Careers & Work Experience
Welcome to the WGSG careers information page. We recognise the importance of careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) and ensure that throughout the year, students have opportunities to engage positively with their futures, both in terms of increasing expectations and exploring the best routes into the careers that interest them. In line with the Department for Education guidance, we have a coordinated programme of careers support designed around the Gatsby Benchmarks and CDI Framework to offer a coherent programme embedded within school structures. Our CEIAG programme includes the following elements.
- Careers Education is a planned and progressive programme across the school curriculum. A range of practical careers enterprise and employability activities ensure students have knowledge about careers and exposure to the world of work. This helps students to develop knowledge and skills to understand themselves, research all of the opportunities available, make informed decisions, and move successfully on to the next stage. As part of the school’s commitment to students’ development, careers learning is within subjects across the curriculum, linking curriculum learning with careers and work related elements, whilst highlighting the relevance of STEM subjects.
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Careers Information on the full range of options available in education, training and work. The progression opportunities that follow those options is provided through a range of media including: books, leaflets, posters, software, websites, helplines, careers convention, visits from colleges, universities, apprenticeship providers and businesses. We ensure pupils are aware of the subject choices, experience and qualifications needed to pursue different career options. This includes using career and labour market information (LMI) to help students to understand the opportunities for different jobs across different sectors.
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Careers Advice helps students interpret information and apply it to their own situation. Career Guidance is the in-depth support provided to help students explore their education & training options and make informed choices that are best for them.
We provide opportunities for independent & impartial careers guidance, tailored to meet the needs of the student and address the different career guidance required at different stages.
We also provide students with access to external sources of careers advice such as the careers fair, employer talks, university visits, access to careers websites & telephone and helpline services
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Experience of work & engagement with employers offers opportunities to learn about work & the skills valued in the work place.
We ensure all students have experience of the world of work in some form and offer work shadowing in Year 10 & work experience in Year 11 & 12 to inform future career choices.
Employers also enhance our careers education programme by running workshops, and supporting enterprise activities, plus offering work experience and work shadowing placements.
We also arrange meets with further and higher education providers, and apprenticeship providers, to ensure pupils understand the full range of learning opportunities available to them.
Evaluation of our programme is demonstrated through the school maintaining the Investors in Careers Award, given in recognition of our commitment to CEIAG, and our destination data providing comparable information on the school’s success. Details on our destinations are available on the WG6 website.
Contact us
Mrs Martin, smartin@wgsgs.co.uk, coordinates the career programme, with support from Mrs Tiddy, who is a member of the senior leadership team. Our CEIAG programme and related information is reviewed annually, however information may be revised throughout the year to reflect new regulations. The date of the next review is June 2019.
We value input from parent/carers, businesses or former students so if you are willing to contribute to our careers programme please email the school at office@wgsg.co.uk
Websites for all year groups
All young people and their parents can access free impartial advice (online, by phone or email) from experienced advisers at the National Careers Service from 8.00am to 10.00pm seven days a week |
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Fast Tomato helps you to identify your interests, attitudes and motivations to highlight personally tailored career ideas |
icould includes 1000 films of personal career stories, across all occupations |
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Explore careers and how to get in – with or without a degree |
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Check out hundreds of career video interviews for careers inspiration and information from young people who do the jobs |
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Careersbox is a video library of over 300 job profiles as well as case studies of people working in a range of different jobs |
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On Lloyds Banking Group’s Careers Hub you’ll find advice, activities, inspiration and quizzes, all designed to help you make choices and discover what matters to you |
Quizzes and questionnaires
For all ages...... |
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The Buzz Quiz will find out what makes you tick and what jobs might appeal to you. |
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Fast Tomato helps you to identify your interests, attitudes and motivations to highlight personally tailored career ideas |
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This ‘Career Test’ will ask you a simple series of questions and then suggest five industry sectors you should explore in more detail, such as engineering, media or law |
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Take the Career Mapper quiz to find out what jobs in the NHS might suit you. |
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For students researching post-18 options... |
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Take the free Study Interests Questionnaire to generate degree course suggestions based on your answers |
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A free image based quiz designed as a quick way for students to start researching Higher Education and future careers. |
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Join thousands of students and graduates who have matched their skills and personality to more than 400+ job profiles |
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Use Kent University’s Careers Explorer to compare your skills, interests and values against common graduate jobs |
Work experience and volunteering
Information about hundreds of work placements for GCSE and A Level students, ranging in length from one day to two weeks |
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Work experience guidelines for applicants to medicine from the Medical Schools Council |
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Tips from St George’s Medical School for getting good work experience |
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Find the perfect volunteering opportunity just for you |
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A guide to help you find out what is possible and how to begin volunteering |
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Read our tips for securing some great work experience to impress potential future admissions tutors and employers
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News about some of the latest work experience opportunities |
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Find out why work experience matters, where to find it and how to get the most out of it |
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UCAS’ career finder tool is a searchable database of work and training opportunities, including apprenticeships, graduate jobs and internships |
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This work experience logbook from Barclays LifeSkills includes a diary to record your placements and reflect on what you’ve learned |
Options at 14
See GCSE options explained, plus advice on how to make the best GCSE choices for you |
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Studential’s guide tells you what you need to bear in mind when choosing your GCSE subjects |
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How important are GCSE choices and grades when it comes to applying for university? Find out here. |
Options at 16
Which? University’s new A-level Explorer tool is designed to help GCSE students choose and explore how their choices will affect |
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The Russell Group guide to the best A Level subject combinations for a wide range of university courses |
Search and apply for courses, apprenticeships and more information |
Options at 18
We encourage students to be ambitious in their post-18 choices and to develop their understanding of the different academic and career pathways. Students often benefit from having their horizons broadened in terms of their academic potential and we offer a specific pathway that allows students to explore the Oxford and Cambridge Universities application process. This includes workshops from visiting academic staff, preparation for some of the admissions tests, and specialist guidance on the completion of personal statements.
Applying to University
Search and compare UK degree courses and universities |
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The official website for comparing UK Higher Education course data |
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A free image based quiz designed as a quick way for students to start researching Higher Education and future careers |
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Independent university league tables and rankings to guide you towards the university that is best for you, overall and by subject |
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The ruthlessly independent guide to UK universities, student life, gap years, open days and student finance, written by students for students |
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The university and college Open Day directory |
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Take the free Study Interests Questionnaire to generate degree course suggestions based on your answers
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What uni helps students find universities and courses using their comprehensive data and hand university comparison tool |
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An online review community for students to share their experiences of universities, halls, courses, clubs and societies etc. |
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At the heart of connecting people to Higher Education |
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Advice for students about careers (including “What can I do with my degree?”, jobs, work experience and post graduate study |
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An infographic for tips on how to make yourself employable |
My Student Events portal has details of 100s of taster events, open days and summer schools
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The University of London Taster Course Programme provides Sixth Form students with a taste of what life at a university in London is like
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Where students share academic and social knowledge and experiences |
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Search for UK scholarships, grants and bursaries for university on our comprehensive funding database |
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Ignore newspaper headlines about student finance; instead read Martin Lewis’ myth-busting tips advice about fees, loans and grants |
Applying to Medical School
The UK’s no.1 medical school application resource, developed in partnership with the Royal Society of Medicine; use their comparison tool to find the right medical school for you |
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The Medical Schools Council represents the interests and ambitions of UK medical schools and their website has useful resources for prospective medical students |
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Keep up to date with current stories in the news related to health care and medical research |
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A world renowned resource that supports medical students and junior doctors through every stage of their professional career |
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This NHS careers website has hundreds of roles in healthcare for you to explore |
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Step into the NHS is a site targeted at 14-19 year olds that aims to promote careers opportunities in the NHS |
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UKCAT is the Clinical Aptitude Test used as part of the selection process for most undergraduate Medicine and Dentistry degrees |
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BMAT is used as part of the admissions process for Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in some UK universities |
Oxbridge
Oxford’s ideas for suggested reading outside the A Level syllabus |
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Cambridge’s ideas for suggested reading outside the A Level syllabus |
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Audio and video podcasts from across Oxford University |
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Download video and audio of lectures, short films and much more from Cambridge’s iTunes U site |
Studying Abroad
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A Star Future provides information and guidance to British students looking to pursue their undergraduate studies abroad |
The official source for information and guidance on applying for American universities from the UK |
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An independent European University application support service that supports UK students looking to study in Europe |
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The official application support service for UK-based students wanting to study at university in Australia or New Zealand |
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Information for international students about studying in Canada |
Labour Market Information (LMI)
There is a huge amount of labour market information available to help students make informed decisions. Labour Market Information (or LMI) provides job market data at national, regional and local level plus information on salaries, skills required for different industrial sectors, conditions, communities and future trends. Additionally, LMI can help students to explore opportunities for further learning.
Resources for parents
Careers information and advice for parents from The Careers Writers Association |
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Independent, informative, accurate careers advice for UK parents
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Advice for parents about career options for their children |
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Plotr’s Parent Zone helps parents to help their children make the best decisions at every stage by providing tailored careers advice and inspiration |
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Free downloadable 24-page parent guide containing everything you need to support your child – from university choices to student finance |
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A parent’s guide to Apprenticeships from Gov.uk |
UCAS parent guide 2017 – everything you need to know about your child’s journey to university or college |
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Here to make it easy for parents (as well as teachers and governors) to find out about apprenticeships |
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Sign up for advice and information to support your son or daughter when they need your help to make some big decisions |
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‘Paths to Professional Careers – a Parent’s Guide’ is designed for parents of 15 – 18 year olds deciding what to do after their A levels
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