Careers guidance

Through our whole-school and Sixth Form careers guidance approach we aim to: 

• increase our students’ awareness of themselves and others  

         – to think about who they are, what they like and don’t like, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and how others perceive them.  

• introduce and develop an awareness of the world of work leading to economic wellbeing  

         – to develop knowledge of different sectors, how industries are interconnected and consider how the world and technology are changing and how this might impact on jobs in the future.  

• explore strategies in making choices and decisions 

         – to develop the skills to be able to research opportunities, evaluate them and make considered decisions.  

• raise awareness of opportunities in employment, training and further/higher education  

         – to know what organisations are out there and how they can access them. 

The Careers Education, Advice and Independent Guidance (CEAIG) Programme starts in Year 7 and is embedded throughout their learning time with us so that at the key decision-making stages students feel confident they know what to consider when: 

• choosing GCSE options in Year 9 
• deciding on post-16 route in Year 11 
• deciding on post-18 route in Year 13. 

How we deliver our careers programme 

We encourage our students to think about the possible routes they might want to follow and what they need to do along the way to get there.   

Our positive approach focuses on the interests, motivations and skills of the student and we encourage them to challenge gender stereotypes when it comes to their career aspirations. 

Throughout school, the students will undertake careers education through dedicated personal development lessons, assemblies, employer visits and career lunches. 

Essential practical skills needed to progress onto further and higher education, apprenticeships and jobs are developed through:  

• application and CV writing skills workshops 

• supportive and realistic mock interviews with representatives from external companies, colleges, universities and other organisations 
• visits to workplaces and universities.  

We encourage Year 11 students to participate in (National Citizen Service) NCS, giving them a range of soft skills such as teamwork, communication and resilience.

Sixth-Form Extended Experience is undertaken by students at the end of Year 12. This includes activities such as Duke of Edinburgh gold expeditions, work experience, volunteering, internships and university summer schools. 

Through the Extended Experience students gain valuable knowledge and skills in self-organisation, self-discipline, reliability and responsibility in the world of work, specific research or volunteering.  It also provides students with valuable experience to enhance their UCAS applications or CVs if they are applying for work or apprenticeships. 

To support our SEND students, we work together with the County Council appointed careers service to provide integrated advice, guidance and access to personal development opportunities with a statement of support to enable them to make a smooth transition to adulthood and working life. This includes visits to colleges and workplaces and in some situations extended work placements for students. 

If you are an employer, FE/HE or other provider who would like to work with us as part of our careers provision please take a look at our provider access policy on this page and contact Mr Blyth, Careers Coordinator – r.blyth@dallamschool.co.uk, 015395 65126.  

Resources  

START 

All our students have access to START, a comprehensive online careers support package that they use throughout their time at Dallam; it allows students to research careers, employers and future study options.  It is an invaluable careers platform for mapping out career routes and finding apprenticeships and job opportunities they are interested in.  START is available from any digital device and parents are also given access.   

Take a look at START, try as a guest user to see the wealth of up-to-date careers knowledge your child will have at Dallam. 

Speakers for Schools Virtual Work Experience (VWEX) programme 

We are working with Speakers for Schools, a national charity that has partnered with Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership to connect young people to virtual work experiences provided by a huge network of both regional and national employers. 

Experiences can be as short as a one-hour insight into an organisation through to a full week’s work experience. This allows students to access experiences in their own time both after school and during holidays, building useful evidence for their CVs and future applications. 

Sixth Form 

Our Sixth Form centre contains information on careers for students entering work or apprenticeships at the end of Year 12 or Year 13 and information on universities and UCAS including prospectuses.  The Sixth Form team is always on hand to ask questions and talk through our students’ thoughts on future paths. 

School digital channels 

Parents and students will be kept up-to-date about college open days and careers events which may help students and parents in career choices.  This information will be sent out via e-newsletters, our social media and through MS Teams directly to students. 

Impactful careers guidance 

Our careers education and guidance are based on the eight Gatsby Benchmarks of good practice.  We assess the impact of our careers programme against the Gatsby benchmarks using the Compass profiling model.   

Watch a video to find out more about the Gatsby Benchmarks.

Contact our Careers Coordinator

If you would like more information about our careers provision, please contact Mr Blyth, Careers Coordinator – r.blyth@dallamschool.co.uk, 015395 65126.