Careers Information
At College Park School we are committed to providing all our young people in years 8 to 14 with a comprehensive programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance and work-related learning.
Work-related learning consists of workplace encounters including visits, work experience and workshops delivered by external professionals; and careers learning embedded within the curriculum. We work with a range of employers such as Hilton Hotels, Planet Organic, Project Choice/NHS and invite organisations, groups and specialist freelancers to deliver workshops to enhance the career learning that is delivered within Life skills lessons. Young People are also supported to discover potential prospects within Further Education and Supported Internships.
Careers Benchmark Results July 2022
Our career's education, information, advice and guidance programme aims to:
Inspire, inform and guide students |
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| Place individual students and their needs at its centre |
| Be integrated into the students’ experience of the curriculum as a whole |
| Encourage all students to consider their career throughout Key Stage 3 and 4 |
| Support pupils to develop decision-making skills |
| Provide all pupils and their families with high quality, impartial advice |
| Raise aspirations and promote equality and diversity |
Careers Team:
Deputy Head & Head of Careers, Simon Bennett s.bennett@qe2cp.westminster.sch.uk
Careers Leade and Post 16+ teacher Pam Williams p.williams@qe2cp.westminster.sch.uk, 0207 221 3454
Governor for careers: Carole Melson
The Careers programme at College Park School:
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Autumn Term
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Careers Assembly and/or Careers Workshop Class group opportunities – for employability skills |
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Spring Term
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Careers Week Enterprise Coffee morning Learning for workplace encounters |
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Summer Term
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Careers Assembly and/or Careers Workshop (Gold Class and Post 16+) Work experience (Gold Class and Post 16+) |
The Careers Programme at College Park supports young people to understand different career pathways, and enables them to gain the skills, knowledge and experience they require to achieve their career goals.
Exploring aspects of the world of work and developing life skills that are transferable to the workplace, i.e. employability skills, therefore, forms the basis of the School’s careers programme; and the aim is for the inclusion of such skills to be embedded across whole school curriculum planning.
To read the full careers' policy, please read our Employability Plan linked below.
As outlined above, our young people will take part in the following activities each year:
Careers Week - Young People have the opportunity to engage in virtual and class learning activities as part of the National Careers Week or Creative Careers Week.
Careers assembly - Where a different professional/business is invited to talk about their job – either in person or virtually. Young People are given the opportunity to present/share their careers learning and encounters.
Careers workshop - where a different professional/business presents an activity (in school or offsite) that provides students with interactive, hands-on learning about a role in industry.
Enterprise Coffee Morning - for parents to learn more about the way in which careers learning is delivered and the projects young people are working on. Local businesses are invited to attend.
College Park School believes in giving FE, HE and training providers the opportunity to talk to young people at the school. Please see the Provider Access Policy and Provider Access application form linked below.
Career Education
For an overview of how careers related to learning is delivered at College Park School, please see our Learning for Work pathways by using this link:*
KS3/KS4: Young People will create Careers Passports that record all encounters with employers, the work place and any work experience gained, as well as evaluations of such along with evidence of classroom-based careers learning.
Young People following the formal curriculum may work towards gaining GCSEs; Functional Skills exams Entry Level 1, 2, and 3 in Maths and English; Arts Award – Bronze. They also have the opportunity to acquire functional skills accreditations or qualifications, e.g. ASDAN, OCR Life Skills.
KS5 Post 16+: Careers Passports will be maintained throughout Post 16+ in order to build a portfolio that demonstrates and evidences students’ career education and workplace skills acquired, with the intention of forming a CV.
A semiformal curriculum is followed in our Post 16+ provision. Our Young People may work towards taking Functional Skills exams, Entry Level 1, 2, and 3 in Maths and English; Arts Awards - Discover and Explore; functional skills accreditations or qualifications, e.g. ASDAN, OCR Life Skills.
As part of their Life Skills lessons, young people will practice basic interview skills with the SaLT team; learn to complete application forms or to communicate their personal information.
Career Guidance
KS3: all Young People in Year 8 (Indigo/White classes) and their families will have a 1:1 meeting with an independent Careers Adviser. This is to prepare for setting outcomes for adulthood in the Year 9 Annual Reviews, which will include specific targets related to future careers.
KS4: all Young People will have a 1:1 meeting with an Independent Careers Adviser in preparation for Post-16 and Post-18 decisions.
The Career Information, Advice or Guidance given is independent and impartial. The focus is on the choices, qualifications and options for when students leave College Park School.
College and Supported Internship Visits: Young People will have the opportunity to visit different colleges/supported internships and take part in taster sessions.
Meetings re college and Post 16: all parents and young people will meet with Head of Careers to help with their post-16 and post-18 choices and applications.
Transition: Young People will work with the Head of Careers, Careers Leader, class tutors and SaLT team to prepare for their move to their placement beyond College Park School. This is supported by opportunities for weekly sessions at their setting of choice throughout the spring or summer term.
Work Experience
Work Experience takes place in Gold Class and Post 16+ (KS4/KS5). We are working with Project Choice and a range of local businesses and organisations to try and find placements that are linked to the future aspirations and interests of young individual. More detailed information will be shared with young people and their families when placements have been found.
Parents/Carers
Parents and carers are encouraged to play an active part in supporting their young people in making decisions around their future careers. Here at College Park, the aim is to help families understand what career options are possible, with the right support, for their son/daughter.
Parents and carers are always welcome to contact the Head of Careers, Simon Bennett: s.bennett@qe2cp.westminster.sch.uk or Careers Leader, Pam Williams p.williams@qe2cp.westminster.sch.uk to seek advice and ask any questions they might have regarding careers pathways. They can be contacted on the school phone number 0207 221 3454.
Measuring Impact
The School will assess the impact of its careers programmes on students by completing an annual young people survey and analysing destination data in line with activities that they have taken part in at school. In addition, the views of young people and parents will be surveyed after key events e.g. the Careers Assembly, Careers Week.
Useful links
National Careers Service – a comprehensive careers website with job profiles, outlining the skills required, main tasks, pay levels and career prospects for hundreds of different jobs. In addition, valuable guidance on the different stages involved in getting a job.
***If you would like a printed version of this information or any of the documents linked below, please contact the school office 0207 221 3454/admin@qe2cp.westminster.sch.uk