All of our students are on a ‘careers learning journey’. Teachers, mentors and SLT are continuously offering students the opportunities to learn about a variety of career pathways and as well as developing their employability skills.
Students are challenged to learn to think about and reflect upon their experiences. They are encouraged to think about the benefits of everything they are taking part in across the whole curriculum and also outside of school and how this contributes to their personal development.
Through consistency and high-quality lessons, PR activities and inspirational assemblies students develop a greater understanding of their capabilities and will develop a positive sense of self-worth. They will be able to consider their personal branding and how they present themselves in a professional manner that will enable them to market themselves to future employers.
In year 7 students complete a Compass+ questionnaire, designed to measure and evaluate students’ prior knowledge around careers, with the responses used to plan for meaningful encounters with employers, further education and training providers. In year 9 students complete aspiration surveys to look at the encounters and careers-related opportunities they have had, designed to inspire them to consider their post-16 destinations and focus on the relevant qualifications and skills needed. This impacts their readiness to make informed options choices by the end of Year 9. In KS4 one-to-one appointments with a dedicated Careers Advisor, along with individual mentoring and Progress Review Meetings with senior staff, ensures students are supported in making well-informed post-16 choices. All students leave Woodlands with a planned destination college or vocational pathway.
