Careers

  • Mrs A Moise-Dixon – Headteacher
  • Mrs M Allitt – Deputy Headteacher and SLT link for CEIAG Provision
  • Mrs L Phillips – Careers Co-ordinator

Providers, parents/carers and students should contact Mrs L Phillips Li by email or phone regarding any career education-related enquiry.

St Bernard’s High School Vision Statement

Our vision is that each individual student can actively engage in setting their careers goals, having been provided with relevant and current careers information and guidance. We pride ourselves in recognising that a personalised and tailored approach is needed to ensure that each student can realise their career goals.

Careers Vision Statement

Our students will leave St Bernard’s High School with the ability to make informed choices about their future, leading to better life chances and opportunities. They will gain the skills and experiences necessary to make them stand out, regardless of their backgrounds and starting points.

We are currently developing a new careers strategy that secures the above vision for all our students.

Objectives
  1. Improve the way in which the school tracks, monitors and measures impact of the careers education our students receive
  2. Increase parental engagement and awareness in the impact of their child’s careers education
  3. Ensure every teacher is considered a teacher of careers and is clear about the role that they play
Personal Guidance

St Bernard’s High School offers all students the opportunity for independent and impartial careers advice and guidance. St Bernard’s High School also has its own careers adviser, Mrs L Phillips. All students will receive at least two separate careers advice sessions at key transition points; Year 9 options, Year 11 Post-16 pathways. Year 12 and 13 will also receive careers advice sessions to support their Post-18 pathways, if required. There is an opportunity for ‘drop in’ advice sessions for any students who have further career-related questions through their Heads of Years and Form Tutors. Students and parents are welcome to contact Mrs L Phillips directly if they wish to discuss any careers questions or book additional careers advice sessions.

Career and Labour Market Information (LMI)
  • There are careers boards around the school, which will display up-to-date career information
  • Specific career and LMI-related lessons take place within our Personal, Social, Health and Economic education programme
  • Students can also use the careerometer at the bottom of this page, or log into their careers profile account
Key Stage 3

All KS3 students will have access to an online careers platform which enables students to look at what their future options are and gives them access to several resources and activities to develop employability skills.

In PSHE students will cover career related themes but careers will be referenced in all subjects over the course of the year.

In accordance with the updated Provider Access Legislation which came into effect in January 2023, St Bernard’s High School will provide two encounters for pupils during this ‘first key phase’. This will support our students to develop the knowledge and understanding of all available routes at key transition points. Therefore, promoting all pathways to enable young people to make informed and more confident decisions.

Key Stage 4

Year 10 and 11 students will continue to have access to their online careers platform which enables students to look at what their future options are and gives them access to several resources and activities to develop post-16 pathways. They will also cover career related themes in PSHE and across all subjects.

In accordance with the updated Provider Access Legislation which came into effect in January 2023, St Bernard’s High School will provide two encounters for pupils during this ‘second key phase’. This will support our students to develop the knowledge and understanding of all available routes at key transition points. Therefore, promoting all pathways to enable young people to make informed and more confident decisions.

Key Stage 5

Year 12 and 13 students will continue to have access to their online careers platform which enables students to look at what their future options are and gives them access to several resources and activities to develop their post-18 pathways. They will also cover career related themes in PSHE and across all subjects.

In accordance with the updated Provider Access Legislation which came into effect in January 2023, St Bernard’s High School will offer two encounters for pupils during this ‘third key phase’. This will support our students to develop the knowledge and understanding of all available routes at key transition points. Therefore, promoting all pathways to enable young people to make informed and more confident decisions.

Careers and the Curriculum

All teachers at St Bernard’s High School will highlight potential careers within their subjects. At key transition points (Year 9 options, Year 11 post-16 pathways and Year 12 and 13 post-18 pathways) teachers deliver subject-specific career-led lessons outlining the range of pathways available. All students are required to choose GCSEs options to ensure that a wide range of subjects are studied, so that a variety of career choices are available in the future.

Encounters with Employers and Employees

At St Bernard’s High School, every student will have opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace.

Encounters with Further and Higher Education

At St Bernard’s High School, every student will have opportunities to encounter providers and learn more about their post-16 and post-18 options.

Guest Speakers

Throughout the year, we will invite guest speakers to come in and talk about their further education and careers experiences. These guests will come from a variety of backgrounds and will include St Bernard’s High School Alumni.

We welcome employer/employee and alumni guest speakers to the academy to engage with our students. Please contact Mrs L Phillips if you are interested.

Careers Fair

All our students take part in the careers fair. This comprises a number of workshops where students gain understanding of a range of workplace skills and the pathways available to them.  We have a regular team of providers who provide engaging activities. Some of the organisations we have welcomed to St Bernard’s High School include Basildon University Hospital, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, IBM, Ingleton Wood LLP, National Grid, RAF, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), Southend City Council, University of Essex and many more.

We intend to hold a fair every academic year. If you would like to be involved, please contact Mrs L Phillips.

Our School Career's Fair his year will be held on: Wednesday 24th April 2024 from 9.10am to 3.00pm.  If you would like to participate then please contact Mrs L Phillips, hli@stbernards.southend.sch.uk by Friday 28th February.

Students can also experience and encounter further education providers and employers through our ongoing work with a number of providers.

Addressing the Needs of Each Pupil

All students have at least two impartial careers advice sessions led by Mrs L Phillips.  Students are supported through targeted careers advice based on their career interest or industry type. Students with additional needs, or those at risk, are allocated additional one-to-one careers advice sessions to ensure that they choose the correct pathway for their own career aims with the additional support of our SENCo and LA.

Experiences of Workplaces

Work experience could provide your child with opportunities to:

  • Help personal and social development, and develop key skills in a work environment
  • Improve employability by searching for their own placement – linked to their chosen career
  • Learn about the world of work
  • Meet new people and find out what it means to work as a team
  • Take responsibility for their own actions

We welcome employers offering work placements for our students.  Please contact Mrs L Phillips if you wish to offer a work placement. All workplaces must have employee liability insurance.

Our students’ responsibility is to:

  • Be active in helping themselves as well as us helping them
  • They should use their careers online platform to find out more about a career idea that interests them
  • Be prepared to be realistic when making choices about the range of opportunities available
  • Carry out all actions they have agreed to undertake with us
  • Students should contact Mrs L Phillips if they have any concerns or extra support is needed

Parents/carers can help by:

  • Attending all parents’ evenings to gain awareness of your child’s progress and attainment
  • Encouraging your child to try out new activities such as joining school and out-of-school activities
  • Giving option and career advice without pressure
  • Encouraging friends/family to talk about their experience of work
  • Attending open evenings and options evening to discuss potential career paths with teachers
  • Volunteer to share experiences at ST Bernard’s High School by contacting Mrs L Phillips

 

Year 10 Work Experience: This takes place from Monday 5th - 9th June 2023.

Careers Bulletin Vol 1

Careerometer (LMI for All)

This Career-o-meter can be used to explore and compare key information about occupations and help you learn about different occupations and identify potential careers. It provides access to a selection of UK headline data relating to pay, weekly hours of work and future employment prospects for different occupations, as well as description of the occupation.

Instructions:

  • Simply type in the title of the job you are interested in and the widget provides a series of options from which you can select the most relevant to you
  • You can then look up another two occupations and compare
  • You can also select ‘display the UK average’ and compare the information with the occupation you have selected
  • Be aware that this is national average data, but you can use it to help you get a bigger picture of the potential opportunities on offer when used in conjunction with our own Industry, Job Area, Job Ideas and Organisation profiles here on ‘icanbea...’.