Careers Programme Information

Key Personnel

Principal - Angela Howe
Careers Lead - Liz Hymus
Sixth Form Lead - TBC
Community and Careers Officer - Lisa Alexander
Chair of Governors - Roberta Kane
Governor responsible for Careers - Roberta Kane

Contact Number 01795 477788
Email Address: office@meadowfield.kent.sch.uk

At Meadowfield School, we are dedicated to preparing our students for meaningful and fulfilling careers, tailored to their unique abilities and aspirations. We strive to provide a supportive and inclusive environment that nurtures the talents and interests of our students, and equips them with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in the world of work.

As part of our commitment to providing a comprehensive careers program, we follow the Gatsby Benchmarks, a nationally recognized framework for good career guidance in schools. These benchmarks guide us in providing a structured and progressive approach to career education, and ensuring that our students receive the best possible support to make informed career decisions.

1. A Stable Careers Program: We have a well-planned and coherent careers program that is embedded into the curriculum and delivered across all key stages. We provide age-appropriate information, advice, and guidance that is tailored to the diverse needs of our students.
2. Learning from Career and Labour Market Information: We use a wide range of resources to help our students understand the world of work, including labour market information, career case studies, and employer visits. We also invite guest speakers from various industries to share their career journeys with our students.
3. Addressing the Needs of Each Student: We recognize that every student has unique abilities, interests, and career aspirations. We provide personalized support to help our students explore their strengths, interests, and skills, and identify suitable career pathways that align with their abilities and aspirations.
4. Encounters with Employers and Employees: We facilitate meaningful encounters with employers and employees through workshops, job shadowing opportunities, and work experience placements. These opportunities enable our students to gain first-hand insights into different careers and develop essential employability skills.
5. Experiences of Workplaces: We offer opportunities for our students to visit workplaces, experience work environments, and engage in real-life work simulations. These experiences help our students develop a realistic understanding of different work settings and the expectations of the world of work.
6. Encounters with Further and Higher Education: We provide our students with information about further and higher education options, including vocational courses, supported internships, apprenticeships, and Further Education. We support our students in making informed decisions about their post-school options and help them access relevant information and support.
7. Personal Guidance: We offer one-on-one career guidance to our students to help them explore their career interests, set career goals, and develop career plans so our students can make informed decisions about their career choices.

We are committed to ensuring that our students leave our school with a clear understanding of their career options, the skills and knowledge to pursue their chosen career pathways, and the confidence to navigate the world of work. We work in partnership with parents, carers, employers, and other stakeholders to provide a comprehensive and inclusive careers program that prepares our students for successful futures.

Students have a variety of opportunities to gain information, advice and guidance relating to their future destinations. Below you will see an outline of what is expected by the end of each key stage.

Key Stage 1

• That employment is mentioned in all person-centred reviews
• Where possible students to have ‘job roles’ in class
• Role-play opportunities

Key Stage 2

• That employment is mentioned in all person-centred reviews
• Where possible students to have ‘job roles’ around the school
• Role-play opportunities

Key Stage 3

• To be encouraged to identify personal traits, strengths and skills, and develop confidence and have high expectations of themselves
• To begin building vocational profiles
• To be introduced to careers resources and informed how to use them
• To be introduced to the world of work and how it constantly changes
• To be introduced to software and websites as part of Lifeskills and PSHE sessions

Key Stage 4

• To build on personal strengths and begin to link skills to specific careers enabling realistic informed decisions at transition stages
• To be encouraged to think about what they might like to achieve after school
• To explore post-16 pathways
• To be encouraged to use careers resources available and informed where to find out more about specific careers
• To attend a transition evening
• Pupil voice participation
• To complete at least one workplace or community experience
• To have a careers interview

Key Stage 5

• To be encouraged to investigate different jobs and careers and what they mean in terms of lifestyle, budgeting and a good work life balance and develop economic awareness
• To be encouraged to challenge stereotypes within the world of work and traditional job roles
• To be provided with a wide range of opportunities to engage with a range of local business, FE and training providers
• To further develop economic awareness and be encouraged to think about employability, which careers appeal to them and to identify and set themselves realistic future goals
• To complete work experience an extended work experience placement
• To develop interview techniques and complete mock interviews with local employers
• To have at least two careers interviews
• To be supported with post 19 choices and encouraged to consider all their options including further study and apprenticeships
• To be encouraged to think about the kind of behaviour potential employers look for

An important part of the careers programme is its regular evaluation and reviewing process. By performing evaluations, it will allow Meadowfield School to develop this policy and keep up-to-date with national changes to Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG).

Through verbal/written feedback and assessment observations from work experience placements, we will be able to assess the impact of our careers programme and be able to work with students, parents, carers and employers to make our programme suitable and relevant.

Please see our 6th Form section for more information regarding Work Experience, Transition and Moving On for our students.

Work Experience, Transition & Moving On