Careers Information

Finham Park School is committed to providing its pupils with a varied programme of careers education and guidance activities to equip and enable them to make informed decisions and choices at key transition points and in line with the Government’s Careers Gatsby Benchmarks.

(NB: See Finham’s Strategic Framework: 'Ensure quality CEIAG has high impact on student destinations & retention in education').

It aims to help pupils develop, identify and add to their employability skills throughout their school life. It also contributes to the school’s key values in raising aspirations whilst enabling pupils to acquire social and vocational skills. Importantly it seeks to help pupils understand and be prepared for the ever changing and challenging work and career environment.

What is CEIAG?

CEIAG (Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance) is designed to prepare students for life in modern Britain by providing the knowledge, understanding, confidence and skills that they need to make informed choices and plans for their future learning and career.

Finham Park School is committed to providing good quality, impartial information, advice and guidance to every student throughout their school career. We ensure that students come in to contact with employers to encourage students to inspire, make good choices and understand what they need to do to reach and succeed in the careers to which they aspire to.

Our CEIAG programme provides activities appropriate to age and need; it aims to provide students with the best possible foundation on which to base not only their post-16 choices following Year 11, but also their options choices for GCSE subjects in Year 9.

Our CEIAG Lead is Ms S Green, who can be contacted via email – s.green@finhampark.co.uk and by telephone – 024 7641 8135

CEIAG Aims

We aim to ensure that all our students:

are supported to make effective choices about their future study and career options.
are provided with experiences which inspire and motivate them to achieve.
are prepared for the transition process to life beyond secondary school (further and higher education and the world of work)
develop self-knowledge and confidence in making decisions and career choices which are suitable and ambitious for them
develop an understanding of the world of work and how to respond to changes in today’s workplace
develop research skills to seek out and utilise information, advice and guidance
develop characteristics which support high achieving students in the curriculum and in careers such as: social skills, communication, resourcefulness, innovation and resilience, in accordance with the 5 Finham Park value: courageousness, perseverance, kindness, integrity and humility.

Click below for further info on how we provide high quality CEIAG:

Finham Park School Careers Policy 2023 - 2025

LMI Coventry Warwickshire Parent and Student Guide Autumn 2020

Gatsby Careers Benchmarks at Finham Park School Gatsby Benchmarks Evaluation (Dec 2023)Careers Audit Report (Jan 2024)

National Apprenticeship Week

Finham Park hosted former students who came into school to support our assemblies. Tuesday – we welcomed Year 13 2018 leaver Jack Wills who is an IT Apprentice with Coventry Building Society. Jack spoke to an IT class (Year 9 and 10 students) and Mr Bridgeman’s Year 12 computing lesson. Many thanks to Jack and your manager Mr Walton, for allowing you to return and share your experiences as an apprentice.

Coventry Career programmes

Schools have a statutory duty to provide careers education (1997 Education Act, 2003 Education Regulations) and to give pupils access to careers information and impartial guidance (1997 Education Act, 2008 Education and Skills Bill). Finham Park deliver CEIAG through pastoral support, mentor registration activities, external and the teaching curriculum: PSHE lessons, ASDAN sessions, Work Experience placements, external agencies, (employers, training providers, alumni, volunteering sector) and the Curriculum Enrichment classes.

The programme is designed to help young people make informed decisions about their future careers and to aid the development of the skills necessary to accept and adapt to change.

The school will provide CEIAG, which meets professional standards of practice, and delivered by a qualified Careers Adviser (Mrs Hooke, BA Hons, Level 6 qualified Adviser and a registered member of the Careers Development Institute). The careers programme will be integrated into students’ experience of the whole curriculum and be person-centered, impartial and confidential and based on partnerships with their parents or carers and external providers. Careers education will raise aspirations, challenge stereotyping and promote equality and diversity. Differentiated and personalized, the delivery will ensure progression through activities that are appropriate to students’ stages of career learning, experience and development.

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Provider Access Legislation (PAL)

In January 2023, The DfE published their Careers guidance and access for education and training providers: It includes information for governors and school leaders. The importance of the Gatsby Benchmarks is included, the new Provider Access Legislation, and guidance on making provider encounters meaningful and high quality.

Please click on this link and read pages 3-4 for more information.

Finham Park School's Provider Access Policy Statement

What careers activities happen each year at Finham Park school

Careers activities take place during subject lessons, assemblies, before and after school, with virtual sessions, external visits and speakers. Students, parents and staff may access this information on the school website, Google Classrooms with additional information provided by subject departments, newsletters and Twitter pages. All Careers activities adhere to the requirements of the Careers Gatsby Benchmarks.

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Year 7	PSHE – ‘All About Me’ transition booklets. Introduction to First JED World of Work Map, discovering different career sectors. UK Skills Show – NEC Visits to Workplaces and visits from employers	PSHE – First JED – Quiz, matching careers to responses. National Careers Week National Apprenticeship Week LMI Assembly Skills – Difference between careers and Jobs, Gender Stereotyping, Diversion and Inclusion in Employment.	ASDAN programme (for discrete cohort) including Careers module (as part of the Curriculum Enrichment programme) Discovery (Year 7) Job Roles and Skills (workshop)
Year 8	PSHE – Introduction to First JED World of Work, discovering job roles Options sessions – linking subjects with careers. UK Skills Show – NEC Visits to Workplaces and visits from employers Career Pathways and qualifications Let’s Explore Careers – IT lesson’	PSHE – First JED – Quiz, matching careers to responses. Creating JED record. National Careers Week National Apprenticeship Week (Assemblies, Mentor activities) National Science Week Qualities for the Workplace Creating Career Fact Files	PSHE – Importance of Qualifications (and the difference between them – BTECS, GCSEs, OCR, etc) Mentor discussions Careers Cards – likes and dislikes. Changes in careers – reflecting on jobs in the past and the future. Video ‘Shift Happens’
Year 9	Introduction to Careers. PSHE – JED – Subject options. Careers google classroom – information about opportunities. UK Skills Show – NEC Visits to Workplaces and visits from employers Ambition and Aspiration lessons.	PSHE – Big Quiz, matching responses to career ideas. Careers attendance at multi agency meetings (LAC, SEN) National Careers Week National Apprenticeship Week (Assemblies, Mentor activities) National Science Week Digital Literacy	One to one careers meetings with PP, LAC and SEN students. ASDAN programme (for discrete cohort) including Careers module (as part of the Curriculum Enrichment programme) What Employers Want Workshop
Year 10	PSHE – JED – Exploring career choices Preparing for Work experience. Assembly, PSHE lessons Virtual Work Experience Opportunities. UK Skills Show – NEC Visits to Workplaces and visits from employers ‘Get to Know You’ Workshop	Careers google classroom – information about opportunities: work experience, careers websites, LMI. Work Experience placement National Careers Week National Apprenticeship Week (Assemblies, Mentor activities) National Science Week Visits to Workplaces and visits from employers Development of their Record of Achievement Folder – CV Personal Statements.	Post 16 options sessions Introduction to Careers Service, completing careers questionnaires. One to one careers meetings. ASDAN programme (for discrete cohort) including Careers module (as part of the Curriculum Enrichment programme) Visits to Workplaces and visits from employers. Apprenticeship Workshop
Year 11	Year 11 Assembly – revisiting Post 16 options information. Introduction to Careers. Careers google classroom – Apprenticeship and Work experience opportunities. One to one careers meetings. UK Skills Show – NEC Visits to Workplaces and visits from employers Interview Preparation & Practice Workshop	Virtual Work Experience Opportunities One to one careers meetings. National Careers Week National Apprenticeship Week (Assemblies, Mentor activities) National Science Week Visits to Workplaces and visits from employers Development of their Record of Achievement Folder – CV and Personal Statements.	One to one and follow up careers meetings. Duke of Edinburgh Award ASDAN programme (for discrete cohort) including Careers module (as part of the Curriculum Enrichment programme) Visits to Workplaces and visits from employers
Year 12	Year 12 –Post 18 opportunities other than HE Careers Information on dedicated notice board in 6^th form office. UCAS google classroom – careers and opportunities. UK Skills Show – NEC Duke of Edinburgh Award	Virtual and live Work Experience Opportunities Parents Evening. Visitors from HE institutions National Careers Week National Apprenticeship Week (Assemblies, Mentor activities) National Science Week. Up to date Labour Market Information,	Year 12 Work experience Annual UCAS Day – External visitors: Apprenticeships, Employers, Self – Employment Visits to HE institutions Presentations from Universities, Colleges and employers Careers noticeboard and monthly newsletter.
Year 13	Year 13 – Post 18 opportunities other than HE. Careers information on dedicated notice board in 6^th form office. UCAS google classroom – careers and opportunities. UK Skills Show – NEC Duke of Edinburgh Award	Virtual Work Experience Opportunities Visitors from HE institutions. Parents Evening National Careers Week National Apprenticeship Week (Assemblies, Mentor activities) National Science Week Up to date Labour Market Information,	Duke of Edinburgh Award UCAS google classroom, opportunities other than HE. Careers noticeboard and monthly newsletter. Summer work experience opportunities, Summer schools