Careers
At The Highfield School, our careers programme is designed to inform and equip every student in Year 7 to Year 13 with the information and options needed to ensure they have a successful and smooth transition from education into employment.
We offer a tailored careers programme for each year group, which is designed to inspire our students, raise their aspirations and promote access to different career pathways.
Ofsted (May 2023) recently commented ‘Leaders ensure that pupils and students are prepared for future learning or employment through their careers education, information and guidance programme…. They also comment on the wealth of information provided to support their future career path.’
The careers programme we offer addresses each of The Gatsby Benchmarks 8 point framework:
- A stable careers programme
- Access to careers information
- Addressing the needs of pupils as individuals
- Individual independent careers support and guidance
- Curriculum links to the world of work
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experiences of workplaces
- Encounters with further and higher education
Click here to see our current score against each benchmark
To help us deliver each of these benchmarks we work with a range of partners including the Careers and Enterprise Company, Youth Connexions and Young Enterprise. We also have strong links with business partners including Altro Flooring and Ascential PLC who support our students with talks, company visits and careers advice.
Throughout the year we run a number of events and activities to complement the careers programme. These include themed assemblies, activities in tutor time, guest speakers, enterprise days and visits. For the next academic year we will be re-introducing work experience for all of our Year 10 students.
Every student also has access to our Youth Connexions Personal Advisor, who comes into school every Tuesday and can offer support and advice to students who are thinking about subject choices, courses, employment and career options.
A proposed timetable of activities for the next academic year can be seen below. The programme will be reviewed in September 2023.
Careers Leadership Link:
|
Careers Activity By Year Group - 2022/2023
| Year Group | Activity | Term |
| Year 7 | Tesco Workshop | Autumn Term |
| Careers Fair lunch drop in | Spring Term | |
| Year 8 | Careers Fair lunch drop in | Spring Term |
| National Apprenticeship Week Workshop | Spring Term | |
| Altro Workshop | Spring Term | |
| Year 9 | NHS | Autumn Term |
| Careers Fair | Spring Term | |
| National Apprenticeship Week Workshop | Spring Term | |
| One to One Options Meetings | Spring Term | |
| Royal Navy | Summer Term | |
| Year 10 | Careers Fair | Spring Term |
| Work Experience | Spring Term | |
| Generation Stevenage | Summer Term | |
| Year 11 | Careers guidance tutot visit | Autumn Term |
| Ask Apprenticeships Talk | Autumn Term | |
| Careers Fair | Spring Term | |
| One to One Options Meetings | Spring Term | |
| Year 12 | ASK Apprenticeships | Autumn Term |
| Study Skills with Leeds Uni | Autumn Term | |
| Apprenticeship Mock Interview Techniques | Autumn Term | |
| Careers Fair | Spring Term | |
| UCAS Discover Day | Spring Term | |
| Barclays Life Skills | Summer Term | |
| Why Go to University Workshops | Summer Term | |
| Personal Statement Workshop | Summer Term | |
| Education Department from Herts Uni Lecture Experience | Summer Term | |
| Work Experience | Summer Term | |
| Social Cares Visit TBA | Summer Term | |
| Phonics Teacher Experience | Summer Term | |
| Year 13 | ASK Apprenticeships | Autumn Term |
| One to One Career Meeting with Ho6th | Autumn Term | |
| Personal Statement Workshop | Autumn Term | |
| Careers Fair | Spring Term | |
| Student Finance Information from Herts Uni | Spring Term | |
| Barclays Life Skills | Summer Term |
Destinations Data
Year 11 Destinations Data - September 2023
Year 13 Destinations Data - September 2023
Please click here to view the destinations of our Sixth Form students.
Lunch Time Careers Talks
A full timetable of Lunch Time Careers Talks will be available in the Autumn Term.
Each student will receive 5 Achievement Points for attending.
Student Employment and Work Permits
Please find below information on student employment and work permits.
Useful Links and Information
- Labour Market Information:
Hertfordshire
North Herts
Careerometer - Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal:
If you want to explore Careers within Hertfordshire you should visit HOP (Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal). This site has been created for Hertfordshire students to find out about the local jobs in your home county. You will be able to find details about the types of jobs likely to exist now and in the future, find out about some of the big employers you might want to work for as well as information about apprenticeships - Hertfordshire Labour Market Overview Presentation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxEnwYjtk5w&feature=youtu.be - National Careers Service - Labour Market Information
Labour Market By Region - Options after GCSE's
- Planning for the future presentation - YC Herts
- https://www.hopinto.co.uk/explore-careers/webinars/virtual-employer-encounters/
- www.icould.com
- www.plotr.co.uk
- www.prospects.ac.uk
- www.youthconnexions-hertfordshire.org
- www.channelmogo.org
- www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/
- www.barclayslifeskills.com
- https://www.whatuni.com/
- https://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/
- https://unistats.ac.uk/
- https://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/for-students/
- www.apprenticeships.gov.uk
- https://www.youthconnexions-hertfordshire.org/careers/jobs-apprenticeships/
- https://www.youthconnexions-hertfordshire.org/careers/info-on-jobs-and-apprenticeships/
- Videos from Oxbridge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEcAcFrXWlI - Introduction to Higher Education for KS3 students
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWVXvG0HaIA - Applying to Oxbridge
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oRlAP5IoH7LL0SLK8vOYSYRzuUJJ6RLq/view - Making competitive applications to Oxford and Cambridge - https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p06zhf9j/the-nine-to-five-with-stacey-dooley
- https://careermap.co.uk/career-advice/careermag/for-parents-guardians
- Parents Guides to...
Virtual Careers Talks
At present we will be running virtual careers talks.
We are always searching for new opportunities for our students from school Alumni and businesses. If you have any ideas or would be able to support the school in the careers programme we would like to hear from you. Please contact Mrs Helen Potter, Careers Co-ordinator. Email helenpotter@highfield.herts.sch.uk
Youth Connexions Personal Advisor
If you would like to speak with our Youth Connexions Personal Advisor, Chloe Jackson, please visit Mrs Potter in the Sixth Form Office who manages the diary. Chloe can offer independent support and advice when you are thinking about subject choices, courses, employment and career options.
