Careers
Careers education is a highly valued and important part of our students’ personal development journey at KLB School, preparing them for their future, either post-16 or post-18. We are incredibly proud of the provision in curriculum, extra-curricular and information and guidance offered to each and every student. The school aims to deliver careers guidance that is impartial, confidential and based on the needs of individual pupils.
Our policy is to support, encourage and enable pupils to make informed choices and transitions related to their personal, educational and career development. The careers programme is comprehensive and underpinned by the GATSBY benchmarks and guidance from the Department of Education.
Staff members
Mr C Bufton
Careers Curriculum Lead
cbufton@klbschool.org.uk 01453 842227
Mr E Thomas
SLT Careers Link Deputy Headteacher
ethomas@klbschool.org.uk 01453 842227
Miss H Isaacs
Work-related Learning Lead
hisaacs@klbschool.org.uk 01453 842227
Information about our Careers Provision
Introduction and Rationale
For a detailed breakdown of the Careers Education, Information and Guidance (CEIAG) policy at KLB School, please see the CEIAG policy here. This policy will be reviewed in March 2025. Careers education helps young people to develop the knowledge, confidence and skills they need to make well informed, carefully considered choices and plans, that enable them to progress smoothly into further learning and work, and help them manage their careers and sustain employability throughout their lives. Careers education also draws on and contributes to the whole school curricular development of students’ employability skills as defined by the CBI, which are listed below:
- Self-management
- Team working
- Business and customer awareness
- Problem solving
- Communication and literacy
- Application of numeracy
- Application of information technology
Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance Policy
Policy-Careers-Education-Information-Advice-and-Guidance-Ceiag
Provider Access Policy Statement
The Baker Clause is an amendment to the Technical and Further Education Act 2017 which states that schools must allow colleges and training providers access to all students in years 8- 13 to tell them about non-academic routes which are available to them. The provisions made at KLB School are detailed in the Provider Access Policy below. In summary, all students at KLB have opportunities to learn about opportunities to access alternative routes to employment, including vocational qualifications and apprenticeships via readiness curriculum activities which include; drop down days, assemblies, tutorials, Morrisby, work experience and careers fairs. Updated-policy-statement-on-Provider-Access-Feb-23
Links for Parents / Carers
https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/parent-zonehttps://amazingapprenticeships.com/parent-zone/Careers Programme Y7 – Y11
- The careers programme does not describe a subject or study in its own right but relates to a range of work related elements of the KLB school curriculum and the principles of the eight Gatsby Benchmarks, a framework of guidelines that define the best careers provision in schools and colleges:
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- A stable careers programme
- Learning from career and labour market information
- Addressing the needs of each student.
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experiences of workplaces
- Encounters with further and higher education
- Personal guidance. (See Appendix one of the CEIAG policy for a fuller explanation of these benchmarks.)
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- Careers Education and Guidance
- Work Experience
- National Curriculum Subjects
- Personal and Social Education including tutor time and assemblies
- Vocational Education
- An annual Careers Convention
- College visits
- Input from our Enterprise Adviser.
- Delivery of the careers programme is not just through the PSHE and Health Wellbeing and Citizenship (HWC) programmes, but also through assemblies, tutor time, visitors / employer led workshops e.g. STEM events, the wider curriculum, especially at KS3 and KS4, the use of Morrisby Careers and Career Pilot as well as Work Experience.
Careers Advice
All students from Years 8 – 13 have a statutory right to independent careers advice. The school uses the services of a professional careers advisor and students can access this service by speaking to Mr Bufton or Miss Isaacs. At certain times of year, the focus is on Year 11 students who may need support with post 16 options. If parents would like further information about the service, please contact cbufton@klbschool.org.uk or hisaacs@klbschool.org.uk. We welcome feedback on the service which can be provided by contacting Mr Bufton or Helen Isaacs.
Careers Convention
All students in Years 9 – 13 and their parents/carers are invited to the school’s annual Careers Convention held towards the end of September. This is an evening event and the school aims to include as wide a range of local employers as possible as well as further and higher education providers. The Convention is a highly successful event with upwards of 70 local employers and learning providers represented.
Year 9 Career Investigation
Prior to making option choices for Year 10, students use an on-line tool www.morrisbycareers.com. This helps to identify the types of career they may be interested in and may influence their choice of courses to study in Years 10 and 11.
Year 10 Work Experience
All Year 10 students are expected to find a work experience placement during the school’s block work experience week, which is usually the penultimate week of Term 6. The process of finding and applying for a suitable placement is intended to replicate, as closely as possible, that of applying for a job. Students are expected to carry out their own research and to put together and send a suitable application. The school passes on details of work experience opportunities and application windows for larger organisations as we hear about them. A wide system of support is in place for students through the careers and pastoral teams. If you or your child needs help to finding a suitable placement please contact Helen Isaacs for further information, either by phone or email hisaacs@klbschool.org.uk. Please also contact Helen if you are a parent who is able to offer a work experience placement to a Year 10 student. The Work Experience pack includes the following documents:
- Letter to parents
- Categories of work
- Example email application
- Information Form
- Student/Parent Agreement
- Employer Agreement
Year 10/11 Mock Interviews
Usually in the summer of Year 10, students attend a mock interview conducted by Cotswold Tyndale Rotary Club. We run catch-up sessions in the autumn term of Year 11 for students who missed out in the summer for any reason. Students will have preparation sessions and guidance to help them complete the Rotary application form and prepare for their interview. These interviews provide a valuable interview experience and feedback to students who will be applying for a college course, apprenticeship or Sixth Form.
Apprenticeships
The independent careers advisor can offer help to students looking for an apprenticeship. If you would like your child to receive advice about apprenticeships, please contact Helen Isaacs at hisaacs@klbschool.org.uk. The school will also post vacancies for local jobs and apprenticeships that we are advised about on the Careers News page of the website. Students should also check the national apprenticeship website on a regular basis: https://www.gov.uk/topic/further-education-skills/apprenticeships. There are also plans to run apprenticeship talks from local employers such as Renishaw using KLB alumini where possible as well as an apprenticeship assembly and workshop run by Workpays for KS 4 during term 3 or 4.
Other Careers Events
The careers department arranges more occasional one-off events including:
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) activities with the support of STEM representatives from local businesses. Activities have included ‘speed-dating’ (for Year 11 students who may wish to study STEM subjects at A level and beyond), engagement in local design and engineering competitions and visits to local engineering companies.
- Visits to careers shows for students who may be interested in vocational courses and apprenticeships
- Whole group talks by business representatives and apprenticeships.
- Taster sessions at colleges
Careers News
The school will endeavour to publish information on the Careers News page of the website regarding the local apprenticeships and job vacancies we are informed about as well as any other information of interest received from businesses, FE and HE providers. Information of a careers related nature will also be emailed home regularly to parents / carers of students in Y10/Y11.
Measuring and assessing the impact of the careers programme
The quality of careers education will be evaluated by:
- the analysis of the destinations of students after they have left the school and, where available, information about their progress in further or higher education, training and employment.
- through surveys of students in the school and also through exit surveys towards the end of Year 11 and Year 13.
- feedback from students who have used the services of the independent careers adviser
- feedback from employers
- feedback from parents
- reporting to SLT and the governors annually using the Compass self-evaluation tool or equivalent.
Post 16 Options: Where to go after Y11
Post 16 Options in the Local Areas Where-to-Go-After-Year-11 Open PDF here
Links for Teachers
Information for Employers
Contact with employers is an important part of our students’ careers education and we welcome contact from employers in relation to the following: • Offers of careers talks and workshops • Information about work experience, apprenticeship or employment opportunities • Attendance at our annual careers convention in September If you are an employer and would like to find out more about how you could support the school’s careers programme, please contact Helen Isaacs, Work-related Learning Lead, at hisaacs@klbschool.org.uk.
Post 16 Destinations
KLB Activity Survey 2024 KLB Activity Survey 2023 KLB Activity Survey 2022
Latest Careers News
Careers Resources
Career Coach for Gloucestershire
Local website supporting young people in accessing skills and job search
Virtual Careers Fair
A chance to ‘talk’ to the UK’s future work force
Careerometer
Careerometer can be used to explore and compare key information about occupations, help you learn about different occupations and identify potential careers. It provides access to a selection of UK headline data relating to pay, weekly hours of work and future employment prospects for different occupations, as well as description of the occupation.
Simply type in the title of the job you are interested in and the widget provides a series of options from which you can select the most relevant to you. You can then look up another two occupations and compare. You can also select ‘display the UK average’ and compare the information with the occupation you have selected.
Skillsometer
Skillsometer can help you discover what jobs you might like to do in the future. You will be presented with a series of statements. Select the emoji that shows how you feel about each statement. You will be given suggestions of jobs linked to what you most enjoy doing.
GoCompare: The UK’s riskiest jobs
While many people might think their job is hazardous to their health, for some the threat is serious. In these industries work really can be a matter of life or death, so we wanted to see where the risk was highest, and just what was making these occupations so dangerous.
Some risky jobs might seem obvious, but others might come as a surprise.
