Introduction

Furze Platt Senior School aims to ensure that when young people complete their school education, whether at 16 or 18, they are ready for life. As a result, preparing our young people for their future, both for the next steps after Furze Platt Senior School and for the longer term, is at the heart of everything we do. The school provides a range of opportunities and experiences designed to give students the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully make informed decisions about their next steps and future careers, and then to take their place in the world of work.

 

Gatsby Benchmarks

The school embraces the Gatsby Benchmarks - eight benchmarks that are considered to be the core dimensions of good careers and enterprise provision in schools:

 

• A stable careers programme
• Learning from career and labour market information
• Addressing the needs of each pupil
• Linking curriculum learning to careers
• Encounters with employers and employees
• Experiences of workplaces
• Encounters with further and higher education
• Personal guidance

www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/schools-colleges/gatsby-benchmarks 

 

Careers Education Lessons at Furze Platt Senior School

Careers education lessons are delivered through PSHE lessons in Years 7-11 and through PSHE and tutorials in the Sixth Form. These lessons cover many of the building blocks of careers education, including why it is important to think about future careers and aspirations, how this links to curriculum subjects, how to find out information about jobs and careers, labour market information, what qualifications are needed and how to develop and market employability skills.  

 

 

Further careers education provision at Furze Platt Senior School

Impartial careers advice and guidance

Students in Years 9-13 have the opportunity for a careers guidance meeting with one of our careers advisers. We have two qualified careers advisers, Mrs Bubb and Mrs Beale, who both have the required Level 6 Diploma in Careers Guidance and Development. Form tutors also mentor their students about their future plans. In Year 11, a record is kept of students’ careers aspirations and plans for after Year 11 so that support can be offered if required.

Work Experience

In the summer term, all Year 10 students have a three-day work experience placement and all Year 12 students have a five-day placement.  Most go out to a workplace for their work experience while others do an online-work virtual placement.  As far as possible, students find their own placements.  Students, parents and employers use Unifrog to arrange the placement. 

Careers and Higher Education Fair

Since 2013 the school has held an annual Career and Higher Education Fair (CHEF) although we were unable to hold the event in 2019 due to building work or in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic; from 2021 we have been delighted to be able to hold the event again at school as usual.

CHEF is open to all students from Years 9-13 and their parents, and regularly sees around 25 universities attending, along with 50 businesses, social enterprises and companies. Students have the opportunity to engage with employers and university representatives and ask questions about higher education and a wide range of careers.

CHEF is open to all students from Years 9-13 and their parents, and regularly sees around 25 universities attending, along with 50 businesses, social enterprises and companies. Students have the opportunity to engage with employers and university representatives and ask questions about higher education and a wide range of careers.

 

Encounters with Universities

 Year 10 – we aim to take Year 10 students to visit a university to see them first-hand and find out about the benefits of higher education and raise aspirations.  The universities students have visited in recent years include Bucks New University, Oxford Brookes University, Univeristy of Reading, Royal Hollowa University of London, University of Sussex and University of Surrey.

Year 12 &13 – Sixth Form students have a variety of opportunities to experience universities (see separate section on Sixth Form careers opportunities).

  

Encounters with Local Colleges

All students are made aware of our local colleges through their careers education lessons, particularly in Years 10 and 11, and are encouraged to attend open days if they are interested in finding out more. The colleges attend our Careers and Higher Education Fair, giving students in Year 9 and above the chance to find out what they offer.  Students in Years 10 or 11 have the opportunity to visit a college to take part in a taster day. Our local colleges include BCA, Slough & Langley College, Windsor College, Henley College and Reading College.  

Year 12 &13 students are made aware of the Higher Education courses on offer at local colleges as an alternative to university. 

Those who decide to apply to college are given support when choosing courses, applying to college and considering logistical issues including transportation.

 

Technical Pathways and Apprenticeships

Students are encouraged to consider technical pathways and apprenticeships as an option at the end of Key Stage 4 or Key Stage 5 as well as the more traditional academic routes. We aim to invite organisations who offer such pathways into school to speak to students.

Information about apprenticeships, including information for parents, can be found here: https://www.amazingapprenticeships.com/

 

Employer engagement opportunities

We value the opportunity for our students to find out about careers and the world of work by hearing from, or working with, local businesses and employers. We would very much like to increase the number of opportunities we can give students to engage with employers and so would be interested to hear from any local company or business that would like to get involved and work with us and our students.

Recent examples of employer engagement include:

• Merlin Entertainments – Business and Travel and Tourism departments
• National Trust – Travel &Tourism department
• Hays Travel – Travel &Tourism department
• Thames Valley Police – Criminology department

• Prime Minister’s Office – Politics department
• Glaxo Smith Kline – Science department
• UCB Pharmaceuticals - Science department
• SATRO – Construction department
• Shanly Homes - Construction department

• Achieving for Children (health visitors) – Child Development department
• Furze Platt Junior School –  Duke of Edinburgh Awards
• Furze Platt Infant School –  Duke of Edinburgh Award
• Maidenhead Repair Café –  Duke of Edinburgh Award
• Filling Good – Duke of Edinburgh Award
• Thames Hospice Charity Shop – Duke of Edinburgh Award

 

Labour Market Information(LMI)

Labour Market Information for Berkshire

The Thames Valley Berkshire LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) regularly carries out research into labour market information for Berkshire. This includes information about Berkshire’s largest employers, the sort of jobs likely to be available, employability skills needed, particular skills shortages, qualifications needed, etc. Here is the most recent  information https://www.thamesvalleyberkshire.co.uk/getfile/careers-in-berkshire-labour-market-information-2023.pdf

 

Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme

This award is offered at Bronze (Year 9), Silver (Year 10) and Gold (Year 12) levels. In addition, we offer the award to some students as part of their alternative curriculum. There are four aspects to the scheme: developing a skill, physical activity, volunteering and organising, taking part in and leading an expedition. At Gold level, students also have to undertake a substantial residential project. Students develop their confidence, teamwork, resourcefulness, resilience and communication skills, and they also have the opportunity to gain work experience to support their volunteering section.  The award is highly valued by employers.

Further details can be found on our website here or at https://www.dofe.org

 

Further information about the Sixth Form careers programme

For further information about the Sixth Form careers programme contact Mrs Claire Beale, Sixth Form Careers Leader, Claire.Beale@furzeplatt.net

In the Sixth Form, throughout the academic year we organise talks and assemblies with a range of different professionals talking about their careers, as well as our Mock Interviews in July where students are interviewed by an external professional (ideally matched when possible to their interests and aspirations for the future). Finally, we also offer advice and guidance on Gap Years. The weekly Sixth Form Newsletter’s Careers section advertises any local work opportunities such as volunteering, part-time work and full-time work post Sixth Form.

Universities – students considering applying to Oxbridge will visit Brasenose College at the University of Oxford and also attend a workshop on writing personal statements for Oxbridge and Russell Group universities. Those hoping to study Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science will also attend a workshop about the UCAT test. Those considering a career in the creative industry are invited to go on a trip to the UCAS Create Your Future Event at the Excel Centre where they can see the range of courses available in that sector. The weekly Sixth Form newsletters' Careers section covers useful advice on University Open Days, ways to boost personal statements with super-curricular activities, and advice on things such as student loans and studying abroad.

Local Colleges – students have the opportunity to attend a talk on HNCs and HNDs by local providers. The weekly Sixth Form newsletters' Careers section covers useful advice on college Open Days.

Apprenticeships – students have the opportunity to attend the annual National Apprenticeship Show. The Sixth Form also organises talks on apprenticeships with companies such as Zenopa, GSK and Bayer with current apprentices. Those considering a career in the creative industry are invited to go on a trip to the UCAS Create Your Future Event at the Excel Centre where they can encounter employers in that sector. The weekly Sixth Form newsletters' Careers section will promote Insight Talks on apprenticeships and apprenticeship opportunities.

 

Evaluation and Review of Careers Programme  

The careers programme is evaluated in several ways:

• Analysis of school’s destinations data for Year 11 and Year 13 students, with a focus on ensuring the fewest number of students possible are NEET (not in education, employment or training).
• Governor evaluation of careers provision.
• Regular self-evaluation against the Gatsby Benchmark using the online evaluation tool, Compass+
• Feedback from students, teachers, parents and visitors about careers activities via questionnaires and written comments.

Various aspects of the careers programme are evaluated separately. For example, students provide feedback on their careers education lessons, careers interviews, visitors’ presentations, university visits and any other careers event they experience.  Students, parents, visiting employers and university representatives all provide feedback on the Careers and Higher Education Fair.

All our careers information, systems and processes are updated regularly with an annual in-depth review. The next review is due in April 2026.

 

 Useful Websites

General careers information  

https://www.careersoft.co.uk/Products/Job_Explorer_Database/  Job Explorer Database (JED), lots of accessible information about over 850 different jobs and a career-matching quiz. To use all features of JED requires the school access code; students will be shown how to access in careers education lessons. 

https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/  Information, advice and guidance to help make decisions on learning, training and work.

https://www.unifrog.org/ For research about universities, careers and apprenticeships and to record skills and achievements. Students will set up their own accounts in PSHE lessons from Year 7.

https://icould.com/ Real stories and videos to inspire. Gives a first-hand view of jobs and ideas from accountants to zookeepers.

www.careersbox.co.uk short films showing hundreds of real people doing real jobs. 

Apprenticeships

https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship Live apprenticeship opportunities and information on how to register and apply.

https://www.amazingapprenticeships.com/

https://www.ratemyapprenticeship.co.uk/  Website where current apprentices can rate and review the apprenticeships

University

https://www.ucas.com/ Information about all the university courses on offer in the UK. 

https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/ Information about universities.

https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/ Information about universities.

https://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/ Information about the 24 Russell Group universities .

http://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/ Information about alternatives to going to university.

Gap Year Information

https://www.ucas.com/discover/gap-year/yipiyap-redefining-gap-year

https://www.wheretherebedragons.com/

https://www.livingcityproject.com/

https://projecttrust.org.uk/

https://tiltingfutures.org/

Duke of Edinburgh Award

 https://www.dofe.org/ Duke of Edinburgh Award. Highly valued by employers, this award develops confidence, teamwork, resourcefulness, resilience and communication skills.

Labour Market Information

https://www.thamesvalleyberkshire.co.uk/getfile/careers-in-berkshire-labour-market-information-2023.pdf

https://help.open.ac.uk/research-labour-market/labour-market-information