The careers team at Rednock

Mr Tim Justice – Careers Lead – [email protected]

Mr Justice is a Level 6 qualified careers advisor.  He works Thursdays and Fridays and manages the careers programme at Rednock.  In addition he provides one to one and small group careers guidance for students.

Dr Helen Craig – Head of Personal Development – [email protected] 

Dr Craig has strategic oversight of the careers programme as part of the wider character and culture curriculum.  

Mr Will Sanders – Second in Personal Development – [email protected]

Mr Sanders organises the careers lessons within the Life Skills Program and is responsible for the Unifrog platform in school.

It is really important to remember that all teachers at Rednock are teachers of careers, and as well as the above, students can (and should!) approach any member of staff in the school for advice and guidance.  They might wish, for example, to talk to their tutor about their wider careers plan, or to one of their subject teachers about something specifically related to their area.

Intent 

What are the aims of our careers programme?

The Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) programme at Rednock School is a key component of our ‘I MATTER’ character and culture curriculum.  Our aims are to introduce students to the vast range of options and opportunities available to them beyond the school gates in the wider world, to build their knowledge, skills and confidence, so that they can make informed decisions about what to do next and to challenge the stereotypes that might otherwise hold them back.  By the time you leave Rednock we want students to:

• Understand all of the different routes available to you.
• Have access to information to help them make informed decisions.
• Know about the options available to them in our local area, and how these might change in the future.
• Have developed a wide range of skills to make them more employable.
• Understand their strengths and weaknesses.
• Be supported to achieve their full potential.
• Be prepared and skilled for the jobs of the future that may not exist yet.

As a school we are committed to giving students advice and guidance about the full range of pathways available to them.  We have extensive links with businesses, organisations, apprenticeship providers and vocational, higher and further education providers in the local community and are keen to build these further.  If you would like to be part of our careers programme at Rednock please contact one of the careers team listed above.

Provider Access Policy – please click here.

Implementation

What are the key components of our careers programme?

At Rednock School we have a comprehensive careers programme that is underpinned by guidance from the Department for Education, including the Gatsby benchmarks and the Careers Development Institute Frameworks.  Careers is not taught in isolation, but instead pervades all aspects of school life.

In addition, Rednock School subscribes to the Unifrog platform, which is used throughout a student’s time at school to help them record and develop their skills, experiences and ideas for their next steps.  Parents and students are given logins to allow them to access the resources.  Please contact Mr Sanders if you do not have a login.

How is the careers curriculum structured?

The careers programme in school provides a seven year progression.  It begins in Year 7 by giving students a broad overview of different types of work, and gradually gets more and more focused as students progress through the school so that all students leave with clear ideas about their next steps.

Careers guidance and support

We offer a comprehensive programme of one to one and small-group careers interviews.  These are offered to all students in Years 11 and 13.  Once a student has had their careers interview, a detailed report will be sent to the student, parents and tutors which clearly outlines the next steps they should take.

Any student in the school can request a careers interview – if they would like to do this, they should approach their tutor in the first instance.

Destinations and information

We have a specific website for students to help them find stage-appropriate information about their preferred destinations, you can find the site here. 

There are many different apprenticeship opportunities available in our local area.  The Unifrog platform has a search tool, or students can sign up to the UK Government’s apprenticeship website.

Impact – how do we evaluate and improve the careers programme?

We regularly and thoroughly evaluate all aspects of the CEIAG programme at Rednock, including:

• Annual ‘Compass+’ surveys of students in all year groups.
• Annual parent surveys.
• Meeting with local employers and education providers.
• Thorough evaluation of careers trips and enrichment events by all of the stakeholders involved (for example, student and employer feedback for work experience).
• Regular reviews of our provision against the Gatsby benchmark.
• Meetings with our Local Enterprise Partner, and our Enterprise Advisor.

Members of the careers team regularly attend training and networking events, and use their learning to further improve careers provision for our students.