Our Vision

Careers : Our Vision

At Northampton School for Girls we recognise that an effective careers programme can help prepare young people for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences that lie ahead. In addition to the careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) delivered by staff and external careers advisors, we run events throughout the year that involve representatives from businesses and other organisations. This includes working closely with Shaw Trust to deliver our careers guidance and South Midlands Careers Hub (SMCH) to provide up to date local information.

Our careers programme is carefully crafted to equip all students with accurate, extensive and impartial guidance in order for them to make informed choices about their future career options. By providing purpose, direction and opportunities, our approach enables students, regardless of their background, to flourish as individuals, become highly employable and achieve personal and economic wellbeing throughout their lives. 

From Year 7 to Year 13, equal importance is places on our careers provision, ensuring it is tailored to each student’s individual needs. NSG'S careers programme is fully integrated into the curriculum, including in PSHE, at each key stage.  Enterprise and citizenship skills are a focus for tutor time, assemblies and year group activities. These are then developed further during our annual Applied Week. 

By integrating careers into the day-to-day life at NSG, we raise each student’s aspirations and make clear the different career pathways available to them. The careers curriculum also equips our students with expertise and personal qualities such as: social skills, confidence, resilience, adaptability, compassion, assertiveness and cultural capital. Through developing these skills, students are equipped to navigate an increasingly competitive world.

Our structured CEIAG programme focuses on the following areas of provision:

• Developing skills and raising student aspirations

• Analysing individual strengths and weaknesses

• Considering equality of opportunity in careers and making informed life choices

• Exploring employability skills and knowing the importance of online presence

• Identifying strengths, career options and goal setting as part of the GCSE options process

• Understanding how to access and be prepared for the world of work

• Knowing how to research careers information and different pathways

• Bookable sessions with an independent and impartial careers advisor who meets with students in small groups or one-to-one meetings to guide them in making well-informed decisions about their future

• Mentors who work with post 16 students to guide their choices and decisions for life beyond NSG

• Understanding the importance of work-related skills, enterprise activities, voluntary opportunities, work placements and meeting a wide range of local and national employers and agencies

All students at NSG have access to Unifrog, the complete destinations platform. Unirog offers an abundance of guidance for students, parents and teachers, in order to compare available opportunities and make informed decisions. Additionally, Unifrog supports tutors and our careers advisors to carefully match opportunities to individual interests and aspirations. We encourage our students to explore the different pathways at Post 16, including apprenticeships, training, further education, and other Sixth Form providers. 

In our Sixth Form, we focus on providing the knowledge that students require to make the right decision for their future. This includes attending a national careers fair where they can explore the benefits of university compared to an apprenticeship or direct entry into the job market. At school, our students are supported through a strong PSHE programme and tailored careers advice ensures that students feel supported to confident in their career aspirations.

We fully endorse the Gatsby Benchmarks and use them to guide, plan and monitor the effectiveness of our careers programme. This includes:

1. A stable careers programme

2. Learning from career and labour market information

3. Addressing the needs of each pupil

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

Useful Information

NSG Careers Hub

The NSG Careers Hub has been designed for students and parents to easily access a range of information. This includes information about career pathways, both within NSG and beyond, and opportunities that are currently available for the students.

Our Alumni

We welcome the opportunity to hear from any of our former students that would be interested in supporting our work. If you are an alumni of NSG and would like to participate in any of our careers events, please complete our alumni form through this link. 

If you feel that you, or your organisation, would be able to contribute to any of these events, or to other areas of our careers programme, please complete the ‘Can you help?’ form on the NSG Careers Hub. 

This provision is coordinated by our Careers Lead Sarah Harle. Miss Harle can be contacted via email (sharle@nsg.northants.sch.uk) or call 01604 679540. Opportunities for access can be found in our Provider Access Policy.