Careers
Information, Advice & guidance
Our Careers Service offers support, advice and guidance to all students and their parents/carers. It is a friendly, confidential and impartial service. Whether you know exactly what you aspire to do or have no idea, we can support you in a wide range of topics from choosing GCSEs, Sixth Form options, Further and Higher Education, Apprenticeships, the labour market or taking a gap year.
Mrs Pascoe, Head of Careers, is currently studying for the Level 6 Career Guidance and Development qualification and has 20 years of experience in private sector recruitment and working in further education before moving to Writhlington School in 2014. She now works across the MAT - working at Writhlington School, Beechen Cliff School, Norton Hill School, MSN Sixth and Mendip Studio School.
We offer the opportunity for students to take part in a wide range of careers and super curricular activities throughout the year and can arrange one-to-one appointments to help with career choices. We use year group specific Careers Google Classrooms to promote opportunities to students and parents receive an update summary of this information at the end of every week.
We are committed to providing our students in Years 7 to 13 with a comprehensive, impartial programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) and work related learning (WRL).
All students take part in a careers programme that:
Aims to inspire as well as inform and guide students
Is centred around the student and their needs
Is integrated into the students’ experience of the whole curriculum
Encourages all students to consider their career throughout Key Stages 3, 4 and 5
Encourages all students to develop decision making skills
Provides each student with high quality, impartial advice
Raises aspirations and promotes equality and diversity
Parents & Carers eBook - Preview.pdfShould I choose the subjects that I enjoy the most?
Do choose a course because:
you are good at it and think you will enjoy the subject
it links to a career idea
it will go well with your other choices
it will help you develop knowledge and skills that interest you
you think that you might want to continue studying it after Year 11
your research shows that it will interest you and motivate you
Don’t choose a course just because:
your friends have chosen it (you may not be in the same group)
someone else thinks it’s a good idea (you need to have a commitment to it)
you like the teacher you have now (you may not have the same teacher)
Can I begin to study a subject which I have not taken before?
Most subjects at Key Stage 4 will build on previous study of the same subjects. There are, however, some courses which are new, offering subjects which have not been available in Y7 - Y9 (eg Health & Social Care, Business). You may wish to consider one or more of these, but you need to be sure that you know what is involved. Just because it is new does not mean that it will be any easier! If you’re not sure then talk to a teacher of the subject concerned and ask for advice.
Can I take a subject at Advanced Level without studying it at Key Stage 4 (GCSE or Equivalent)?
Yes. There are some subjects which you can take at Advanced Level which you don’t have to have done before. These include Business, Economics, Psychology and Sociology. There may be other exceptional circumstances but, in most cases, students will be expected to have a qualification in the subject before selecting it for study at Advanced Level. If in doubt seek further advice from a teacher of the subject concerned.
What if I am uncertain about my career plans?
There is no need to worry at this stage if you don’t yet have a career in mind. If you have no career plans it is wise to choose courses which keep open as many opportunities as possible. Simply remember that it is most important to achieve a good balance in the subjects chosen. Future employers will look for a person who is flexible and adaptable to changing situations.
Careers Guidance is available to all students; individual students and parents can request additional careers support at any time where this is felt to be necessary.
Ask yourself:
Which subjects are most important for me at this stage?
Is my proposed choice of subjects a well-balanced one?
If my career aim changes, will my subject choice still be suitable?
Does my choice of subjects close any career path which I may wish to follow?
Am I likely to change my ideas as I grow older?
Useful websites
Your choices at 14, 16 and 18, explore different job sectors, subject choices, post 16 and post 18 options
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 and enable you to make the best use of high quality career related tools.
Gov website providing information about apprenticeships.
Created to help 11-24 year olds discover and explore careers they’ll love.
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.
Has a quizz - Buzz Quiz and a range of video clips showing real people talking about their jobs and careers.
Is the place for young people to explore careers, get the lowdown on top employers, and search for the latest jobs, courses and advice.