Careers
The school has a well structured programme of careers education and guidance initially delivered through the tutorial system in years 9 and 10 and then later through weekly lessons in small groups from year 11 onwards. There are opportunities for aptitude and interest testing, mock interviews and university and careers workshops designed to guide pupils with both subject and Higher Education choices.
In the Autumn Term the department runs a special careers day for year 11 where professional trainers offer workshops in a range of approximately 12 different career areas. This is a very successful event to which three other schools from the local area are also invited. In the Lower Sixth the department arranges two personalised visit days for the year group to universities within our local region; to the University of Southampton and to Oxford Brookes. We also attend a Higher Education Convention at Exeter University, and advertise Taster courses and Insight and Experience days, run by ISCO and the University of London, at top UK firms such as Price Waterhouse Cooper and Ernst and Young. In addition we provide help with work experience placements and gap year options.
In the Summer Term the department holds a special Careers and Enterprise day for Year 9 to formally introduce pupils to the work of the careers department and to help make them aware that advice is available whenever they feel the need to ask for it. A Higher Education Day just before half term provides the launch of the formal stage of the University application cycle. Students register in the morning and attend a workshop on writing the personal statement and then parents are invited to the afternoon lecture on the Ucas process delivered by a top executive from Ucas itself.
The school has a well resourced Careers Room and Reference Library with 10 computers to make access to the wealth of up to date on- line resources possible. It is open throughout the school day and students are encouraged to come in and make full use of the resources available and to discuss and research their plans and ideas. The school is a member of the Independent Schools Careers Organisation (ISCO) which provides help and guidance until the age of 23.
Parents are encouraged to participate in their children’s career planning and have full access to the online resources of the department such as Kudos, Careerscape and ISCO. They receive copies of the Cambridge Occupational Analysts (COA) profiling tests in year 11, and parents of Lower Sixth students receive a copy of the Clayesmore School UCAS Parents’ Guide at the Higher Education day in June. This is the formal start to the UCAS application cycle and provides an opportunity for parents to be fully informed as to the nature of the process and for staff and students to keep abreast of current and future trends.
The Careers Department also offers post A level assistance for those wishing to apply to university after receiving their results.