Welcome

Welcome to the careers pages of Kesteven and Sleaford High School. On this page there is key information for students, parents and carers, staff and other key stakeholders to understand the aims, vision, delivery approaches and impact of careers at our school. Please use the contact details below to access more information about the careers programme.

Careers Lead Miss S Chant

Email: Miss S Chant Telephone: 01529 414044

Our Commitment

There has never been a time when careers guidance has been as important for young people as it is today. At Kesteven and Sleaford High School, we have a critical role to play in preparing our students for the next stage of their education or training and beyond. Our students will be embarking upon a career pathway, which is more challenging and complex than that faced by previous generations. Global opportunities and increasing technological advances will result in young people having several careers during their working life and potentially working in a career that does not currently exist.

With the greater choices of education, training and employment, our aim is to prepare students for these ever-changing opportunities, responsibilities and experiences and to equip them with the skills to manage the choices, changes and transitions ahead of them.

Our Aims

Kesteven and Sleaford High School aims to foster students’ academic and extra-curricular success and empower all members of the school community to reach their potential. 

We aim to:

• Cultivate resilient and confident young people who are resourceful and reflective learners, fully prepared for adult life and the world of work
• Provide the highest quality learning experiences and expect the highest standards of work and behaviour
• Maintain a safe, caring and happy environment in which all students and staff feel valued and cared for

Our Values 

The school and Trust values are based upon the core values of

• Respect – For the individual, for the school and for the community
• Commitment - We believe that every student has a right to the highest standards of teaching and learning in a caring, supportive and nurturing learning environment. We want our students and staff to commit to being the best they can be
• Trust - We place great emphasis on our relationships with our students, with our parents, and with the wider community

We encourage diversity in beliefs and ideologies and the qualities of honesty, tolerance, integrity, humility, equity and generosity are paramount to fostering these relationships.  

Aims and Objectives

The careers education, information and guidance programme is designed to meet the needs of each and every student at Kesteven and Sleaford High School. It is adapted to ensure progression through activities that are appropriate to our students’ stages of career learning, planning and development.

The main aims of the careers provision at Kesteven and Sleaford High School are to:

• Develop and maintain a culture of high aspirations through a fully embedded careers education, advice, information and guidance programme
• To raise and track students’ engagement within the careers programme during their journey through Kesteven and Sleaford High School and evaluate to ensure that students are supported in raising or reaching their aspirations whilst being mindful of the ever-changing and competitive world around them
• Build a continuously increasing and relevant network of partners and providers who can engage students in developing their career pathways. These partners will work in partnership with subject areas/key stages to develop collaborations enabling opportunities for students to see clear links between their subject learning and the world of work

In line with government regulations, all students must be in education or employment with training, such as an apprenticeship, until their 18th birthday.

The Careers Education, Information, Advice & Guidance (CEIAG) programme at KSHS complies with government legislation and careers statutory guidance as set in the eight Gatsby Benchmarks.

• A stable careers programme
• Learning from career and labour market information
• Addressing the needs of each pupil
• Linking curriculum learning to careers
• Encounters with employers and employees
• Experiences of workplaces
• Encounters with further & higher education providers
• Personal guidance

Entitlement

We have a whole school approach to careers education with every member of staff helping to deliver quality and impartial careers education, information, advice and guidance, allowing students to access the necessary information to help them make informed decisions about their futures. Our careers programme throughout the year supports our careers education curriculum and in line with the most recent careers guidance strategy, our careers plan supports the achievement of the eight Gatsby Benchmarks. Careers education at Kesteven and Sleaford High School is not just a stand-alone strand; it is integrated into every area of the school and woven into the school curriculum. Our aim is that students understand how what they are being taught will link to their future pathways.

We work closely with the Lincolnshire Learning Enterprise Partnership and The Careers and Enterprise Company. 

Independent Careers Guidance from emCareers

Email: emcareers Telephone: 01529 414044

All students in Years 11 receive a 1:1 impartial careers appointment. This is provided by emCareers. Appointments are offered to all Year 12 and 13 students and are often offered to other students who either request an appointment or who would benefit from some impartial advice about their future plans. As well as a discussion students take away a written summary of the discussion and advice with further research opportunities signposted.

How We Deliver Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance 

CEIAG is included in the timetabled PSHE programme and the form-time personal development programme.  Years 9 and 10 have specific drop-down careers days organised at various times throughout the year.

Careers Topics at KSHS

We measure the impact of our CEIAG programme by using the Compass+ self-evaluation tool, surveys from different stakeholders, evaluations of careers events and meetings with our Enterprise Co-Ordinator.

Resources

The school subscribes to the platform UNIFROG, this is a one-stop shop for information and links to subjects, careers, online courses, university information, apprenticeship information, T levels and much more. There is also provision for students to store details of their personal achievements for CV’s and personal statements. This platform is extensively used throughout school starting with personals skills and qualities in year 7.

Students can also use the well-stocked careers library, situated within the main library, which has information on careers, apprenticeships and university and college prospectuses.

Employers - Could You Help Our Students Understand More About The World Of Work?

To enhance our careers programme, we are seeking employers to expand our network of companies and individuals who collaborate with us in school, can facilitate on-site visits, and could also offer work placements for year 12 students. This could involve speaking in an assembly for 10 minutes, speaking to small groups of students, running workshops or giving a virtual tour of your workplace.

We are interested in all careers, from engineering to the arts!

If you would like to support our careers programme and are prepared to donate your time and expertise, it would be great to hear from you. Please Email enquiries for the attention of our Careers Lead.

Labour Market Information (LMI) for All

Labour Market Information (data and statistics to do with the world of work) is helpful to access as it has implications for people making career decisions. Parents and students might like to use it to consider the value of committing to lifelong learning, it aids longer-term career planning and affects the way people search for and apply for work.

Useful Websites

The National Careers Service provides high quality, free and impartial careers advice, information and guidance to anyone aged 13+ no matter what stage of the careers journey they are at.

Career Pilot This website provides online impartial information and support for a wide range of progression routes for 13-19 year olds.

UCAS This is the website for everything to do with universities (but also includes apprenticeship information).

Apprenticeships from the government website  for everything to do with apprenticeships.

T Levels The Next Level Qualification. Information about this new qualification that is the equivalent of 3 A levels but directly linked to a job sector

Talking Futures A parents' toolkit for career conversations. Guidance for parents about different pathways and how to start meaningful conversations with your child about their career interests and plans.