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Careers & Higher Education

Careers education and guidance is considered a priority during all of our students’ time at BUCHS, with help available on an individual and/or group basis. Careers Education is delivered to all year groups, backed up with individual consultations to help students make the right decisions about their education, training and employment choices. These can be with form tutors, subject teachers and also the independent careers advisor, who is available through online sessions or through visits to school. In addition, our well-established Careers Department provides students with the information and support needed to make the right decisions about their future.

Gatsby Benchmark* 1 - A stable careers programme

All staff members and students have access to careers resources in the library; this includes information about various careers, local college prospectuses and information regarding moving on to university and apprenticeships.

Gatsby Benchmark 2 - Learning from career and labour market information

https://www.lmiforall.org.uk/careerometer/

Useful Links:

National Careers Service

Icould

Connexions Southend

Essex Opportunities

Gatsby Benchmark 3 - Addressing the needs of each student

All students have access to the careers library and have the ability to request a careers interview with the independent careers advisor.

All Year 11 students have an individual interview with an external interviewer from industry.

All Sixth Form students receive tailored advice regarding post 18 choices.

Gatsby Benchmark 4 - Linking curriculum learning to careers

Careers PSHE Lesson overview:

  Autumn 1 Autumn 2 Spring 1 Spring 2 Summer 1 Summer 2
Year 7  

Enterprise skills

Developing enterprise skills

Introduction to work

Stereotypes in the workplace

   

Saving & budgeting

Influences on spending

Year 8  

Option choices

     

Financial risk

Consumer rights

Consumer choice

Year 9

Work life balance

Strengths for employment

     

Enterprise project

Year 10  

Economic wellbeing

Debt

 

Moving on

 

Skills for employment

Employability

Rights in the workplace

Year 11

Setting targets

Career paths

Applying at 16

Writing a CV

Interviews

Post 16 pathways
 

Security & fraud

Credit scoring

Saving

     

During their time in the Sixth Form, our students will attend a Post-18 Choices day, during which they will have the opportunity to meet with employers, attend careers workshops and receive instruction on university applications and other progression routes, such as Higher Apprenticeships. Individual post-18 meetings with the Director of Sixth Form and the Sixth Form Leadership team take place during the Autumn term of Year 13 and mock interviews can also be arranged on request; especially for courses which are highly competitive, such as Medicine and Dentistry. For those aspiring to Oxbridge, guest speakers from Oxford and Cambridge University come into the school to provide specific guidance for applications to their institutions, including the importance of super-curricular activities. Parents are also supported too, with information regularly shared about key issues such as UCAS and student finance.

Subject guidance can be found at https://resources.careersandenterprise.co.uk/my-learning-my-future

Gatsby Benchmark 5 - Encounters with employers and employees

Students receive school visits from local employers (including former students) on Curriculum Extension Days. All Year 11 Students have the opportunity to have a one-to-one interview with an employer which is followed up with oral and written feedback. The employers include:

  • Price Waterhouse Coopers
  • BBC
  • CAFOD
  • The Met Police
  • SVP
  • Brentwood Catholic Youth Service
  • Roofe Construction
  • Countryside
  • Department of Health and Social Care
  • DocuSign
  • EY

Department led careers events have taken place at the Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School to help students within their chosen subject field such as the 'International Women in Engineering Day.'

An annual 'Women for Women' Careers Fair is offered to all students. Around 60 employers visit and over 600 students and parents have attended and enjoyed previous events.

Gatsby Benchmark 6 - Experiences of workplaces

The Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School understands the importance of gaining experience in the workplace. In the past two years, in keeping with Covid-19 restrictions, students have undertaken 'virtual' work experience. Work experience enables you to try out a career as well as building skills.  Within a competitive jobs market, work experience can be essential to securing a job. Internships, work placements and volunteering are great ways to set yourself apart from other candidates. 

Gatsby Benchmark 7 - Encounters with Further and Higher education

Students have access to Higher Education (HE) and Further Education (FE) information in the careers library.  HE and FE instructors attend the school's 'Women for Women' Careers Fair.

Essex Provider Network

Find an Apprenticeship

Find a Traineeship

My Choices Guide for students | CEC Resource Directory (careersandenterprise.co.uk)

My Choices Guide for parents/guardians | CEC Resource Directory (careersandenterprise.co.uk)

Gatsby Benchmark 8 - Personal guidance

All students have access to information, advice and guidance via Mr M Yates, our independent careers advisor. Students can request an interview directly, or via their Head Of Year or Form Tutor.

The opportunities accessible via links from this page are available in the public domain and not endorsed or vetted by the school. Please discuss any applications with your parents / carers.

The date for the next review is July 2023.

*The Gatsby Benchmarks were developed on behalf of the Gatsby Foundation by Sir John Holman. They define what world class careers provision in education looks like and provide a clear framework for organising the careers provision at your school or college.

A message from our Independent Careers Advisor, Mr M Yates:

As the Careers Advisor at BUCHS, my job is to help you decide what you would like to do in the future and how to get there. Part of this process will include talking through career opportunities that you may or may not have come across before; based on your interests and what you are good at. We can then talk through how to achieve these career aspirations.  This can often include talking through options such as Sixth Form, college, apprenticeships, university opportunities and applications processes. There are so many great opportunities available.  Hopefully, we can help you decide which are best for you!

The member of staff responsible for Careers at BUCHS is Mr J Barber.

Email: jbarber@buchs.co.uk  Tel: 01277 227156

Click on the document below for links to further information.