Careers - Our Approach to Careers Education
Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance is embedded into our PSHE programme, the subject curriculum and the culture of education within the Academy. We recognise the important contribution this makes to supporting the successful transition from education to employment.
Visit our Careers - Student Resources page
Visit our Work Experience page
See our latest careers news stories
Careers opportunities are organised by Mr D Beresford, Assistant Principal in charge of Careers and PSHE in the Academy. Students can find him in the Assistant Principal’s office or around the academy while on duty before school or during break, lunch and/or after school.
You can email Mr Beresford on D.Beresford@harrisdulwichgirls.org.uk or by contacting the Academy directly by emailing Info@harrisdulwichgirls.org.uk or calling 0207 732 2276 ext: 7911.
We also benefit from having a careers advisor from the central Harris Federation team who works every Thursday at HGAED. Our advisor Joseph Colman meets for one-to-one scheduled meetings each week with Key Stage 4 and 5 students on a rota and the younger years during the spring/summer term. You can email Joseph Colman at Joseph.Colman@harrisfederation.org.uk.
- Click HERE to download an overview of our careers delivery plan.
- Our Careers Policy and access for education and training providers documents can be downloaded from the Teaching and Learning page of our website.
Parents/carers
Apprenticeships - click HERE to download the parents and carers apprenticeships information pack.
Careersmag - click HERE to see the latest issue of Careersmag for Parents - helping you to help your child.
Unifrog - click HERE to watch a webinar about how you can help your child make the best use of their Unifrog account.
Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)
CEIAG is embedded in areas of the curriculum and involves various internal and external events, experiences and visits.
Our Careers Curriculum from Year 7-11 is delivered in PSHE lessons during coaching time in addition to drop down days, workplace visits and dedicated assemblies throughout the academic year. Each student is provided with a Unifrog account to track their careers education and find/apply for opportunities, resources and advice.
Students take part in a quality work experience where they can get first-hand knowledge of the workplace, gain key skills and support their future pathways choices post 16 and 18.
Post-16 students have their own bespoke provision, coordinated by the Sixth Form team and delivered by their coaches. Activities involve work experience, talks, course application support, UCAS support, CV-writing and many other events.
The Academy works with local universities and business partners to ensure wide-ranging provision. This is ensured through our following of the ‘Baker clause’. For further details please see the document Careers - Provider Access Policy (Baker Clause) downloadable from our Teaching and Learning page.
Monitoring evaluation and review
Monitoring the development of CEAIG across the Academy is the responsibility of the Academy Senior Leadership Team and will be co-ordinated by the Careers Lead. The Careers Education and Guidance Improvement Plan will be developed and updated on an annual basis and will drive the work of CEAIG.
The current CEAIG Improvement Plan is available from the Careers Lead. The Careers Lead will be accountable for the effective delivery and progress made in steering through the improvement plans and ensuring that the vision for CEAIG at the Academy is achieved. Feedback on the quality of CEAIG provision will be gathered from a variety of stakeholders including students, employers, staff and parents/carers.
Gatsby benchmarks
We use Careers and Enterprise company Compass to evaluate our performance against Gatsby Benchmarks and manage, track and report on our school’s careers programme.
The Gatsby Benchmark is a self-evaluation tool to help schools evaluate their careers and enterprise provision. The Gatsby Benchmark are at the heart of CEIAG provision at Harris Girls’ Academy East Dulwich. There are eight benchmarks covering different areas of quality career curriculum.
Gatsby 1 – A stable careers programme.
We are committed to providing a wide range of activities relating to careers for all students from years 7 to 13. A wide range of career-related opportunities are provided via a number of methods such as assemblies, coaching time, theme days, careers interviews, websites, trips to universities and colleges as well as visiting speakers.
Students benefit from having direct support with university/sixth form applications, student finance and CV advice, and we offer targeted support for SEND students. Our aim is to provide a bespoke programme of activities and opportunities to meet the needs of the individual student and incorporate independent, impartial careers guidance to support career and option choices. It is our aim to raise the aspirations of our students while also equipping them with the necessary skills and attitudes to develop their knowledge and understanding of the wider world.
Once a week students have the opportunity to meet with the Harris Federation Careers Advisor who works in the academy (opposite G8) each Thursday. During this time, she is dedicated to supporting our students in their next academic steps as well as their intended career. These sessions are on a one-to-one basis and can be accessed by any student of the school via drop-in sessions but are also scheduled for all Year 10 and 11 students during the course of the year.
In order to evaluate the impact of our careers programme, we employ students' feedback as well as holding regular meetings with our Federation advisor. We are constantly evaluating the impact of our careers programme in order to achieve the best outcomes for our students.
We also recognise that parents/carers come from many different work backgrounds and can also contribute to helping our students make informed decisions. Therefore, if you are able to offer some time to deliver an occupational talk, host a stand at our annual Careers Fair, or are able to take a student for a work experience placement we would really welcome you contacting us at info@harrisdulwichgirls.org.uk.
Provider Access Policy. Our Provider Access Policy can be downloaded from the Teaching & Learning page. This policy statement sets out the school’s arrangements for managing the access of providers to students at the school for the purpose of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.
In line with the Baker clause, our academy grants students access to other FE colleges and training providers from years 7-13 to discuss non-academic routes that are available. This includes Harris Federation events such as Next Steps as well as visits to other colleges and visits from some institutions.
In addition to this, the Harris Careers Website outlines the Post-16 options. Students also have the access to Unifrog from Year 7, which enables them to access additional impartial information at their discretion, as well as having time dedicated to this in lessons. Within this programme, all educational routes pupils may wish to consider are outlined, further information is offered and advice on career paths are given.
Student entitlement. All students in years 7-13 are entitled to:
- Find out about a range of qualifications including technical and apprenticeship opportunities. This is part of our careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options at each transition point.
- To hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through options events, assemblies and trips.
- To understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.
Management of provider access requests. A provider wishing to request access should contact Dan Beresford, Assistant Principal, telephone on 02077322276 ext 7911 or by emailing d.beresford@harrisdulwichgirls.org.uk.
Premises. The school will make the main hall, classrooms or private meeting rooms available for discussions between the provider and students, as appropriate to the activity. The school will also make available AV and other specialist equipment to support provider presentations. This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the Careers Leader or a member of their team. Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature at the Careers Resource Centre, which is managed by the school librarian. The Resource Centre is available to all students at lunch and break times.
Opportunity for access. A number of events are integrated into our school careers programme.
Click HERE to see details of events and opportunties for providers to come into school to speak to students and/or their parents.
Gatsby 2 - Learning from career and labour market information
We understand that students need to prepare themselves for progression through learning and education into adulthood. It is our aim to prepare our students for life after school along with providing information on the ever-changing future, occupations and progression routes to sixth form, college, university or work/apprenticeships, as appropriate. All year 7-13 students can access the latest guidance and information through their unifrog account. Students also have access to harris careers education website to access the latest career and labour market information.
We ensure that our curriculum and careers programme enables our students to be successful when they enter the world of work and to ensure that they develop careers that will be fulfilling. In order for this to occur we believe that students need to prepare themselves for progression through learning and education into and through adulthood. We aim to prepare our students for life after school, the ever changing future, occupations and progression routes to sixth form, college, university or work/apprenticeships
Gatsby 3 - Addressing the needs of each pupil
We support students to explore different careers pathways and options through our PSHE programme. Our students also benefit from frequent visits from employers, employees and entrepreneurs who deliver sessions.
At Key Stage 3, one of our PSHE strands is Living in the Wider World. In Autumn 2, when this strand is delivered, every PSHE learning objective is linked in some way to careers. Examples of learning objectives are:
- Year 7 - to understand the skills and attributes that employers value
- Year 8 - to learn about the unacceptability and illegality of discrimination and harassment in the workplace and how to challenge it
- Year 9 - to understand terminology related to careers and what types of recruitment processes students might face
Every Key Stage 3 student is also offered the option of a weekly drop-in session with our careers advisor Students also receive Careers Guidance in Year 9 prior to picking their options choices in Year 10. This is in the form of an assembly with time dedicated to discuss their options with Mr Bonful, the member of the senior leadership team who oversees the options process. This includes an opportunity for parents to attend a meeting in which Mr Bonful discusses the option process, what subjects we offer within our curriculum and the ‘next steps’ students can take. We pride ourselves on our diverse curriculum in which students can study a range of subjects. Alongside this, there is also a launch assembly in which students receive similar information to that which their parents have access to in the meeting. To support their choices, students also receive a booklet written by each department outlining the subject, potential careers this can lead to as well as the skills they are able to develop should they choose this subject.
At Key Stage 4, students continue to have careers-relevant content delivered to them via the PSHE programme and are also scheduled a one-to-one session with our careers advisor, both in Year 10 and Year 11, with our SEN pupils offered extended meetings. Year 11 are also given a one-to-one interview with senior leadership team members to help them practice interview skills needed for future applications. Some example learning objectives within the Autumn 2 strand (which is focused on careers) are:
- Year 10 - to understand professional behaviours and what these look like in the work place
- Year 11 - to understand what your salary slip might mean
In addition, all Year 7-13 students will have their own careers portfolio on their Unifrog account where they can access their careers record and further information regarding career pathways.
Gatsby 4 - Linking curriculum to careers
We believe it is vital that students can connect what they have learnt in school with the knowledge and skills required in the workplace. Each department has been asked to demonstrate at the end of a cycle how the students’ learning that term is linked or connected to careers within the field.
Teachers in their lessons frequently connect the topic being studied to the knowledge and skills required by employers. Through our extended curriculum, which includes form time, assemblies, extra-curricular clubs as well as trips and visits, students have been able to hear from and meet local employers (some examples of which are listed below in connection to benchmarks 5 and 6).
Teachers have also completed career profiles which are showcased in department corridors. These profiles detail the education and career pathways they have taken before they started teaching. These profiles enable students to see an example of the different routes that can be taken for education and careers and means students can ascertain which staff members might be a source of information regarding courses or careers they are interested in.
Gatsby 5 - Encounters with employers and employees
In addition to trips we also organise careers events at the school. We welcome outside speakers and organisations to contribute to our careers programme. Other examples of opportunities that our students have to meet professionals from different sectors include:
- Drop-down days from the MET police force
- Drop-down days from PWC
- Planned event for International Women's Day which will include inviting in speakers from an array of career paths
An organisation wishing to request access should contact Dan Beresford, Assistant Principal, on 020 7732 2276 with the extension 7911 or email d.beresford@harrisdulwichgirls.org.uk. Requests will be considered in line with our visiting speaker procedure within our safeguarding policy. Please speak to our Careers Leader Dan Beresford on d.beresford@harrisdulwichgirls.org.uk to identify the most suitable opportunity for you.
Gatsby 6 - Experiences of workplace
All Year 10 students take part in work experience at the end of their year; Year 12 students are also encouraged to find a work experience placement in order to become better informed about the world of work, the career path and their further educational choices.
In addition, trips are arranged across the year groups that expose students to a wide array of workplaces and careers. These include Art trips to South London Gallery led by Clare Stanhope, and Harris Experience Year 9 trips led by Chris Brown, which included a visit to Christies as part of an Art History introduction and Kalisher Law for 'An Introduction to Life in the Law' with lawyer Max Hardy. Art students also have the opportunity to experience life as an artist by curating exhibitions such as ‘In Between Desks’ with our artist in residence at the South London Gallery and running workshops for the public at the Peckham Festival.
Gatsby 7 - Encounters with further and higher education
All students from Years 7-13 are provided with their own Unifrog account, allowing them to explore future possible higher education options. The importance of this tool has been reinforced via our all students being given time during IT lessons to access Unifrog as well as an assembly delivered to all students about how to use the site and its benefits.
Throughout the year we invite guest speakers in to present to the students about their offerings. For example, South Thames College and Saint Francis Xavier Sixth Form College delivered an assembly to Y10 and Y11s outlining their courses and facilities. We have also planned trips to further and higher education colleges, for example South Thames College and local universities, within the sixth form.
Additional opportunities include a HE Independent Learning Day led by Chris Brown; this was an afternoon with advice about Post 16 study and preparing for university applications. This was then followed by a philosophy workshop provided by The Philosophy Foundation, to help prepare for university style interviews. Students have also had the opportunity to visit Cambridge University as well as take part in the Brilliant Club Year 10 Scholars Programme. Brilliant Club is an external organisation that links PHD students with schools to run projects enabling students to complete extended research and write an essay of 2500 words.
Gatsby 8 - Personal guidance
All Year 10 and 11 students are booked in for one-to-one sessions with our careers advisor Liona Miller-Simon. Ms Miller-Simon is also available for drop-in sessions for all KS3 students – her details and availability are shared weekly via the coaching bulletin.
Year 11 students also have one-to-one mock interviews with senior leadership team staff members to prepare them for future college, sixth form or job interviews. Year 10 students take part in work experience at the end of the year and are given sessions and guidance via the PSHE curriculum. Coaches check in with students about their placements and give guidance and support where necessary.
Students on Harris Experience and Kings Scholars programmes also have one-to-one careers interviews, with visits to Russell Group Universities.
Destinations
As one of the key indicators in the Ofsted framework, the collation and effective evaluation of destination data for all of our students is of paramount importance. Students are each given small group and one-to-one interviews with our Careers Advisor to help ensure that they are fully equipped to make these important life choices and the data from these sessions is tracked, checked and support plans with added help are put in place to maintain high expectations for each individual’s future.
Mock interviews
We complete one-to-one Year 11 interview to allow students allotted time to discuss their future plans and their potential pathways including subject choices and intended destinations. Harris Careers Central Team and Harris Experience Coordinators also offer support in preparing students for actual interviews for apprenticeship and competitive university courses.
Higher education opportunities
Our Higher Education Opportunities sessions are designed to help students make their final decisions about which pathway they plan to follow and give them invaluable advice about to successfully tackle what is largely considered to be the one of the most difficult transitions in education.
These sessions are delivered during coaching time and assemblies to expose students to a range of pathways. Harris Careers Central team also run Next Step events where students are given subject specific guidance from a wide selection of providers that help them make informed choices.
We partner with King’s College London and St. Anne’s College Oxford offering subject activities and discovery activities throughout the year. For example:
- at Key Stage 3 - the King’s resource ‘On Your Marks’ which staff and Sixth Form students deliver to Year 7
- at Key Stage 4 - the King's Medical Activity Day and Chemistry Outreach resources as well as Oxford Familiarisation days. We also run the Kings Scholars Programme with Brilliant club, taking two cohorts of Year 10 students through a project and then seeing them 'graduate' at a top university
- at Key Stage 5 - Super Curricular Boosts.
We are part of the Wider Participation Network at UCL and facilitate student participation on a variety of activities. We also attend activities at other London Universities as opportunities arise, for example engineering lectures at Imperial, the lecture series at Royal Holloway and public lectures at LSE.
As part of the Federation, we also have students in ‘Harris Experience’ (years 9 – 11) and ‘Harris Experience Advanced’ (Post 16). These programmes offer both super-curricular support and cultural enrichment.
STEM careers and studies
We have planned a number of STEM events for years 7-11, with the aim of introducing students to new and exciting careers and studies in STEM subjects. STEM subjects include the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. These subjects present fantastic opportunities for our students to talk to representatives and ambassadors from each of those sectors.
We have partnered with UCL and Kings College London to support students in their university choices and to promote the range of STEM courses offered at university level. As a school we aim to encourage more students to participate in careers within these traditionally male dominated areas through the opportunities presented as well as afterschool clubs.
