Careers
Careers education at Headington School is constantly evolving.
The girls are introduced to the World of Work in the Lower 4, when they take part in the Real Game. They have two days considering budgeting, skills and qualifications and the demands of work, as well as a very enjoyable role play element on the second day. This is followed up by a further day in the spring term of the Upper 4 year using the Be Real Game. This tackles issues of personal choice and stages of education matching family commitments, and incorporates a lengthy session on an issue of a sensitive nature such as deciding where an animal testing site could be located within the area, considering the advantages and disadvantages of each option. These days help to increase the girls’ awareness of Careers in a realistic context.
There is a specific Careers element to the PSHE programme for the Upper 4, Lower 5 and Upper 5. The programme is based around the National Framework 11–19 Careers Education and Guidance in England, specifically looking at Self Development, Career Exploration and Career Management. We also give the girls the opportunity to use the Kudos software programme and help them to identify career options. This can be enlightening, confirming and often very humorous as girls imagine themselves as pet behavioural counsellors or podiatrists. Regardless of the outcome, the questionnaire process they go through with Kudos is an important part of the three elements of the National Framework.
In Upper 5 girls hear a talk on the value of Work Experience, which is encouraged as an independent activity after GCSEs. This encouragement also flows into the Sixth Form when girls start to work on the UCAS application and personal statements. The school does not run a mandatory Work Experience programme.
The Sixth Form participate in numerous lectures and discussions as part of their enrichment programme, which incorporates an element of career exploration. The majority of leavers go on to study at university and we focus on providing the appropriate advice and guidance for them individually. The Careers department is an additional point of contact along with the careers software packages and books in the Careers Library. The packages available in the Sixth Form computer suite are Kudos, JED (Job Explorers Database) and Higher Ideas.
In the June of the Lower 6th year, the students attend a two-day programme to help with university course choices and to help prepare for UCAS applications in the autumn term.
The Head of Careers is based in the Careers Library. Not only is the library open for anyone to drop in at a time that is convenient for them, but they are also able to access ad hoc advice or book an appointment for a later date. This approach helps to match the needs of the students with the time they need to make the right choices for them.
A number of girls choose to take a gap year. There are a vast number of companies that offer a variety of different gap experiences and we have the brochures for some of these. We also offer the students the opportunity to attend the Gap Fair at a local school to meet with some of these organisations.
Every two years we hold a large career fair where over one hundred firms come and answer the questions of the students and their parents. This event is usually held in the spring term and is open to girls from Upper Fourth to Upper Sixth.
If you have further questions about careers, feel free to contact us at careers@headington.org.