The Woodroffe School

Careers

Together We Succeed

Careers

Woodroffe is now part of the Dorset Careers Hub. We are delighted to have been chosen as one of only four lead schools in the whole of Dorset. We were selected due to our fantastic careers provision and the opportunities we provide for our young people.

This should bring additional support and opportunities for both the school and the students. Woodroffe will share good practice and help contribute to the local, regional and national careers picture.

This is an exciting time in Careers education, it is great to see the importance that Woodroffe places on Careers being recognised in this way. For further information please click the following link: https://www.dorsetlep.co.uk/careers-hub

Employers

At Woodroffe, we recognise how important employers are to the futures of our students. Employers can be hugely inspirational and can help students to have a taster of life after school. Employers can get involved in numerous ways; for example, they can: host a Year 10 or Year 12 student(s) for a Work Experience placement, sign up to become a speaker for National Careers Week, or register interest with the school to give a talk/assembly/Sixth Form Core Session about a particular job, experience or activity. We hope that all students have as much employer interaction as possible. Please contact me on the following email address for more information and to get involved: mholding@woodroffe.dorset.sch.uk.

Parents

We know that you want to give your children the best possible start in life. This relates not just to their grades and qualifications, but also to wider areas of school and society. At Woodroffe we give each child the best possible chance to try lots of interesting thing and inspire them to think carefully about the next stages of their lives. If all students end up in a job that they love, then we consider our job a success. School events, such as National Careers Week and Work Experience, allow students to get stuck in and see what life in the real world is all about. We know that sometimes your child needs a push in the right direction, so please continue to support them in making good decisions and feel free to encourage your child to get involved with as many things as possible. Please check the calendar regularly for Careers events. If you think you could help the school to make our Careers provision even better please contact: mholding@woodroffe.dorset.sch.uk.

If you’d like to be able to support your child with future applications in STEM, Apprenticeships or University, please click this link to be able to sign up for these useful guides provided by Success at School.

Students

At Woodroffe, students deserve to have outstanding Careers Education. We believe that the package we offer is outstanding and caters to our diverse student population. Each year group has dedicated Careers lessons: Years 7 – 9 have these in Citizenship or PSE classes, Years 10 – 11 have specific timetabled Careers lessons and Year 12 and 13 have Core sessions where students enjoy hearing visiting speakers from numerous fields of employment. In addition to these lessons, there are opportunities for learning outside lessons; Year 10 and 12 have a week’s Work Experience, Year 9 have Enterprise Day, Year 10 have Employability Day and there is also National Careers Week in March for all. Keep an eye out for these events and get involved where you can. Contact mholding@woodroffe.dorset.sch.uk if you have any ideas that can make the Careers provision even better. After all…it’s your future we’re talking about!

Staff

Woodroffe staff are responsible for providing outstanding careers education to their students. Staff have a responsibility to discuss appropriate careers related to their subject. At Woodroffe, staff are experts in their subject area and should be able to provide useful careers advice to their students, or know how to get more help should this be needed. To find out more about this responsibility please contact Mr Holding (mholding@woodroffe.dorset.sch.uk, 01297 442 232) or, if you have any ideas which would help to make the current Careers provision even better.

Intent

All students follow an engaging Careers experience throughout years 7 – 13 which not only allows them to make informed choices but also helps prepare them for life after Woodroffe. This enables them to appreciate the skills needed during their education and also allows them to think constructively about their long-term futures and what opportunities are most appropriate for them. Students are encouraged to take part in various Careers activities throughout their time with us, as well as having a chance to attend a great number of meaningful experiences with a wide range of employers. Woodroffe is a firm believer in Independent Advice and Guidance and encourages students to consider a breadth of Post-16 and Post-18 options which best suit the individual circumstances and has the full support of both the Senior Leadership Team and the school’s Governing body.

Implementation

Throughout their time in School students will have dedicated Careers lessons which promote careful thought and consideration about how related issues might affect them. All careers’ activities encompass the aims of the Gatsby Benchmarks and government legislation. The school works closely with both the Careers and Enterprise Company, Dorset Careers Hub and the school’s Enterprise Adviser to keep up-to-date with new developments and follow best practice. Students also have opportunities to attend various talks, assemblies, off-timetable days, and Work Experience placements, to highlight the need to discover a wide variety of jobs/courses/options. Students use digital tools to log their careers education and these are implemented throughout all year groups to maintain consistency and aid with the various applications students will need to make throughout their time with us. All departments are part of this careers journey and are encouraged to actively seek out employer engagements and discuss ways to make learning relevant to all students. Woodroffe engages an Independent Careers Coach, Marc Truyens, to meet with all students during their time at school and discuss and assist with things like course decisions, interview skills, CV writing and workshops. Students can request meetings with Marc at a time when this is most useful to them.

Impact

Careers education is an essential part of modern life and it is vital that we continue to deliver high-quality lessons which both focus and enthuse students to realise their potential. We regularly refine and update our schemes of work to ensure that they are suitably rigorous to keep up with changes in legislation, culture and the world of work. Students should leave Woodroffe with a clearer sense of what they want to do and should understand the importance of both qualifications and extra-curricular activities. Our students will leave us as confident and adaptable learners that are able to use their skills in a range of areas. This is measured both in terms of the grades achieved and the capability of our students to become responsible and committed citizens. If students leave and follow a course or career path that they enjoy and provides fulfilment, then we can consider our role to have been successful.

Year 7

Students spend time in PSE lessons following a set of lessons called ‘You Are Awesome’. This helps them to develop their development of a growth mindset by following a range of activities. These will touch on achieving success, facing challenges, improving resilience, learning from mistakes, building confidence and dealing with anxieties and pressures. Students should leave the lessons feeling inspired and ready to face future choices with a renewed sense of purpose.

Year 8

Students spend time in Citizenship lessons focusing on their achievements, strengths, weaknesses and their skills and qualities. Students reflect back on their time in Primary School and the progress they’ve made in Year 7. Students are also able to think about the range of future options available to them and the world of employment beyond that. Students should leave Year 8 more aware of their future choices and the potential routes to get there.

Year 9

Students spend time in their Citizenship lessons focusing on future employment. Students will also look at common misconceptions and resisting the temptation to bracket people into a particular role. The unit end with students producing a presentation based on their own research into a career that interests them and delivering these to the rest of their class.

Work Experience – What’s it Like?

Watch this film of students on work experience and see what they think:

Year 10
This year is split into two parts:

Part one is all about confidence and focuses on the preparation for Work Experience. A large focus on interview techniques and ensuring students have the best communication and assertiveness skills needed to be successful. This should prevent students from being discriminated against and hopefully allowing them to deal with any tricky situations both on placement and beyond.

Students also spend time looking at the importance of interviews whilst on their work experience placement. It is expected that all students will have a mock interview with an employer whilst on their placement. Students should also have a conversation with the employer about likely career choices.

Part two focuses on applying for jobs. Students will all create a professional CV, write a suitable covering letter and application form. All leading to the chance to practice their interview skills in class before they have a chance to use these in the real-world.

Students will spend time in this unit looking at Labour Market Information (LMI) locally to ensure that they are aware of the likely job opportunities when they leave school. This should also help them to consider future pathways and option choices to make sure they are going into an area which has a strong likelihood of employment.

Useful PDFs for Year 10 Work Experience:

Title
1. Year 10 Work Experience Checklist – READ THIS FIRST
1 7 downloads 		Careers KS4 February 9, 2024 Download
2. How to use Unifrog for Year 10 Work Experience
1 6 downloads 		Careers KS4 February 9, 2024 Download
3. Year 10 Work Experience Booklet 2023-24
1 10 downloads 		Careers KS4 February 9, 2024 Download
4. Sample Letter or Email of Introduction
1 5 downloads 		Careers KS4 February 9, 2024 Download
5. Phone Call Help
1 5 downloads 		Careers KS4 February 9, 2024 Download
6. CV Template
1 6 downloads 		Careers KS4 February 9, 2024 Download
7. TWS Work Experience Policy
1 5 downloads 		Careers KS4 February 9, 2024 Download

    Year 11

    Year 11 is all about the next step in the student’s life. Whether the student is applying for a Sixth Form, a College, An Apprenticeship or any other route; it’s about making sure they have the skills and attributes to enable them to be a success. Students will look at the different routes, the possibility of University and also the pitfalls of unemployment and how best to avoid it.

    Students will also look at the importance of saving, budgeting and the potential dangers of borrowing. Students will have the opportunity to update their CV from Year 10 to ensure they are as ready as they can be for the next step in their lives.

    Years 12 & 13

    The sixth form have various core sessions and speakers in to help broaden their knowledge about specific careers. Some of these are for the whole year group, some are targeted to small groups of students and some are based on subject-specific content. Examples of these are:

    • Mark Bowden – Agincare – Discussing careers in the care sector
    • George Parker – Political Editor of the Financial Times
    • Dr Mikdadi – Educational Consultant, specialising in discussing the Palestine conflict
    • Richard Hogben – Met Office

    Year 12 also complete a week’s Work Experience at the end of the summer term in an industry that interests them and are encouraged to choose one which benefits them for their applications for the next steps. The students are responsible for sourcing their own placement to help them get to grips with the real world of work and rigours of modern employment. Students should then return to Year 13 with a better sense of the next steps after Woodroffe Sixth Form.

    July 2022 – Dorset Careers Hub Award

    Woodroffe has recently been acknowledged for its hard work and dedication towards meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks. We are delighted to be recognised in this way and shows the commitment of the Careers Team to ensure that all students are given thorough independent advice and guidance.

    Woodroffe continues to strive towards careers excellence and works closely with schools across the County.

    July 2019 – Gatsby Benchmark Award

    Woodroffe is delighted to have been awarded the full 8 Gatsby Benchmarks for its Careers provision. This award showcases the fantastic provision Woodroffe offers to its students across a range of areas. At the time, Woodroffe was the first secondary school in the Dorset Council area to be awarded the 8 benchmarks.

    For more information on the benchmarks, please visit the following website: https://www.gatsby.org.uk/education/focus-areas/good-career-guidance

    March 2017 – Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset Employer and Education Partnership Charter

    It was announced that Woodroffe has an award-winning Careers Department and has achieved the highest award of 5 stars for the Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset Employer and Education Partnership Charter.

    The assessors were impressed with the dedicated and independent approach to careers education at the school.

    Being aware of and making good use of Labour Market Information (LMI) will help prepare students for the job sectors they are likely to find employment in. This could help students make wise Pathway/GCSE/A-Level choices. LMI is updated regularly so keep and eye out for future trends and opportunities to maximise the chance of students getting a good job in the future.

    Downloads

    This is a guide to Careers at The Woodroffe School for Parents and Carers to understand what goes on to improve the aspirations of their young people:

    https://www.woodroffe.dorset.sch.uk/Publications/Careers/CareersGuide_2022-23/index.html

    Links

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