Thank you to all prospective parents and students for attending our virtual Open Evening on Wednesday 30th September. All of the virtual activities available on Open Evening can be found here.
For details of the full opening of Upton Court Grammar School for all year groups in September please click here.
Careers
Careers, Education, Advice and Guidance at UCGS
Our mission:
Upton Court Grammar School ensured that all students fulfilled their academic and personal aspirations and became successful and engaged citizens.
Our careers programme, in addition to our academic and pastoral programmes, will support students to achieve the school’s mission through high quality careers education and guidance that equips them with the skills, knowledge and understanding to plan and manage their careers effectively.
Our Aims:
• Prepare students for the transition to GCSEs and A-levels.
• Prepare students for the transition to life beyond secondary school (higher education and work).
• Develop students’ awareness of the wide variety of education, training and career opportunities both locally and nationally.
• Support students in making informed decisions which are suitable and ambitious.
• Develop characteristics such as communication, resilience and leadership which support students in the curriculum and in their careers.
• Promote equality of opportunity, celebrate diversity and challenge stereotypes to inspire and motivate students.
• Ensure that all students leave the school to enter employment, further education or training.
Who is responsible for careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG)?
Mrs K Levy (Careers Lead) and Ms T Briggs (Careers Coordinator) manage the implementation of the CEIAG programme. However, a range of people contribute to achieving the aims of the programme. These include: school governors, the senior leadership team, subject teams, pastoral teams, external agencies such as Slough Borough Council and parents.
Mrs K Levy, KLEVY@uptoncourtgrammar.org.uk, 01753522892
Ms T Briggs, TBriggs@uptoncourtgrammar.org.uk, 01753522892
What we do
We are committed to providing our students with a careers programme that meets all of the 8 Gatsby benchmarks. Our programme is delivered through a combination of methods including:
Key Stage 3
- Self-awareness- To describe yourself, your strengths and preferences
- Self-determination-To be able to focus on the positive aspects of your wellbeing, progress and achievements
- Self-improvement as a learner-To explain how you are benefitting as a learner from careers, employability and enterprise activities and experiences
- Exploring careers and career development -To describe different explanations of what careers are and how they can be developed
- Investigating work and working life-To give examples of different kinds of work and why people’s satisfaction with their working lives can change
- Understanding business and industry-To give examples of different business organisational structure
- Investigating jobs and labour market information (LMI)-To be aware of what labour market information (LMI) is and how it can be useful to you
- Valuing equality, diversity and inclusion -To identify how to stand up to stereotyping and discrimination that is damaging to you and those around you
- Learning about safe working practices and environments -To be aware of the laws and bye-laws relating to young people’s permitted hours and types of employment; and know how to minimise health and safety risks to you and those around you
- Showing initiative and enterprise -To recognise when you are using qualities and skills that entrepreneurs demonstrate
- Developing personal financial capability -To show that you can manage a personal budget and contribute to household and school budgets
- Identifying choices and opportunities-To know how to identify and systematically explore the options open to you at a decision point
- Planning and deciding-To know how to make plans and decisions carefully including negotiating with those who can help you get the qualifications, skills and experience you need
- Managing changes and transitions-To show that you can be positive, flexible and well-prepared at transition points in your life
Key Stage 4
- Self-awareness-To recognise how you are changing, what you have to offer and what’s important to you
- Self-determination-To explain how you manage your wellbeing, progress and achievements through telling your story in a positive way
- Self-improvement as a learner-To review and reflect upon how you are benefitting as a learner from careers, employability and enterprise activities and experience
- Understanding business and industry-To explain different types of business organisational structures, how they operate and how they measure success
- Investigating jobs and labour market information (LMI)-To be able to find relevant labour market information (LMI) and know how to use it in your career planning
- Valuing equality, diversity and inclusion-To recognise and challenge stereotyping, discrimination and other barriers to equality, diversity and inclusion and know your rights and responsibilities in relation to these issues
- Learning about safe working practices and environments-To be aware of your responsibilities and rights as a student, trainee or employee for staying healthy and following safe working practice
- Making the most of careers information, advice and guidance-To build your personal networks of support including how to access and make the most of a wide range of impartial face-to-face and digital careers information, advice and guidance services
- Preparing for employability-To show how you are developing the qualities and skills which will help you to improve your employability
- Showing initiative and enterprise-To show that you can be enterprising in the way you learn, work and manage your career
- Developing personal financial capability-To show that you can manage financial issues related to your education, training and employment choices including knowing how to access sources of financial support that may be open to you
- Identifying choices and opportunities-To be able to research your education, training, apprenticeship, employment and volunteering options including information about the best progression pathways through to specific goals
- Planning and deciding-To know how to make plans and decisions carefully including how to solve problems and deal appropriately with influences on you
- Handling applications and interviews-To know your rights and responsibilities in a selection process and strategies to use to improve your chances of success
- Managing changes and transition-To review and reflect on previous transitions to help you improve your preparation for future moves in education, training and employment
Year 12 and 13
- Year 12 students receive 2 Futures days supporting them with post 18 choice making whilst standing out to universities and industries. We also run a Scholars Day event and an Enrichment Week, plus Skills for Life workshops providing further opportunities for encounter with future employers and Higher Education Institutions.
- Year 13 students receive programmed support including early Oxbridge and Cambridge entry, Russell Group and other university applications. They receive help with their personal statements in term one, and with apprenticeship related enquiries and applications from a dedicated team of sixth form leaders, tutors and the careers coordinator. Furthermore, our Virtual Learning Review Day 2020 is to be delivered, virtually, to support parents and guardians, in need of extra support for their child. The student destinations are tracked with a three-year trend, in place.
- We are providing a pastoral stable and inclusive virtual support program, to help students make well-informed choices whilst developing their skills and personal attributes. We run career based information sessions with a developing online library link service which is led by the Library and Careers Coordinator. The term one sessions cover signposting to reputable university weblinks, National Careers Service and Apprenticeship websites, as well as a pre-employment digital program which offers insight into all pathways available, post 18, including webinars, employer and partner events, to degree level apprenticeships, and a one to one mentoring program. The following terms are intended to help students, further, to find work experience, and receive support with job applications, interviews or alternatives.
- We are developing our 1:1 personal guidance program, addressing the needs of every student.
Careers is not part of the UCGS timetabled curriculum and is delivered through a number of different methods.
- Subject curriculum- Stem Workshops and university lectures for Science and Maths
- In addition to Step Booklets Year 11s will receive more 121 guided sessions during pastoral sessions regarding sixth form choices
- In addition to Step Booklets Year 7 and 8 have more self-awareness sessions incorporated into Pastoral Sessions as part of the Career Provision
- In addition to Step Booklets Year 9 and 10 have more job seeking and career planning sessions incorporated into Pastoral Sessions
- Step Booklets- Career Based Tutor Activity delivered during registration for Year 7- Year 11
- Year 7 and 8 PSHE programme
- Year 9-12 enrichment programme
- Year 9-11 thinking skills programme
- Year 7-13 assemblies
- Year 7-13 tutorial programme
- Year 12 and 13 Scholars events
- Access to impartial and independent careers websites and helplines
- Visiting speakers
- Work experience support
- Employer visits
- Alumni speakers- Year 12 and 13
- Drop-down days
- Workshops
- Study visits
In addition to this, the curriculum for Careers is embedded through Tutor Based activities for Year 7- Year 11via Step Booklets provision. This will ensure that students have a clear and stable structure of the Career Programme during KS3 and KS4; and a progressive programme to raise awareness of different careers pathways available for them which should enable students to make informed decisions about their career. The activities in this booklet are designed to build on students’ knowledge about careers and the world of work and help students to:
- Develop themselves (through careers, employability and enterprise education).
- Learn about careers and the world of work.
- Plan for the future (using career management, employability and enterprise skills)
Provision of Careers is evaluated by working towards meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks using the compass evaluation tool
|
Benchmark |
Description |
% of schools meeting the whole benchmark in 2019 |
% of the benchmark that has been met UCGS evaluation Jan 2019 |
% of the benchmark that has been met UCGS evaluation Sep 2019 |
% of the benchmark that has been met UCGS evaluation Sep 2020 |
Progress towards meeting the benchmarks |
|
1 |
A stable careers programme |
21% |
59% |
52% |
88% |
+36% |
|
2 |
Learning from career and labour market information |
45% |
80% |
40% |
60% |
+20% |
|
3 |
Addressing the needs of each student |
20% |
72% |
36% |
45% |
+11% |
|
4 |
Linking curriculum learning to careers |
38% |
25% |
62% |
75% |
+13% |
|
5 |
Encounters with employers and employees |
52% |
75% |
50% |
100% |
+50% |
|
6 |
Experience of work places |
47% |
37% |
87% |
87% |
0% |
|
7 |
Encounters with further and higher education |
21% |
50% |
62% |
62% |
0% |
|
8 |
Personal guidance |
57% |
0%* |
0% |
0% |
0% |
Date of next review: September 2021
- Year 10 Work Experience: Employer Information Form
Amazing Apprenticeships overview video
Suitable as an Awareness Assembly
Set within the Covid 19 landscape, a clear and concise presentation providing background and imparting knowledge about Apprenticeships. It includes information about the National Careers Service and the support available. It is 15 minutes long and forms part of their Awareness Assemblies platform.
Suitable for KS3 plus
https://vimeo.com/412215955
Careers Fair for Year 11 Students – Curiosity
We had successfully hosted Careers Fair for Year 11 students on Thursday 17th October 2019 at Upton Court Grammar School. It was led by employers from different sectors ranging from media and advertising to Private Banking. This event was led by Louise Bosworth, who works as a Business Development Manager at Scottish Windows, Karishma Navsaria, who is a private banker and vice president at J. P Morgan, Catherine Cribbin, who works as an Industry Initiative Manager at IAB and Nusha Hamidi, currently working as Business Development Manager at BM solutions. This was an exciting opportunity for students to connect with local growing business and being aware of the employment opportunities offered by various industries. All students in Year 11 were very positive about the event and have mentioned it was very informative about developing job roles such as digital advertising and banking sector. This event has enabled students to make informed decisions about A levels subject choices and careers associated with those subjects. Most students have mentioned that such events should be repeated at least twice a year, so we endeavour to organise and run another Careers Event during National Careers Week.
