CAREERS PORTAL
Our Careers Portal is for pupils, parents, carers, teachers, employers, training providers and anyone who has a keen interest in preparing our pupils for their future.
We are very proud of the careers provision at St Joseph’s Catholic School. We have been awarded the national Quality in Careers Standard using the Career Mark approach, which recognises excellence in careers, employability and enterprise.
Currently, the pace of change is more rapid than at any time in history. Changes in society and work are having a profound effect on traditional patterns of employment. If young people know more about the range of careers open to people with the right qualifications, they will have a clearer idea of the routes to better jobs.
This page will link you to sources of information and advice, and where to get help. Please use the links on the right for further information.
Contents
Click a link below to jump ahead to a relevant section.
Important dates & events coming up
About our programme
CONTACTS
Careers Lead Professional (L6 Qualified) – Miss V. Gale – vgl@sjcs.org.uk
SLT Careers Lead – Mrs F. Nobis – Assistant Headteacher – fno@sjcs.org.uk
Link Governor for Careers – Mr J. Hawkins – jha@sjcs.org.uk
We have been awarded the national Quality in Careers Standard using the Career Mark approach provided by Complete Careers.
OPPORTUNITIES & Resources
Here we share the latest opportunities and events that pupils can get involved with, including apprenticeships, webinars, helpful careers resources, and more. Click on an opportunity below to read more about it. All opportunities and resources are colour coded by sector so you can quickly find what suits your interests.
Upcoming Events
Apprenticeships
Programmes & Work Experience
Careers & University Resources
Key:
⚙️ Engineering & Public Works
💼 General / Various Sectors
🏥 Medical
🌿 Nature, Sustainability & Heritage
🪖 RAF & Armed Forces
OUR PROGRAMME
Our programme follows statutory guidance set by the Department for Education Careers guidance and access for education and training providers. We work to meet the eight Gatsby Benchmarks to help develop and improve our provision and to also meet our legal duties.
There is a well-defined careers programme through Key Stages 3 and 4 which maps against the Framework for careers, employability and enterprise education (January 2020).
We work with a huge variety of different providers ranging from the Careers and Enterprise Company, higher education providers, local further education colleges and 6th forms, training providers, employers, voluntary sector, local authority, Chamber of Commerce and our alumni to keep a modern vision of the requirements of the jobs market.
We were proud to receive our Careers Education Progress Report for the 2022 summer term from the Swindon & Wiltshire Careers Hub – especially our excellent Gatsby Benchmark scores in comparison with national averages.
We aim to support our pupils to:
- Develop themselves through careers, employability and enterprise education
- Learn about careers and the world of work
- Develop career management, employability and enterprise skills
We are always keen to introduce new ideas and involve parents, carers, relatives, friends and employers to enhance our programme. If you would like to contribute and get involved, we would love to hear from you! Please see contact details above.
What we've done in each academic year:
Our Careers programme is run by Miss Gale, a Level 6 Registered Professional with the Career Development Institute.
The independent careers advice and guidance provided by the school are a strength. As a result, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education and training. Pupils spoke highly about the advice they received from tutors, teachers and the independent careers adviser in preparing them for the future.
St. Joseph's values the importance of CEIAG in developing independent learning and raising aspiration amongst its students. This comes directly from the headteacher and her assistant headteacher, who are assisted in achieving this outstanding provision through the dedicated, determined and passionate work of their careers coordinator and careers adviser.
your feedback
We are proud of the careers programme that we run at St Joseph's. We are always interested in hearing ways in which we can improve or feedback about what we're doing well!
If you have any comments about our Careers programme and the information you or your child have received, please share your feedback using this form:
CAREERS EDUCATION
All learners experience a relevant and appropriate careers curriculum which promotes equal opportunities, challenges stereotypes, raises aspirations and encourages learners to reach their full potential. Learners are taught to take responsibility for their futures and encouraged to make full use of the learning opportunities, resources and events made available to them. Our offer is always developing and new events and activities are delivered every year.
- Learner Entitlement (updated June 2022)
- KS3/KS4 Careers Education (updated June 2022)
MORE USEFUL LINKS AND RESOURCES
National Careers Service – Provides information, advice and guidance to help make decisions on learning, training and work.
Apprenticeships – Government portal containing information and advice about apprenticeship opportunities together with a search facility.
Labour Market Intelligence – Labour Market Intelligence, or LMI for short, is all about providing employment information. This information informs us about patterns, trends, facts and figures on the job market so you can understand what types of employment opportunities are around and it can help you plan your future. You can also watch this video which explains what Labour Market Information is.
We have achieved Careerpilot Super User status for 2023-24 by using Careerpilot to support our careers provision and Gatsby Benchmarks.
CV Workshops & MOCK INTERVIEW DAY
Each year, Year 10 students are taken off timetable to take part in CV writing workshops and Mock Interview Day.
GOING PLACES & CV WORKSHOPS
Pupils are asked to find a job they would like to apply for using our very own St Joseph’s employment agency, Going Places Ltd. Once pupils choose their job profile, they are able to structure their CV around the skills and qualities required. Pupils also write covering letters in their English lessons to go with their CV. These are then sent to employers ready for Mock interview Day.
MOCK INTERVIEW DAY
On Mock Interview Day, we invite several employers to come to the school and conduct interviews with our pupils. Despite the nerves beforehand, pupils always come out smiling and feeling much more confident!
We would like to say a huge thank you to all the employers who gave up two afternoons to support our pupils with this worthwhile world of work experience.
WORK EXPERIENCE – 2023/24
We are also delighted that our pupils get the opportunity to do work experience in the summer term of Year 10. It offers a great opportunity for pupils to spend a full week away from school and experience the world of work. It also offers the potential to provide opportunities for pupils to learn more about their own abilities. It helps them explore their strengths and weaknesses and identify the gaps in their skills.
Work experience can be a very powerful, life changing experience for pupils. Some go on to gain employment and some realise their ideal career path and progress to being very successful in their chosen field. Others decide that what they thought was their ideal career path no longer lives up to their expectations and are grateful they had the chance to find out before leaving school. One of the most important benefits of work experience.
Pink forms:
Other Resources:
WORK EXPERIENCE LAUNCH PRESENTATION
Click on the image below to view the presentation from our Work Experience Launch presentation in January 2024. For more detailed information and instructions, as well as this year's key dates, please see the Work Experience booklet.
VIRTUAL WORK EXPERIENCE
Pupils also have the opportunity to apply for a Virtual Work Experience (VWEX) placement. Most of the placements listed below are free, so all you need to do is sign up and apply. When looking to apply for a Virtual Work Experience placement, please ensure they are undertaken during the holiday period, so it doesn't impact on the school learning day.
Websites to look at include:
- Speakers for Schools
- Springpod
- Hospital Work Experience - For those interested in a career in the healthcare industry. (Please note, these Premed Projects incur a charge.)
Next Steps: Post-16 Options
PSHE PRESENTATIONS
WRITING A PERSONAL STATEMENT
Need some help writing a personal statement for your college/sixth form applications? Here's a handy guide.
local COLLEGES AND SIXTH FORMS
ANDOVER COLLEGE
AVON VALLEY ACADEMY
Bishop Wordsworth’S Sixth Form
Brockenhurst College and Sixth Form
The Burgate School and Sixth Form
eastleigh College
KINGSTON MAURWARD COLLEGE
NEW COLLEGE SWINDON
Peter Symonds College
Salisbury Sixth Form College – S6C
Sarum Academy Sixth Form
South Wilts Grammar School Sixth Form
Sparsholt College
Totton College
Wiltshire College
OPEN DAYS, virtual tours & information videos
ANDOVER COLLEGE
Many of our year 10 students choose Andover College for their post-16 education. If you're currently researching colleges, Andover College have sent over an excellent digital handout that will help you decide whether it could be the right choice for you.
The digital handout includes:
- Links to all of their courses and qualifications
- Virtual 360 campus tours
- Information about college open events
- A video and information about careers support at Andover College
- The college prospectus
- Information about apprenticeships
- Industry work placements
Click on the picture above, or on the button below, to download the PDF. Then click the links in the PDF to view each of the resources.
SPARSHOLT COLLEGE
Another great choice for our post-16 students is Sparsholt College in Hampshire. Sparsholt College offers vocational and practical land-based courses in Agriculture, Animal Studies, Arboriculture & Forestry, Conservation, Motor Vehicles, and more.
The digital handout includes:
- Links to all of their courses and qualifications
- Year 11 presentation
- 360° tours of the college
- Meet the tutors
- Information about industry placements and apprenticeships
- Stories from past and present students
Click on the picture to the left, or on the button below, to download the PDF. Then click the links in the PDF to view each of the resources.
further information
Employer and Education Providers Engagement
St. Joseph’s Catholic School could not provide such a comprehensive careers programme without the support of local businesses and the education sector. We would like to say a huge THANK YOU for all their inspiration and encouragement!
destinations
Our pupils are monitored throughout their time at St. Joseph’s Catholic School and progress successfully on to further education or apprenticeships. You can also look at the latest destinations data for pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 on the DfE School Performance Tables.
Below is the destinations data produced by St. Joseph’s Catholic School. Most of our students progress on to further education.
- Destinations Data 2023 Leavers
- Destinations Data 2022 Leavers
- Destinations Data 2021 Leavers
- Destinations Data 2020 Leavers
- Destinations Data 2019 Leavers
- Destinations Data 2018 Leavers
- Destinations Data 2017 Leavers
- Destinations Data 2016 Leavers
We are also very proud of pupils that have gone on to Higher Education. Below is information we have gathered for a small cohort of pupils.
St. Joseph's Catholic School Alumni
Priority Groups
All pupils are welcome and encouraged to engage with the Careers team. Specific groups of pupils are considered a priority:
Special Education Needs – We work closely with the SEN team to provide additional support for pupils during their time in school. At key transitional points such as Options choices and Post-16 choices, our Careers team meets with pupils and parents/carers to offer impartial information, advice and guidance to help with decision making. Our Careers Adviser will also attend Annual Review meetings.
Children Looked After – Additional appointments can be put in place to support with GCSE option choices, work experience placements and applications to further education and/or apprenticeships.
Pupil Premium – Additional time is allocated to engage with students in receipt of the pupil premium grant to ensure that they have additional support with activities and are mentored in order to provide successful outcomes at the end of year 11.
Higher Attainers – Curriculum staff identify pupils showing academic promise. The Careers team will offer information, advice and guidance to facilitate progress and arrange visits that can support decision-making with trips to Oxford University and Russell Group Universities.