Careers and Work Experience

The ‘Provider Access Policy’ and details of the careers programme for parents and pupils can be found under ‘Teaching and Learning’ in the ‘Policies’ section of our website.

Assessing the careers programme’s impact 

• The Gatsby Benchmarks for careers education.

• Destination data for Year 11 and Year 13 leavers can be found on the ‘Exam Results’ page on the ‘About Us’ section of our website.

This information will be updated in December of each academic year.

Work experience helps students explore careers, develop skills, build confidence, and understand the workplace. It provides networking opportunities, enhances resumes, and boosts employability. It also teaches the value of money and work, improves academic motivation, and fosters personal growth by encouraging responsibility and independence. Overall, it offers a valuable head start in career development and helps our students make informed decisions about their futures.

All year 10 students have the opportunity to complete work experience during the summer term. After the December kick-off assembly students have the next four months to find their placement - we provide guidance on contacting employers and asking for a placement, help some students into placements arranged by the school and manage all insurance and health and safety considerations using the Changing Education platform. 

More information is shared with parents and carers after the kick-off event in December each academic year.  

Work Experience Letter to Parents and Carers of Year 10 students 2024/2025

Work Experience - initial generic contact letter 2024/2025

Apprenticeships combine real work with training and study for a specific role. You’ll learn new skills, gain experience and earn a salary too. Being an apprentice can be an exciting and rewarding career path. Before applying you should also consider that as an apprentice you’ll have to: 

• balance a job with studying and your home life 

• work under supervision and guidance 

• complete regular assessments, including an end-point assessment 

• usually train for one specific role

More information on applying for apprenticeships can be found on the government website: https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/apprentices/apprentices-get-started

The majority of apprenticeships for post-16, post-18 or even after your first degree are advertised on the Oxfordshire website. You can sign up for the weekly newsletter or see all the available roles on their website: https://oxme.info/earn/weekly-bulletins 

For those at the start of your career journey you can find information about early career apprenticeship opportunities here https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/apprentices/career-starter-apprenticeships 

How to find and apply for an apprenticeship

More information about post-16 options in Oxfordshire