Careers

For all careers enquiries email

Miss R Smith

Tel: 020 8850 6700 Ext. 0261

 

St Thomas More wants pupils to be able to make independent, well-informed decisions about their futures.
Together with their curriculum studies, our careers programme seeks to implement this aim via a range of careers activities designed to give pupils the wherewithal to make sensible choices. St Thomas More is guided by the Department for Education’s recent Careers Strategy: making the most of everyone’s skill and talents, and by the eight “Gatsby Benchmarks” denoting excellence in careers education:

  • A stable careers programme
  • Learning from career and labour market information
  • Addressing the needs of each student
  • Linking curriculum learning to careers
  • Encounters with employers and employees
  • Experiences of workplaces
  • Encounters with further and higher education
  • Personal guidance

During their time at St Thomas More, students are presented with a series of opportunities and challenges intended to broaden their outlook. Students’ experiences are tailored to meet the needs of broader career pathways. A mix of tutorial activities, workshops, Drop-down days, presentations, university and workplace visits, work experience and careers fairs, alongside personalised academic mentoring ensures that all students are focused on career pathways from the start of their time in the school. The curriculum prepares students for adult life and equips them to access the opportunities it offers.

All students have opportunities to learn about access to alternative routes to employment, 
including vocational qualification and apprenticeship, as required by the Baker Clause

A few examples of our offer to pupils:

  • All year 10’s attend one week’s Work Experience in school with visits and talks from a range of people and professions
  • In-school PHSE event for Year 10, enabling face-to-face discussions with apprenticeship providers, employers, universities, and colleges
  • In-school post-16 Information Day for Year 11 (and parents) to discuss possible destinations following school with apprenticeship providers, 6th forms, grammar schools, and local colleges
  • Small group visits to local post-16 education providers for Year 11
  • Parents Evening (with careers support) in Year 8 to help choose Options
  • Visit to national careers event for Year 11

At key points of transition, pupils are supported by Alex More, our postgraduate-qualified Careers Adviser from The Shaw Trust (formerly PROSPECTS). This means that in Year 8 (Options) and in Year 11 (post-16), pupils have the opportunity of an individual guidance interview with an impartial adviser to talk through their choices. A summary careers action plan is then produced for the pupil, and their Year Head. Parents are welcomed to these interviews.

Careers co-ordinator is Mrs Kay Jennings. Kay co-ordinates and directs the careers offer at St Thomas More.

She can be contacted at: kjennings@stmcomprehensive.org and on 0208 331 2424

The Gatsby Benchmarks

We have used these 8 benchmarks to review and focus our own provision for Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance:

  1.  A stable careers programme.
  2.  Learning from career and labour market information.
  3. Addressing the needs of each student.
  4. Linking curriculum learning to careers.
  5. Encounters with employers and employees.
  6. Experiences of workplaces.
  7. Encounters with further and higher education.
  8. Personal guidance.

    We measure and assess the impact of the careers programme by student evaluation of their careers guidanceView our Careers Policy

Careers Programme Year 7

  • All pupils are involved in Careers related lessons and activities as part of the PSHE programme
  • Access to Fast Tomato Online Careers application

Careers Programme Year 8

  • Small group interviews with the Prospects Careers Advisor with the aim to help pupils to
  • decide on their curriculum options that are appropriate to their interests and talents.
  • All pupils are involved in Careers related lessons and activities as part of the PSHE programme
  • All pupils have access to Fast Tomato Online Careers application

Careers Programme Year 9

  • All pupils have opportunities to attend careers events and visits through curriculum departments
  • Selected pupils attend Careers talks delivered by guest speakers
  • All pupils are involved in Careers related lessons and activities as part of the PSHE programme
  • All pupils have access to Fast Tomato Online Careers application

Careers Programme Year 10

  • Selected pupils attend university visits including Oxford university
  • Selected pupils attend Careers talks delivered by guest speakers
  • Selected pupils attend careers visits through curriculum departments
  • Selected pupils offered 1-1 interviews with the Prospects Advisor
  • All pupils attend one week’s Work Experience in school with visits and talks from a range of people and professions
  • All pupils are involved in Careers related lessons and activities as part of the PSHE programme, including developing career management skills such as CV writing.
  • All pupils have access to Fast Tomato Online Careers application
  • All pupils have the opportunity to take part in a Mock interview
  • All pupils have the opportunity to experience a taster day in a sixth form or college setting and be introduced to different post-16 pathways.

Careers Programme Year 11

  • All pupils and Parents are informed about Post-16 pathways to make informed choices about their future via a post 16 information evening where schools, 6th form colleges and other training providers come into school for an open evening
  • All have learnt how to write a personal statement for post-16 applications
  • All pupils hear from guest speakers in assembly about sixth form, college and apprenticeships
  • Selected pupils will have had access to university visits
  • All pupils have access to Fast Tomato Online Careers application.