HW Secondary

Careers Information

Careers at St Michael’s

Careers Intent

To provide students with the knowledge and skills that students need in order to take advantage of opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

Careers at St Michaels

All Year 11 and 13 students receive a meeting with our Careers Advisors for 1:1 guidance on progression. Career’s Guidance meetings take place throughout the Autumn and Spring term, and Year 11 are supported in making Sixth Form, College and Apprenticeship applications. Children with EHC plans, SEND, and/or Pupil Premium receive additional targeted support in Year 10 and throughout Year 11. Reports are generated for Annual Review meetings.

The school ensures that the Careers Guidance meetings lead to impartial advice from a level 7 trained Careers’ Professional. After each session students are emailed their individual Action Plan for their own use.

We are keen to encourage our students to research the careers and opportunities that are available to them so that they can set themselves targets to strive towards. We also ensure that all Year 11 apply for Sixth Form at St Michael’s, to ensure they have familiarity with application forms.

Work Experience

We are very proud that across both campuses, we have had 100% completion of Work Experience in Year 10 and 12 for two consecutive years. The vast majority of these placements have been ‘real life’ first-hand experiences, with a small number of students supported to complete virtual WEx. We are aware of, and preparing for, the DfE’s direction to introduce WEx at Key Stage 3. More details to follow in 2025-26,

Career’s Learning Journey

Careers Leaders

Michael Trigg,

Assistant Headteacher Personal Development

mtrigg@Stmichaelscs.org

Sam Edmondson,

Assistant Headteacher Personal Development

sedmondson@stmichaelscs.org

Careers Advisor

Laura Franklin,

Lfranklin@stmichaelscs.org

Careers Advisor

Lynette Gogay,

lgogay@stmichaelscs.org

Teachers and school staff

Teachers and school staff can view the Careers Action Plan for 2024-25 here.

Each Department has a ‘Personal Development and Careers’ Learning Journey that sits alongside their curriculum.

Gatsby Benchmarks

The Gatsby Benchmarks were developed on behalf of the Gatsby Foundation by Sir John Holman. They define what careers provision in education looks like and provide a clear framework for organising the careers provision at St Michaels. We use Compass+ to carefully monitor and assess the impact of our Career’s Learning Journey.

The Gatsby Benchmarks are;

A stable careers programme
Learning from careers 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

A-levels

A-Levels (short for Advanced levels) are UK national curriculum school-leaving qualifications that are taken by many students in the UK. Students usually choose three or four subjects, and take two years to study for these A-levels between the ages of 16 and 18.

At St Michaels Sixth Form we provides students who join us opportunities they will not find elsewhere. Our students play a key role in the community of our school and help to establish and maintain the ethos of St Michael’s Catholic School. The “Community” ethos which is embedded across our school from the Nursery up to Year 13 is central to what makes St Michael’s such a fantastic place to study

BTEC Level 3 and Cambridge National

Alongside A-Level study, we also have a broad range of BTEC Level 3 and Cambridge Nationals.

Apprenticeships

What is an apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship is a real job with training which would allow you to earn while you learn, whilst gaining a nationally-recognised qualification. Apprenticeships take between one and five years to complete and are available in 1,500 occupations across 170 industries varying from construction to manufacturing through to IT and the creative and digital sectors.

Apprenticeship levels

There are various levels of apprenticeship you could apply for depending on your current skills and qualifications. Apprenticeships have equivalent educational levels:

All apprenticeships will include elements of on-the-job and off-the-job training leading to industry-recognised standards or qualifications. Some apprenticeships will require an assessment at the end of the programme to assess the apprentice's ability and competence in their job role.

Benefits of doing an apprenticeship

Earning a salary
Training in the skills employers want
Excellent progression opportunities, whether looking to study further or climb the ranks within the workplace
Increased future earning potential
Apprentices enjoy marked salary increases when they complete their training, and those completing a higher apprenticeship could see increased earnings of an estimated Â£150,000 over their lifetime
Learning at a pace suited to the individual with the support of a mentor
Paid holiday

Entry requirements

Apprenticeships are available to anyone over the age of 16 living in England. There are different entry requirements depending on the sector and job.

Salaries

The minimum wage for apprentices is £5.28** per hour, but many employers pay more than this. This is dependent on the sector, region and apprenticeship level eg some higher apprenticeships can pay as much as £300 - £500 per week. More details on salaries and entry criteria in specific apprenticeship occupations can be accessed by looking at the vacancies on Find an apprenticeship.

** wage rates change annually check https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates for updates.

Search for apprenticeships:

The following websites have search tools to help you find apprenticeships that suit you:

Government apprenticeship website

Not quite ready for an apprenticeship or job? Try a Traineeship.

You could try a traineeship with a local employer to gain valuable work experience and the opportunity to improve their English and mathematics, if needed. Visit gov.uk and search traineeships for more information or to apply for traineeship opportunities.

Traineeships Activity Pack
In collaboration with the Department for Education, Amazing Apprenticeships has created a new interactive Traineeship Pack for students. The resource takes students through 13 fun and engaging tasks to discover the benefits of traineeships.

Careers Resources:

For any additional information on careers, please see the extensive list of resources below.

Individual Careers Guidance:

National Careers Service chat; phone; email Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm & Saturday 10am - 5pm NCS

Scope provides specialist careers advice for individuals with additional needs

Careers resources for students and families

Bucks Skills Hub website – a one-stop shop for students and adults, focussing on skills and career-related advice in Buckinghamshire. The website highlights job possibilities in key sectors across Buckinghamshire and shows 1000s of live jobs. It is also full of the latest resources and advice on career choices, skills development and recruitment, as well as redundancy support.

You'll find lots of useful information and links to support you so that you are equipped to make the right decisions when choosing your study options and employment routes:Adviza

A free, online careers platform, designed to connect 11-18 year olds with their future career potential:Start

Careers advice and info on a wide range of jobs, training course resources and funding: National Careers Service

Careers information and tools for 11-19 year olds: Career Pilot

Whether you are deciding what to study, taking your exams, planning a career, or just curious, BBC Bitesize is there to explain the world of work, with advice from people who've found the right path for them: BBC Bitesize

Thousands of career videos of people from hundreds of careers: I Could.com

National careers film library and The Skills Explorer: Careers Box

Information, inspiration and advice to help sixth formers understand their university and career options Aspire

Exploring the job market

Bucks Skills Hub video : Where next: employment, education or apprenticeship?

Bucks Skills Hub video: Understanding the job market: what’s on your doorstep?

Information about the job market for students and school leavers. All About Careers

Guardian Careers – News, comment and analysis on careers

Target Jobs - look through graduate job descriptions to find out what each job involves and the qualifications and skills that are most needed

Help finding apprenticeships, college courses or work experience to start building your future: Not Going To Uni