Work-related Learning, Higher Education and Careers

Bournemouth School is committed to ensuring that every student gains the skills, advice and guidance to help them make the best choices possible for their future careers.

The careers education programme is devised to help students get the most from their time at Bournemouth School and to prepare them for what lies beyond.  For students who are new to the school, (whether they are part of the Y7 intake, joining us in the Sixth Form or coming to us at another point in their education) the careers programme aims to help them settle in.  Changing school can be a daunting process especially for those students moving from smaller schools.  The programme is also designed to help students make informed decisions when there is a choice to be made, when moving from KS3 to KS4, when considering what to do (and where) at 16 and, for those that are in the Sixth Form, what options are available to them when they leave.

Students in Year 10 undertake two weeks work experience as part of their work-related learning programme.  The emphasis is on the students organising their placements by writing to businesses and establishments that are related to a field that they are interested in.  All of the placements are either pre-approved (appearing on a database) or are checked to ensure that they meet stringent health and safety, insurance and child protection criteria.

As a school we buy in the services of an accredited Careers Adviser.  This ensures that our students have access to impartial and independent careers advice and guidance from a professional and up to date source. 

We work closely with the Careers and Enterprise Company and benefit from our involvement in the local Careers Hub.  We continue to develop our careers and work-related learning provision and are working towards meeting the Gatsby benchmarks.

For further information on any aspect of the careers programme please feel free to email the Careers Leader, Mr Riddles careers@bournemouth-school.org or telephone 01202 512609.

Provider Access Policy Statement

If you are an education or training provider and would like to present to our students, please see our Provider Access Policy Statement.

Careers Policy Statement

For information on the Careers Education Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) Statement please follow this link Careers Policy Statement.

 

Information for Students

Students in years 10 and 12 will be automatically invited for an appointment with our Careers Adviser.  If you are in another year group, or would like an additional or follow-up session, please speak to Mrs Barnard-Dyson in the Sixth Form Study Centre or email careers@bournemouth-school.org

Please check your year group Teams page for recent careers related notifications.  Here are some useful websites:

Information for Parents

Parents play a vital role in the careers education process.  Please see the following links for some excellent resources to support you:

 

Information for Teachers

Students are prepared for the world of work well through a variety of careers-based experiences.  Careers education is embedded in the Living in the Wider World section of the Personal Development (PSHE) programme which is delivered to years 7-13.  We have a number of staff from across the school who act as Careers Ambassadors, working to promote careers education in their departments and seeking to incorporate CEIAG into schemes of learning.  Careers education is explicitly incorporated in the development of the school’s teaching and learning pillars (pillar two). 

Information for Employers

If you are interested in hosting students for work experience please complete the following form:

https://forms.office.com/r/bFrRnHqb3c

 

If you are able to offer any further support or be involved as a guest speaker please email:

careers@bournemouth-school.org

Work Experience

We believe that it is essential for our students to be well rounded and to have developed the skills that employers and higher education demand with jobs, apprenticeships and places at universities becoming more and more competitive.  

We believe that it is important for our students to receive work related learning and the most effective way of delivering this is through work experience.

Safeguarding of our students is of upmost importance, which is why we use Unifrog which is a recognised placement provider.

There is a real emphasis throughout the application process on the students taking responsibility for organising their own placements.  This gives them a greater deal of control and also develops those skills that they will require later on for applying to sixth forms, universities, jobs, gap years or apprenticeships.

Students in year 10 will undertake work experience from 15th - 26th May 2023.

The Careers Library

The Careers Library is situated in the room behind the Enquires Desk in the School Library, and is open to all students.

The Careers Library is well stocked with a variety of college and university prospectuses, pamphlets, leaflets, books and annual careers publications.  Here you will find all you need to know about Further and Higher Education, gap years, apprenticeships and student finance, as well as information on the requirements for specific jobs and careers.  There are also several books to help you get the job you want, which focus on filling in application forms, writing CVs, and performing well in interviews.

The Careers Library is split into 4 colour co-ordinated sections, in order to make books, magazines, leaflets and prospectuses easier to find.  The colours are as follows:

Blue: Finding out about Careers & Choices

Green: Applying for Work & Training incl. Apprenticeships

Yellow: Taking a Year Out & Student Finance

Red: Going to College & University

Unifrog

In keeping with our commitment to provide students with outstanding careers guidance and tailored support when choosing their next step after school, we will now be using Unifrog; an award-winning, online careers platform. All students in Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 now have access to this excellent website.

The Unifrog platform is designed to support learners in making the most informed decisions about their futures and has a range of tools that are suitable for all year groups. Each student has their own personal account that provides a wide range of information related to their interests and aspirations. Key features of the platform include:

  • Exploring Pathways – personality quizzes, career and subject profiles, MOOCs and webinars
  • Recording – self-reflection about extracurricular activities and key employability skills
  • Opportunities – search tools showing live vacancies/courses/placements for apprenticeships, universities (in the UK and abroad), FE, virtual work experience and much more
  • Applications – tools to help students build applications for a range of pathways (e.g., CVs, Personal Statements, Common App Essays)

Information on Dorset Labour Market Insight

Please find the latest insights on the changing labour market and skills landscape assisting educators, employers, job seekers, young people and their parents in making informed decisions - https://www.dorsetlep.co.uk/latest-insights