Careers, PSHE and Citizenship

Careers, PSHE and Citizenship is part of the Social Studies Faculty

• Miss C Wells - Assistant Headteacher - Strategic overview of Careers, Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG)
• Mrs K Lovewell - Head of Social Studies Faculty
• Mrs D Williams - Head of Careers, PSHE & Citizenship
• Mr L Prior - Careers Advisor
• Mrs V Chandarana - Administration Assistant

Click here to view the PSHE Learning Journey

PSHE and Citizenship

What is PSHE?

In short, PSHE education can be described as 'learning to live life well'. PSHE deals with real life social and economic issues affecting children and young people, their families and communities.

Why is PSHE important to young people?

PSHE education equips young people with knowledge, understanding, attitudes and practical skills to live healthy, safe, productive, fulfilled, capable and responsible lives. PSHE also encourages them to be enterprising and supports them in making effective transitions, positive learning and career choices and in managing their finances effectively. It enables children and young people to reflect on and clarify their own values and attitudes, and explore the complex, and sometimes conflicting, range of values and attitudes they will encounter now and in the future.

How is it taught?

PSHE is taught through classroom based lesson by a variety of different teachers:

In this programme aspects of PSHE and Citizenship are taught. These topics include:

• Careers
• Diversity
• Economic understanding
• Learning styles, study skills and teamwork
• Lifestyle
• Sex and relationship education

Key Stage 3

Currently all Year 7 students have two lessons a week. In this course, they cover the 3 key themes of Citizenship: rights and responsibilities; diversity and democracy; and government. They also look at healthy eating, how they learn and the different relationship people have in life.

Year 8 students will be studying finance, employability skills, options choices, acceptable behaviour and teenage pressures.

In Year 9 the students have one lesson a week and will be studying mental health, employability skills, drug and knife crime, finance, how to study and relationships.

Assessment

All students will have an assessment every term which will generate homework as well as the occasional piece of work to prepare them for the next lesson.

Key Stage 4

In Year 10 the students one lesson a fortnight. They will be studying finance, alcohol and other dangers, employability skills including CV writing and preparation for work experience, study skills, wellbeing and SRE which includes looking at consent.

In year 11 they also have one lesson per fortnight which includes career planning, study skills, personal safety and SRE including violence within relationships.

Assessment

All students will have an assessment every term which will generate homework as well as the occasional piece of work to prepare them for the next lesson.

The PSHE course is supported and developed through a practical experience of having a mock interview with representatives from local businesses. Additionally, all Year 10 students undertake a week of work experience in the Spring term.

For more information see also “Careers Department” within the School Life section of the website.

Useful websites: http://www.citizenshipfoundation.org.uk/ http://home.healthyschools.gov.uk/ http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/index.htm https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/

Careers

The Careers Department at Bishop Ramsey provides information, advice and guidance to students on a wide range of issues that help them build the skills they will need for working life.

The world of work has undergone significant changes in recent years and continues to do so and it is therefore even more important that we equip our students with the necessary skills for them to make decisions about their future, to know how and where to access information and to link subject areas and qualifications with possible career choices.

Bishop Ramsey is committed to meeting the following 8 Gatsby benchmarks as set out in 'Careers strategy: making the most of everyone's skills and talents' (DFE Publication Dec 2017)

• A stable careers programme
• Learning from career 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

Careers Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG)

CIAG is available to all students, to enable them to make decisions about their education and careers choices. An overview of the service that is offered at Bishop Ramsey School can be seen below.

Career Action Plans and Support

All students in Years 11, 12 and 13 are entitled to a careers interview with our independent careers advisor Les Prior, who is in school each week to provide one-to-one and group guidance interviews for our pupils. Students who attend a one-to-one session are provided with a written action plan to help them realise their goal, to

take home and share with their parents/carers so that they can assist their child in carrying out these actions. Parents and carers of students from Year 11 are also invited to attend the one-to-one interviews.

An informal drop-in facility is also available for students from Years 12 and 13 during Friday mornings.

Careers Resources

We have a full range of careers resources in our School Library and 6th form Study Room. We also have access to software that will allow students of all ages access up-to- date careers information. Elements of the Careers curriculum are covered in many subject areas as well as in PSHE.

All students also have access to the “Bishop Ramsey Careers Information” Facebook page. In addition to the school VLE, this provides students with the most up to date careers information and opportunities.

There is also a careers area in Student Services that students can visit with prior arrangement.

Careers Fair

We also host a Careers Fair for all students (plus parents/carers) from Years 7 to 13. This is usually held every 2 years and our 2019 event involved around 40 employers and educators from both regional and national organisations offering advice and information on apprenticeships, work, Higher and Further Education and Gap Years.

Alumni

Bishop Ramsey is working with 'Future First' to develop our alumni network. If you are interested in joining our network and returning to Bishop Ramsey to speak to current students, please click HERE for information on how to do this.

Delivery & Content of Programmes

Students in all year groups receive pastoral and tutorial support and support during Learning for Life lessons.

A summary of the specific Curriculum provision for Careers is outlined below:

Year 7

In Year 7 students will be learning about employability skills and using these a variety of ways in their lessons.

Year 8

In Year 8 students start to explore different careers in relation to the subjects which they study and the career and occupations they relate to in the world of work. This is linked to the options choices they make later in the year.

Year 9

Year 9 students continue to build on CIAG through more developed employability skills which they use in their PSHE lessons.

Year 10

All Year 10 students attend a one day enrichment event. This event is specifically aimed at preparation for applying for jobs and college placements plus interview preparation and techniques. This includes a mock interview and debriefing session with contacts from local industry and the wider school community.

Work Experience

All students in Year 10 complete one week of work experience, to develop a greater understanding of the world of work and identify the links between the skills used and developed in school, and those necessary in the workplace. Bishop Ramsey School has an excellent reputation among local employers for the high level of maturity and commitment of our pupils on work experience.

Year 11

In Year 11, students are prepared for making successful applications to post-16 opportunities. All students in Year 11 complete a questionnaire concerning their interests and possible career / further education pathway. This data is then used to target students for group interviews and subject information sessions with our independent careers advisor, Les Prior.

In January / February students have an interview with a senior member of school staff to help them prepare for options post 16. All students also have the opportunity to visit Brunel University or participate in an apprenticeship workshop as part of their on-going careers programme. Students will also have the opportunity to fine tune their CV writing skills as well as having the opportunity to attend Careers/Apprenticeship Fairs (optional).

Year 12 and 13

Careers guidance takes place in pastoral periods. Research skills, sources of information, application procedures and interview skills are practised and reinforced. Students are given the chance to have a further careers interview with Les Prior our Careers Advisor and there is an opportunity to visit Higher Education fairs. Les also runs sessions on alternative pathways for those who have decided that University is not the best option for them. Students also have the opportunity to participate in mock interviews.

All students in Year 12 complete a questionnaire concerning their interests and possible career / further education pathway. This data is then used to target students for group interviews and subject information sessions.

'Inspiring the Future'

Since 2013 we have also been working with 'Inspiring the Future', to give students the chance to learn more about employment opportunities within specific subject areas. Recent speakers include employees from the Ministry of Justice, Bloomberg and University College London. All students are asked to evaluate each session so we can feed this into the planning of future employability talks.

Our Provider Access Policy Statement can be found in the 'Policies' section.

Further information

For further information on Careers Advice and Guidance, you can access free support from the National Careers Service online - https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/Pages/Home.aspx

or by phone on 0800 100 900.

Please also see the following web-sites - http://icould.com/whats-your-subject/ https://helpyouchoose.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.main http://www.sortitonline.com/ http://careerplanning.about.com/od/careerchoicechan/tp/Career-Choice.htm http://www.careers4u.tv/explore/ http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/ Gatsby Career Plan https://live.bereadygroup.org/schools/bishop-ramsey-school/

Student Entitlement

As a student of Bishop Ramsey School you are entitled to:

· Individual and impartial careers guidance from a suitably qualified professional

· Be treated with respect

· The opportunity to gain the skills that you need to prosper in your chosen career

· Information about all the options open to you at 16 and 18 years of age

· Be referred for extra support if you need it and other agencies where appropriate

For more information see also “Careers Department” within the School Life section of the website.