-based careers lead ensures every Year 11 student has at least one meeting early in the final year to ensure they have a clear plan. Some students receive a bespoke package of more regular guidance, to ensure they make a successful transition post-16.
The linked documents will give you more detail about our careers education programme at Ludlow CE School, and the Parents’ Guide to Post-16 Options is a useful summary of the choices available for your child.