Careers

At Thirsk we work hard to prepare our students for their future careers. The Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)programme starts in Year 7 and continues to Year 13. In addition to the regular Careers lessons within the PSHCE programme, we offer a range of other opportunities aimed at informing and inspiring students to make the best choices for their future.

‍Main School Guidance Programme:

Our teaching of Careers covers the full recommended range of topics, including transitions; career areas and labour market information; and employability skills and attitudes.  Curriculum learning is also increasingly linked to Careers through the provision of structured opportunities for students to develop “21stcentury” work-related skills. The school brings in external speakers, arranges visits, and facilitates some individually focussed opportunities and placements for Year 10-13 students, tailored to their future educational and career ideas and aspirations. Thirsk School has some very well-established links to local business networks, including our own “Business Friends of Thirsk School”, and we continue to look to develop stronger links with a wide range of employers and our alumni.

As well as employer events, we work closely with many local organisations to support the preparation of CVs, mock interviews and offer other more personalised guidance.

Sixth Form Guidance Programme

Career support is embedded across both years of the Sixth Form experience but is chiefly delivered in the specialised Guidance Programme. This builds a range of experiences that inspire and support the students into a wide range of career opportunities which includes UCAS advice. We have close links to local employers through the “Business Friends of Thirsk School” which enable many of our work placements to become job opportunities or apprenticeships. Our regular monitoring of the apprenticeship website enables students to select a career path that suits them.

Our Guidance Programme doesn’t just cover careers but also involves information on all aspects of health which includes talks from local nurses and sexual health experts. Our driving safety is supported by both the local fire service and drama productions to educate our students on careful driving and the risks associated with alcohol and drugs. When not led by external presenters, our tutors and pastoral team deliver a range of lessons aimed at reducing stress, managing workload and at becoming more effective learners. This is supported throughout the year with the study skill sessions that can become part of the EPQ qualification.

Parents Evenings support this process with a Year 12 Welcome Evening, a Year 13 University Application Evening, and a Post-18 Careers Evening in addition to the subject based Parents Evening. Our team of careers advisors and experienced tutors continue to interview, challenge and support all individuals into the next stage. Career aspirations are tracked from application to the college until the students make the transition to the next step of their career.

Extra-Curricular Information And Support

An annual programme of careers-related events is offered, the aim of which is to motivate students of all age by encouraging them to think carefully about their interests, aptitudes and ambitions, and to plan for appropriate progression pathways.

Drop down sessions focusing on employability skills and career pathways are held for all year groups. We organise employer visits, further education provider visits and hold Careers assemblies. In Year 9 we provide general and more personalised guidance for students to enable them to making the most appropriate choices for KS4 studies. Supported by local business, we run a day of “mock interviews” for Year 11 students to help them prepare for the real thing, where they have an individual interview and receive bespoke feedback on their performance. Careers Interviews with our Careers and Employability Advisor are organised for all Year 11 students, many sixth form students, and, by request, younger students for whom we consider early guidance would be beneficial. We are introducing Xello in December 2024, a piece of careers software which takes into account factors such as personal interests, personal learning styles, subject area interest and work type preferences to guide and support students in meeting their ambitions and aspirations. Annually we hold a Careers Fair and an Apprenticeship Fair, to which all students and their families are welcome.

Work Experience

All students in Year 10 and almost all students in Year 12 are required to undertake a work experience placement, scheduled towards the end of the summer term. In addition to this, a small number of students in Year 11 and Year 12 follow an extended work placement programme and spend more regular time with employers throughout the year to build on employability skills and confidence. We are incredibly fortunate to have placements available of such fantastic quality, and we value enormously the excellent support given to the programme by the North Yorkshire Business Education Partnership (NYBEP).  We receive very impressive feedback about almost all of our students, many of whom over the years have built such good relationships with employers during that week that have led to real opportunities later on, in the form of part-time work and / or offers of apprenticeships and full-time positions after leaving school.

Careers Information

The School Library has well-stocked Careers information section, which contains books, prospectuses, leaflets, supplements, lists, links, and other resources. A variety of online resources is available, as well as books on all the main career areas, and on university and other pathway options.

Current Job and Apprenticeship Vacancy opportunities are increasingly made available electronically to students as well as parents/carers.

New to 2024 is our weekly Careers Newsletter, which is accessible through the school website, with interesting features about a range of topics relating to the worlds of Work and Further Study.

Monitoring Provision

Following publication of the DfE’s statutory guidance for schools in January 2018 the school’s CEIAG provision is now benchmarked against current best practice and legislation. We are using eight ‘benchmarks’ in the Gatsby Foundation Report on Good Career Guidance for our benchmarking.  We aim to do everything we canto inspire and encourage each of our students to realise their full potential and have happy and successful working lives. In November 2022 we were recognised by achieving the Careers Mark- a benchmark for effective careers provision in education.

Local Employer's List for Thirsk Area

Spreadsheet

Provider Access Policy – Careers (March 2023)

Key Staff: