Careers

For all careers enquiries email

rsmith@stmcomprehensive.org

Tel: 020 8850 6700 Ext. 0261

St Thomas More wants pupils to be able to make independent, well-informed decisions about their futures.
Together with their curriculum studies, our careers programme seeks to implement this aim via a range of careers activities designed to give pupils the wherewithal to make sensible choices. St Thomas More is guided by the Department for Education’s recent Careers Strategy: making the most of everyone’s skill and talents, and by the eight “Gatsby Benchmarks” denoting excellence in careers education:

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

During their time at St Thomas More, students are presented with a series of opportunities and challenges intended to broaden their outlook. Students’ experiences are tailored to meet the needs of broader career pathways. A mix of tutorial activities, workshops, Drop-down days, presentations, university and workplace visits, work experience and careers fairs, alongside personalised academic mentoring ensures that all students are focused on career pathways from the start of their time in the school. The curriculum prepares students for adult life and equips them to access the opportunities it offers.

All students have opportunities to learn about access to alternative routes to employment, 
including vocational qualification and apprenticeship, as required by the Provider Access Legislation (PAL)

A few examples of our offer to pupils:

• All year 10’s attend one week’s Work Experience in school with visits and talks from a range of people and professions
• In-school PHSE event for Year 10, enabling face-to-face discussions with apprenticeship providers, employers, universities, and colleges
• In-school post-16 Information Day for Year 11 (and parents) to discuss possible destinations following school with apprenticeship providers, 6^th forms, grammar schools, and local colleges
• Small group visits to local post-16 education providers for Year 11
• Parents Evening (with careers support) in Year 8 to help choose Options
• Visit to national careers event for Year 11

At key points of transition, pupils are supported by Alex More, our postgraduate-qualified Careers Adviser from The Shaw Trust (formerly PROSPECTS). This means that in Year 8 (Options) and in Year 11 (post-16), pupils have the opportunity of an individual guidance interview with an impartial adviser to talk through their choices. A summary careers action plan is then produced for the pupil, and their Year Head. Parents are welcomed to these interviews.

Careers co-ordinator is Ms Rebecca Smith. Rebecca co-ordinates and directs the careers offer at St Thomas More.

She can be contacted at: rsmith@stmcomprehensive.org and on 0208 331 2424

The Gatsby Benchmarks

We have used these 8 benchmarks to review and focus our own provision for Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance:

1.  A stable careers programme.
2.  Learning from career and labour market information.
3. Addressing the needs of each student.
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers.
5. Encounters with employers and employees.
6. Experiences of workplaces.
7. Encounters with further and higher education.
8. Personal guidance.
   
   We measure and assess the impact of the careers programme by student evaluation of their careers guidanceView our Careers Policy

Careers Programme Year 7

Careers Programme Year 8

Careers Programme Year 9

Careers Programme Year 10

Careers Programme Year 11