Dyson Perrins CofE Academy
Careers
Last Updated: August 2024 Review Date: January 2025
local college links and information
| The Chase | https://www.chase.worcs.sch.uk |
| Hanley Castle | https://www.hanleycastle.worcs.sch.uk |
| Christopher Whitehead | https://christopherwhitehead.co.uk |
| King's Worcester | https://www.ksw.org.uk/kings-worcester/sixth-form/meet-kings-worcester-sixth-form |
| Worcester Sixth Form College | https://www.wsfc.ac.uk |
| Heart of Worcester College | https://www.howcollege.ac.uk |
| Hereford Sixth Form College | https://www.hereford.ac.uk |
| Malvern College | https://www.malverncollege.org.uk |
National careers Week
Strategy and action plan
Career Providers' access policy
Statement of entitlement
As a pupil of Dyson Perrins Church of England Academy you are entitled to receive a programme of careers education, advice, information and guidance.
Your CEG programme will help you to:
- Understand yourself, your interests, likes and dislikes, what you are good at and how this affects the choices you make
- Find out about different courses, what qualifications you might need and what opportunities there might be
- Develop the skills you may need for working life
- Make realistic, but ambitious, choices about courses and jobs
- Develop a plan of action for the future
- Understand the different routes after Year 11 including training, further and higher education and jobs
- Be able to make effective applications for jobs, training and further and higher education
- Develop your interview skills
- Improve your confidence
You will receive:
- Careers lessons
- Guided activities
- Access to the careers library – information is available in books, videos, leaflets, school website and on computer – ask for help
- Interviews with the school's Careers Advisor
- Work experience in Year 10
- Other subject lessons linked to careers
You can expect to be:
- Treated equally with others
- Given careers information and advice that is up to date and impartial
- Treated with respect by visitors to the school who are part of the careers programme
- Given extra help if you have special needs
Who to Contact
| Name | Role | Email Address |
| Karen Brakes | Careers Advisor | brakes.k@dysonperrins.co.uk |
| Amy Everitt |
Head of CIAG, Assistant Headteacher |
everitt.a@dysonperrins.co.uk |
Contact Telephone Number:- 01684 564751
The Armed Forces
The armed forces provide a chance to be within the military but develop skills and a mentality that will stand you in great stead for the rest of your life should you leave the services.
Information on applications to an armed force and the kind of opportunities available can be found at the following links:
Sixth Form Boarding Opportunity
Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College provides a chance for prospective members of the armed forces to learn and board at a college specifically focused on producing future military personnel. It is based just south of Loughborough. More information can be found here.
Preparing for Interviews
Interviews can be something that can cause panic for people of all ages, let alone for a young person making their way in the world. Therefore the mind-set you have before an interview is crucial. The people interviewing you want to know about your personal qualities, experiences and characteristics. When they know this information they will decide if you are suitable for a position in a college, university, apprenticeship or job. Therefore interviews should be viewed as an opportunity to impress rather than something to be feared.
Some useful tips:
- Dress smartly and appropriately
- Arrive at least 15 minutes early
- Try to prepare some answers before hand
- Be polite and courteous
- Maintain eye contact
- Always seem keen and enthusiastic
- Research the company or post-16 provider
- Think of some questions to find out more about the course
or job - Take with you, your CV or portfolio and reference
- Watch this video to help you to prepare here
- Find 100 possible interview questions here
Parental guidance on careers
Exploring possible careers & career pathways
- Career Pilot - Expert careers information and tools for 11-19 year olds, all in one place
- icould Careers - Providing an excellent introduction to career pathways. Do the icould buzz quiz which is a fun way to, in under five minutes, discover your strengths and get an idea of a few job areas that might suit you.
- Careersbox - Careersbox is the national careers film library, a free careers resource showing hundreds of real people doing real jobs.
- The Uni Guide - Advice on the A Levels needed, personal statements, open day questions and admission tests.
- How 2 Become
- Skills 4 Worcestershire
Higher Education
Work Experience
The Process & the Purpose
Work experience is an opportunity for Year 10 students to get out into the local and wider community to learn, understand and appreciate how a workplace that is of interest to them operates successfully.
It is important pupils made a purposeful choice about their work experience. They should consider:
- How the work placement will give them insight into a career them may be considering
- How the work experience will stand them in good stead when making post-16 applications should they be considering certain apprenticeships or college courses
- Daily transport to and from the work placement
Pupils have the opportunity to arrange their own work experience placement that works for them. We encourage students to leave their comfort zone. A placement should not be the most convenient, but it should be the most worthwhile for the individual.
Advice for Parents
To help arrange a truly worthwhile placement, organisation is highly important. A lot of workplaces will take a single student per week on a placement, so getting placed early is a key component to a successful placement that is of real value to our students.
We encourage all students to organise their own placements in preparation for the work experience week at the end of July. The most competitive placements that are filled early tend to be in hospitals, vets, lawyers and accountants.
Should your son/daughter not be placed by Easter we will try to direct them to possible potential employers that may be willing to take them on.
Useful Websites
Groundwork - An article which gives advice about finding your own work experience placement.
All About Careers - Explains why work experience is a vital step when entering the world of work and how you can find suitable placements.
National Careers Service - Offers online support for young people aged 11-19 via text/email, a free phone telephone advice line, web chat and on their website.
Virtual careers board
Click here to view the Virtual Careers Board!
Key Stage 3 careers
In KS3 it is really important that students start to explore, investigate and understand the opportunities and experiences that the world of work has to offer. Developing an awareness and understanding of what options are available enables students to explore the range of careers available and identify possible future options for themselves. A key part of these investigations is for students to consider the future of certain jobs and the rapidly changing labour market.
Students are encouraged to research careers using the following websites:
Careers opportunities available to students in KS3 include:
- Careers exploration workshops – Careers workshop using our careers platform, BeReady. Students use the platform to explore their interests, skills and the range opportunities available to them. They are then encouraged to consider how these are relevant to their options.
- Subject visits and events – We encourage any student to reflect on trips and visits thinking about what they saw and experienced and how this may have improved employability skills as well as knowledge and understanding about possible careers choices (all year round)
- Careers Assemblies – Assemblies regarding Careers will be timetabled in to cover concepts such as; breaking stereotypes, LMI and raising aspirations.
- Tutor time within KS3 will have dedicated sessions regarding Careers, including transferable skills, thinking ahead, career pathways.
At the end of Y9 students make some choices about what they are going to study for the Level 2 qualifications – BTEC/GCSEs. Some important considerations that young people need to make are:
- What subjects do you enjoy?
- What kinds of qualifications will you get once you complete the course?
- What are your career aspirations and what subjects may link to this?
Key Stage 4 careers
When students are in KS4, it is then that they particularly start to think about what their next steps might be after completing their GCSEs.
We would strongly encourage students in KS4 to take part in an extra-curricular activity or a volunteering placement to help develop their transferable skills and gain work-related experience. This helps students build their CV and gain confidence and skills beneficial to their post 16 plans. A great resource to read is the Choices magazine.
Careers Opportunities available to students in KS4 include:
Subject visits and events – Students in Year 10 have the opportunity to experience a range of visits to colleges, universities and careers events. We encourage students to reflect on what they have gained from these visits such as improved employability skills, course knowledge and understanding about possible careers choices and options
Y10 Work Experience – All Year 10 students take part in one week’s work experience with a local or national employer. This enables them to get a real insight into the world of work
Tutor time within KS4 will have dedicated sessions regarding Careers, including CV building, interview skills, employability skills
Careers Assemblies – Assemblies regarding Careers will be timetabled to cover concepts such as National Careers’ Week and National Apprenticeship Week
Y11 – One-to-One career guidance interview. Our careers advisor will provide independent advice and guidance to assist students in making decisions about their future education, training and jobs. This personal guidance provides an opportunity for all students to discuss their career ideas, plans, identify the support they may need and what they need to do to progress.
When students are deciding on their options, it is important they consider the entry requirements for various courses.
We appreciate that post-16 choices are a big decision. What is important is that students take their time and carry out plenty of research to allow them to decide on the best route for them. We are always happy to discuss options with students and parents in Careers. Speak to any of the team if you want to find out more.
In order to help manage you or your son/daughter through this process we suggest you use the following checklist:
- Research the differences between Sixth Form College, Further Education College and Apprenticeships
- Attend Sixth Form and College Open Days
- Consider a wide variety of apprenticeships
- Consider where you want your post-16 choice to lead to
- Consider entry requirements for first choice and your backup choice
- Meet with a Careers Advisor (organised in school)
- Consider your own specific learning style
One last key aspect which we want you to consider is what your course is going to offer you in the future? Think about the following questions:
- What qualification will this course give me?
- What future courses and/or jobs will the course allow me to continue on to?
- How will my choices restrict me in terms of what I can do after completion?
- What opportunities will this course provide for me following completion?
- What skills will I develop whilst studying this course?
There are specific considerations you should bear in mind if you have certain intended pathways. For example, if you are looking to do an apprenticeship, research the qualification on offer and ensure it gives you as many options as possible; if you are looking at Sixth Form provision and courses, research what degree courses require what A-levels.
Post 16 Qualifications and Pathways
Work-Based Learning
You can also choose to train while you work by taking on an apprenticeship traineeship.
Apprenticeship: You work for an employer and train to do a specific job at the same time. There are over 280 types of apprenticeship for over 1,500 job roles – anything from engineering to boat-building, or veterinary nursing to accountancy.
Traineeship: Gets you ready for work or for doing an apprenticeship. They last from six weeks to six months and provide essential work preparation training, literacy and numeracy skills and work experience to get an apprenticeship or other job.
Work and job-related courses
NVQs, BTECs, TechBacs and Cambridge Technicals are good qualifications to take if you want to combine hands on, practical learning with studying subjects and technical skills. They are specialist courses which relate to particular jobs, sectors, or subject areas. Depending on what qualifications you take, you can go on to further education, training, or employment, or you can go to university.
Academic Learning
A-levels and other subject-based qualifications like International Baccalaureate (IB).
These are good if there are subjects you like and want to study further, or if you are planning to go to university. You normally need to have at least five GCSEs at grades A* to C 5 to 9 (or an equivalent qualification) and may need at least a grade B or 6 in any specific subjects you want to study.
T-Levels
T-Levels are coming to a small number of schools and colleges from 2020 and we want to inform parents and students of these changes to Post 16 courses, as students may choose to take a T Level at a Post 16 establishment.
What is a T-Level?
T-Levels are new, two-year, technical study programmes, designed with employers to give young people the skills that industry needs. They are equivalent to 3 A Levels and will carry the equivalent number of UCAS points.
T-Level study programmes will include the following mandatory elements:
- a ‘core’ set of underpinning knowledge, concepts and skills, tailored for their chosen industry and occupation: ‘core content’
- specialist training covering occupational or industry-specific skills: ‘occupational specialist content’
- an industry placement with an employer, which will last for a minimum of 45 working days
Specific Entry Requirements
Grade 4 in GCSE Maths and GCSE English Language
Core Content
The core content focuses on students’ knowledge and understanding of contexts, concepts, theories, principles and core skills relevant to the Digital T Level. This will include, where appropriate, assessment of knowledge, understanding and skills relevant to the route and the pathway. This breadth of content will help to ensure students are able to apply their skills in a variety of contexts and for a variety of different purposes.
The core content is assessed through an examination and a practical employer-set project.
Employer-set project
The employer-set project ensures students have the opportunity to combine core knowledge and skills to develop a substantial piece of work in response to an employer-set brief.
For more information on T-Levels, please click here and for the presentation, please click here.
Post 16 Pathways – Academic Route – A Level
Reasons to take A-Levels
- Study subjects you enjoy or are interested in much greater depth
- Allows you to have a great base in a subject prior to studying at university
- They are a must if you are going into certain professions such as law, medicine, dentistry and veterinary science
- University graduates tend to have better earning potential, especially graduates from Russell Group Universities
- Gives a chance to develop as an independent learner
- Allows you to try new subjects that you may not have studied previously at school
- Able to take subjects that are well linked and complement each other
- Lots of opportunities to study A-levels locally
Application Procedure
A Level courses last two years and tend to be chosen subjects that you have achieved well in at GCSE level. Different Sixth Form providers and colleges have different entry requirements depending upon the subject and college you apply for. You normally need to have at least five GCSEs at grades 5 to 9 (or an equivalent qualification). Most A Level providers require at least a grade 6 in any specific subjects you want to study. Although some will accept Grade 5s.
Labour market information (LMI)