Dear Parents/Carers,

Year 10 Parents’ Information Evening, Wednesday 23rd September, 6.00 - 7.00pm, Main School Hall.

The start of Key Stage 4 – and the beginning of your son’s journey towards their GCSE examinations – is clearly a very important milestone for them. Moreover, this is a period of your son’s schooling where the support of parents is critical.

With that in mind, on Wednesday 23rd September we will be running an information evening for all parents/ carers of Year 10 students. A number of key staff will talk through a range of important points, including:

- An overview of the GCSE journey – what does the next two years involve?

- Pastoral care, school systems, wellbeing – what will we do as a school? What can you do as a parent? How do we communicate with students and parents?

- Independent study – what are we telling the boys to do? How can you support them with this?

This is aimed at informing and supporting parents. As such, students themselves need not attend. We look forward to welcoming you on Wednesday 23rd at 6pm.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Webber

Deputy Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

At Richard Challoner School, we are committed to providing our students with high-quality, impartial Careers Education, Information, Advice, and Guidance (CEIAG) to ensure they have the best resources available to plan for their futures.

Careers support is integrated throughout the school year via curriculum lessons, dedicated events, our careers library, and tailored support from our Careers Lead and CEIAG Advisor, Mrs Stansbridge. While individual guidance begins primarily with Year 11 students preparing for post-16 choices, all year groups (Years 7–13) receive targeted opportunities at key points in their school journey.

What to Expect for Year 10

• Tutorial Careers Unit: Focuses on preparing for Key Stage 4 transitions and post-16 planning. Students will reflect on their first year of GCSEs, revision strategies, and end-of-year assessments.

• 1-to-1 & Small Group Appointments: Commencing in the Summer Term. Invitations will be sent directly to student email accounts. Please encourage your son to check his emails regularly.

• Virtual Work Experience: Opportunities will be made available to broaden workplace exposure (including scheduled sessions during the February half-term).

• As students return to school in September of year 11 they will take part in 3 days in person work experience. This will be at a placement sourced themselves. All paperwork will need to be handed in before the summer holidays.

• National Campaigns: Interactive sessions for National Apprenticeship Week (February) and National Careers Week (March).

-Xello Platform: Used throughout the year on iPads for self-assessment and career exploration. Parent portal details will be shared once available.

How You Can Get Involved

Introducing future planning early helps students explore their strengths and make informed decisions. In addition to pastoral time and drop-in access to the Careers Office, we regularly host guest speakers and industry professionals to inspire students and connect learning to the working world.

If you can support these activities by giving a talk, representing your company/industry, or sharing your career story, please complete our brief Parent Support Google Form. Click Here

Next Steps & Contact Information

Please take this opportunity to discuss future aspirations with your son at home. For regular updates on events and parent resources, visit our School Careers Page Click Here

If you have questions or would like to speak to the Careers Department, please contact us at careersiag@richarchalloner.com. I will write to you again with a further update later in the academic year.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs L Stansbridge

CEIAG Lead (Careers Education, Information, Advice, and Guidance) Yours sincerely,