Student Careers Programme SUTTON HIGH GDST
The school’s career-focused curriculum across every senior year group prepares pupils for post-school life and the world of work
Our ethos is about focusing on the individual – and our careers provision fully reflects that, with a clear aim that each girl pursues her own path and can successfully and confidently move forward. Careers work is at the heart of what we do. All girls take part in an individual guidance interview every year, focusing on their own needs.
At a time when the future of the jobs market is uncertain, it’s vital that girls have the expert one-to-one guidance that our full-time Head of Careers provides throughout the senior school, including during the complex UCAS process. However, career-focused work must be built into all areas to be successful, so careers work happens across the curriculum as a whole school activity here.
All staff are involved and subject weeks, run by faculty staff, allow girls to see how different subjects link to careers, with alumna, parents and teachers involved in talking to pupils about their careers in faculty areas.
Work on being ready for forever starts from year seven, where girls are introduced to possible careers by leading interviews with a range of our staff, and the Careers Mark report on our initiatives praised the way that careers skills are built steadily throughout the school. Alongside larger events and initiatives like our Careers Fair, MedSoc Interview programme and comprehensive work experience scheme, our smaller annual projects for younger students enable our girls to develop career management skills and to take ownership of their future, forging their own path with confidence. From our annual Learn to Earn Day (year eight), to our Dalma Frost entrepreneurial project (year nine) and our Fiercely Independent Research projects which focus our girls on research into their chosen field, all students are encouraged to develop the soft skills that employers and higher education providers value.
Careers education is built into weekly personal and social responsibility lessons across years seven to 11, and then into enrichment lessons in sixth form.
During lockdown, we moved events online, creating a Zoom Careers Carousel Fair for year 10, a two-day managerial skills conference for year 13 and optional taught units in marketing skills, finance and budgeting and building a portfolio career.
All this leads to 85 per cent (a three year rolling average, 92 per cent in
2020) of students gaining a place at their first-choice destination, and to our girls entering careers in an array of fields, confidently forging their own future.
As one of the first schools nationwide to be awarded the National Platinum Careers Mark and now this award, we’re delighted that our careers programme continues to be recognised as exemplary. It helps and supports each and every girl explore the range of options available to them, so that they make confident choices, whether they choose university, apprenticeships or employment. suttonhigh.gdst.net
WE’RE DELIGHTED THAT OUR CAREERS PROGRAMME CONTINUES TO BE RECOGNISED AS EXEMPLARY. It helps and supports each and every girl explore the range of options AVAILABLE TO THEM, SO THAT THEY MAKE CONFIDENT CHOICES