Careers
Bishop Challoner Catholic Secondary School has an on-going commitment to ensuring that all our students have access to good quality impartial careers advice, thereby ensuring that each student has the best possible foundation on which to base their future choices and pathways.
It is the policy of this school that all pupils should be given the opportunity to:
- Know and understand themselves better and develop their capabilities.
- Investigate education, training and career opportunities.
- Implement their career plans by making informed choices, in a supportive atmosphere, about their own continuing education and training.
Our careers team offer a wide range of activities and resources, which help our students make good informed decisions about their future as they progress through the school.
Careers lead: Mrs S Roberts
Careers support: Mrs E Darling
They can be contacted on careers@bcs.hants.sch.uk or by calling the school office.
Sample programme of extra-curricular career activities
The table below shows the range of extra-curricular activities and events carried out for each year group during an academic year.
This will vary slightly year on year and does not include subject specific activities or those aimed to meet specific individual needs.
DUE TO COVID VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL AND EXTERNAL VISITS ARE CURRENTLY NOT POSSIBLE. WE ARE INSTEAD COMPLETING A RANGE OF VIRTUAL EVENTS.
| Year group |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
| Autumn term |
Assembly on life after Challoner
Winchester university workshops (Successful Start)
|
National enterprise day |
Career pilot
Work place visits
Engineering Employer Workshop in school
|
One to one careers interviews
Maths Meets Medicine (Reading Uni)
Choices Performance (probably in Y9 if again) |
College assemblies
Mock interview evening
Pre NEET intervention |
| Spring Term |
Cadet Taster Session |
Health reach day
LMI lessons |
Work place visits
Careers fair ( Basingstoke consortium)
Business Speed Networking
LMI lesson |
One to one careers interviews
Work Place Visit
LMI lessons
|
College interviews |
| Summer term |
|
|
3 workshops on Skills Strengths Interests
One to one careers interviews(NCOP students)
Work place visits
School Careers Fair
TEEN TECH
Big Bang
|
CV building
Writing a personal statement
One to one careers interviews
School Careers Fair
BCOT Taster Day |
|
Information for Employers
Bishop Challoner Catholic secondary school is committed to creating and maintaining quality relationships with employers from the local area and has a number of links with a range of different companies who support the school in issues related to careers advice and guidance. This support ranges from STEM activities to career insights as well as attendance at career fairs and enterprise days.
Any employer wishing to discuss how they can get involved should contact Mrs Evelyn Darling in the first instance either by emailing evelyn.darling@bcs.hants.sch.uk or calling 01256 462661.
Information for Teachers
All teaching staff at Bishop Challoner Catholic secondary school are committed to embedding careers information into the curriculum. In addition to this, all staff are involved in career related PSHE lessons. Year group tutors deliver a programme of activities on a range of topics, including careers, during tutor time and control the feedback forms completed after all career related activities. Staff undergo training in aspects of careers Gatsby Benchmarks regularly.
Information for Students and parents
The Library
The library holds a wide selection of college prospectuses and career option information. This literature is constantly updated and available for students to take home as they please.
School Careers Advisor
Michael Stockwell is in school every Tuesday holding 1:1 Post 16 Option advice sessions for year 10 and 11 students in their final 12 months at school. Although all students will be offered an appointment, students may request appointment by speak to either Mrs Roberts, Mrs Darling or though their tutor.
Post 16
Y10 Summer Term
College Open Evenings are advertised in tutor time, on the school website and on posters on Careers Notice board and Career area within the library in preparation for Y11 college applications.
BCOT hold Taster Days for students to attend and students attend on a voluntary basis.
Student receive a one to one careers session with are career adviser Michael Stockwell.
Y11 Autumn Term
College/Apprenticeship Assemblies given by all local colleges, QMC, BCOT, Peter Symonds, Andover and Sparshot.
We advertise the open Evenings dates in tutor time, posters around school and on the school website. In addition to this the colleges attend Y10/11 Parents Evenings.
College application are completed by the students in their own time, however, QMC and BCOT provide application workshops for students at lunchtime (in school) to support them with the process if needed.
For those students who are still unsure of their path, they are offered a second Careers adviser interview.
This year due to COVID-19 restrictions, students have power point presentations/youtube videos from colleges instead of assemblies and all the colleges are providing virtual open evenings.
Measuring & Assessing the Impact of the Careers Programme
After each careers event we obtain student, staff and visitor feedback. This is evaluated for future reference and feedback acted on. This information is then feed into the action plan for the following academic year.
Writing a personal statement
- Careers Education & Guidance
- Careers Provider Access Policy
- Pupil Career Entitlements Outcomes
- Careers Events
- Careers at BCS
Apprenticeship Advice & Guidance
The information in the above guide really breaks down the steps students need to take to try and secure an employer for their apprenticeship. The guide is aimed at parents to help them know what they can do to support a child wanting to do an apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships – Everything You Need to Know
New ASK Offer Explainer Film
BCoT Aspiral Q & A
The South Central Ambulance Service are delighted to let you know that they will be holding virtual open days in January for students to attend. The events will cover the main departments including 111 & 999 Call Centres. Patient Transport Service and Frontline Operations Click here
Independent Student Opportunities
sun discover your future
Air Traffic Control… Demystified!
College Information
Careers Programme
YEAR 7, 8 & 9
- We aim to help all pupils develop skills, attitudes and abilities which will enable them to be effective in a variety of adult occupations and roles, and improve their employability.
- Pupils in KS3 will have the opportunity to have company visits, employability workshops, and enterprise activities. This exposure to a wide range of opportunities helps them to focus on the type of career they would like to follow and the pathways needed to support that.
- Pupils will work with the careers team (the careers coordinator, head of year and tutors) regularly discuss/monitor/evaluate the programme as necessary working alongside with the Basingstoke Consortium who provide the school with our independent careers advice.
- Each pupil can have the opportunity on request to discuss their career aspirations with a careers advisor and is given the knowledge and support to make informed choices for their KS4 pathways.
- All students will have the opportunity to attend employability workshops at school or in a local workplace that follows with their indicated career interests.
- A variety of careers talks will take place inviting guest speakers to come into assemblies and classes.
- KS4 Pathways Evening – An evening with the Senior Leadership Team and Curriculum Leaders to discuss appropriate pathways for GCSE’s.
- Enterprise Day for Y8 students.
- University Trips – Reading & Winchester Inspiring the Future
Year 10 & 11
- During KS4 each pupil will have at least 1 careers interview and are given the knowledge and support to make informed choices for their post 16 pathway.
- All Y10 & Y11 pupils will have College, apprenticeship and employability skills presentations to assist them to make informed choices about their future pathways.
- During Y10 each pupil will be involved in a Job application sessions in preparation for their mock interview in Y11.
- Pupils in KS4 will have the opportunity to have company visits, employability workshops, and enterprise activities. This exposure to a wide range of opportunities helps them to focus on the type of career they would like to follow and the pathways needed to support that.
- All our year 11 pupils follow our Mock Interview Evening programme, during which they learn self-assessment, self-presentation and interview skills. The programme culminates in our Mock Interview Evening, during which all pupils are interviewed and debriefed by a representative from the world of work. Once again, they are able to use their interviewers’ feedback to assess their own learning.
- We help our year 11 pupils to successfully make the transition from KS4 to post 16 college/training/work through visits to and from our local colleges/training providers, and they are available to parents at our year 11 parents evening.
- Exam Preparation Workshops.
Our school has been awarded the Investor in Careers Award. This award recognises the hard work and determination of all staff in ensuring that the highest quality Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) is being delivered to all students within the school.
The ‘Investor in Careers’ mark is a nationally recognised quality standard that shows we are educating and providing guidance related to pupils’ futures. We were assessed over our ability to inform pupils about the wealth of careers in the world and their future options after school. We received high praise across the school and were able to demonstrate that we have a comprehensive careers programme for all pupils. The school was showcased at a panel presentation as a leading provider of careers education and ten pupils successfully spoke to an expert about their experiences.
Very few schools achieve this high accolade and we are working hard to ensure we maintain these high standards. We were commended for our deep learning days, school policy, college links, mock interview evening, STEM opportunities as well as our whole school approach. The pupils who met with the assessor explained how the school was helping them become confident and independent young adults who are prepared to go on to college or work placements after they leave school.
We will continue to strive to improve and demonstrate our commitment to providing high quality, independent and personalised careers education for all pupils, preparing them for the demands of adult life.
- IIC Stage 1 Certificate
- IIC Stage 2 Certificate
- IIC Stage 3 Certificate
Finding a career to suit: Encourage your child to research the type of career that they would like. Help them to find out and consider the necessary qualifications, location, salary, career progression and working conditions.
Career planning: where to start: Help your child to think about and list their interests inside and outside of school including voluntary work, travelling and specialist courses.
Exploring types of careers: Information about careers in particular industries can be obtained either through our career advisor or using online support such as Eclips, icould and Careersbox. Encourage your child to talk to a variety of adults who have pursued different career paths.
Help with career planning: Talking to a careers adviser will help our students to focus, both internal for Year 9 students and external for Year 10 students. Check that your child knows when these opportunities arise.
By the time students leave Bishop Challoner they will have developed the skills and confidence to make decisions and take responsibility for their future. Working together in partnership with parents we hope that every child will find not just a job but a vocation in life which will value their talents and aspirations.
Useful websites
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The National Careers Service provides information, advice and guidance to help you make decisions on learning, training and work opportunities. The service offers confidential and impartial advice. This is supported by qualified careers advisers.
The National Careers Service website aims to:
- help you with careers decisions and planning
- support you in reviewing your skills and abilities and develop new goals
- motivate you to implement your plan of action
- enable you to make the best use of high quality career related tools.
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Careersbox is a free online library of careers related film, news and information. As the preferred digital new media partner to the Institute of Career Guidance, the largest careers body in the UK, Careersbox aim is to deliver a new way for students to explore their skills and career options. |
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Plotr is a website created to help 11-24 year olds discover and explore careers they’ll love.
It’s built around the Game which uncovers careers matched to their skills, interests and personality. |
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LifeSkills, created with Barclays, is a free, curriculum-linked programme, developed with teachers to help improve the skills and employability of young people in the UK. |
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icould has a range of video clips showing real people talking about their jobs and careers. |
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Plan your study & work. Your choices at 14, 16 and 18, explore different job sectors and how you can study and work at the same time – even to university level. |
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Success at School is the place for young people to explore careers, get the lowdown on top employers, and search for the latest jobs, courses and advice. |
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The study guide section within youthspace contains a range of information including help on making options choices in Year 9, post 16 options, and getting into higher education. |
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Central Governments dedicated apprenticeship website has a whole range of information to help young people decide if Apprenticeships are the right route for them. You can also search for apprenticeship vacancies. |
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Changes to Informed Choices guidance for Post 16 choices.
To ensure as many students and parents as possible have access to Informed Choices, we are moving the guidance onto a new website that will go live in the coming weeks: www.informedchoices.ac.uk. |
