The Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance programme is delivered through our Pastoral curriculum sessions, which occur during dedicated form times, and Personal development lessons, as well as through subject specific lesson time, and additional, optional sessions at breaktimes.  As part of the programme students also receive individual interviews by specialist staff, as well as talks from external agencies, including the Education People, and further educational providers to raise awareness of different career routes, and different pathways into them.  Work experience plays an important part in increasing pupils’ understanding of the world of employment and is carried out off site in Year 11 and Year 12. This programme is support by the Education Business Partnership (EBP.)  KS3 undertake work experience through work placements – engaging with a variety of organisations in school. The career journey at Highsted starts in Year 6, during transition and continues through to Year 13.

In Year 7 students are provided with logins to Unifrog – The UKs largest online careers library, updated every 24 hours with career opportunities. Students continue to have access to this platform as they progress through the school. University prospectuses and careers information books are also held in our Learning Resource Centre, available for students to access at breaktimes and lunchtimes, and on the online on Careers platform on SharePoint.

The careers platform enables students to easily access links to online resources, as well as containing guidance on the use of platforms such as Unifrog and UCAS. It also contains information on visiting speakers in the Highsted Lecture Series, Green Careers and Contains The Careers Bulletin.

Our  Careers Bulletin, shared with our parents termly, outlines careers activities undertaken by individual year groups during the term, and provide parents and students with the opportunity to see what other year groups are doing.

The programme for Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) includes: 

Year 7: Development of the character virtues; reflection of inspirational figures.

Year 8: Skills audit and career exploration; diversity in the workplace with specific reference to STEM careers.

Year 9: Preparation for option choices; self-awareness; decision making and Barclays Life Skills.

Across KS3 (Year 7-5), students undertake a week’s work placement – engaging with employers through onsite activities including provider encounters.

Year 10: The importance of VESPA, explorations of routes into careers and preparation of CVs.

Year 11: Post-16 programme to include raising awareness of post-16 options; application processes; and engagement with the Employment Community support programme. In July – Year 11 undertake a week on Work Experience, supported by the EBP

Years 12/13: Employment post A-level opportunities: application procedures; student finance; interview techniques; visiting speakers from employment and Further/Higher education; as well as the Sutton Trust residential and a week of work experience form a engaging careers programme for students.

Further information about our provision to support students into Higher Education can be found by following this link on to our Sixth Form information page.

Careers Strategy & Provision

Please read our Careers Education: Information, Advice & Guidance Policy and find out more about our detailed Careers programme and related curriculum activities, please follow this link.

The Link Governor for the Careers Strategy is Mrs Sarah Drury, who may be contacted through the school (please click here.)

Miss Sarah Appleton is the Careers Leader in school. Please click here to access our contact page.