Careers Programme/Work Experience
Careers Programme Information
Careers Lead: Mrs. S Cooke.
Telephone: 0161 507 9649.
Email: s.cooke@olsc.manchester.sch.uk
Our careers programme:
We offer a diverse careers programme focused on enriching students experiences. We ensure we:
- Learn from labour market information (trends in job/sector vacancies)
- Address the needs of each pupil
- Link curriculum learning to careers
- Offer encounters with employers and employees
- Offer experiences of the work place
- Offer encounters with further education and higher education
- Provide personal guidance
Please download our detailed Careers Education leaflet to see the full scope of what we offer. Please also download our Curriculum Map showing the careers opportunities offered at Our Lady's.
How the school measures impact:
The Careers, Information and Guidance Programme is continually reviewed and its impact measured. Quantitative and qualitative data is used. By this process the programme is shaped to better meet the needs of our students.
Please download our impact statement for further information.
Policies:
Individual Careers Guidance and Career Planning
All students receive the minimum of 1 personal guidance interview before they leave school. Further appointments can be made on request at any time during school.
Please consider: “How to Prepare for my Careers Guidance Interview”
Considering University?
Uni Taster Days have made a series of webinars available to students interested in finding out about University. If you have a career/degree in mind, take a look and find out about the stepping stones needed to get there.
https://www.unitasterdays.com/ondemand
Destination Data 2023-2021
(NB) Destination data is published each December once returns from colleges are in.
When making transition decisions, it is sometimes useful to consider where other students have gone onto study, and what they have gone on to study.
Everybody’s career journey should be right for them however, decisions based on accurate information, quality advice and guidance is key to a successful move. Education or training is statutory until the age of 18.
Please contact Mrs. SA Cooke or Mrs. J Lowrey should require further support, information or guidance. You can find out more destination data and information by reading the document below.
Labour Market Information
To consider labour market information when career planning is very useful as it provides data as to job availability in different sectors.
As a parent or carer, you are best placed to support your child to recognise all of the different places where they are developing their essential skills. School is just one part of the picture. Hobbies, interests, community connections and activities at home can all help to build the eight essential skills your child needs now and for their future success.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Work Related Learning Curriculum
Our Lady’s seeks to create a Work Related Learning curriculum that connects school and its pupils to the world of work and as such, enables students to make informed choices about their futures. We aim to offer students high quality career support, of which employer engagement and work experience opportunities are key.Alongside our class based curriculum and the valuable opportunities afforded by Work Experience, links with Higher Education, Further Education Institutions, and Employer engagement activities, we offer independent and impartial advice and guidance as part of our multi-faceted, integrated careers strategy.
It is our aim that every young person who attends Our Lady’s, regardless of their background, has the information, exposure and support to make informed and correct choices in moving towards their working future and fulfilling their full potential. We recognise there are key milestones in their time in education and especially at key transition points when they are making important choices. By understanding possible career paths and educational routes, we believe students are motivated to do well, realising the importance of good literacy and numeracy skills for all types of careers.
We seek to shape our evolving provision around the Gatsby Benchmarks.
Work Experience Protocol
- Prior to going out on work experience, in early October a letter is sent out to all parents introducing work experience.
- Assembly in October outlining expectations and requirements for work experience
- At the assembly students are given a self-placement form and told to hand it back to Mrs Cooke/Mrs Lowrey (work experience co-ordinator) along with a copy of their employer liability insurance.
- Once the self-placement form is handed in a letter of confirmation is sent out to parents detailing the work experience placement for their child.
- A confirmation letter is sent to the employer thanking them for agreeing to take the student and explaining that a member of staff will be coming out to visit them.
- Two weeks before the students go out we have another assembly to reiterate expectations and to hand out the work experience diary. Students are expected to complete the diary every day whilst on their placement.
Once out on work experience
- On the first day of the placement we ring the employer to make sure they have arrived safely and everything is OK.
- Every student has a visit from a member of staff whilst on their placement.
- The employer is given an evaluation form to complete for the student.
- This form will go in their Record of Achievement folder when they leave in Year 11.
Our Lady’s Work Experience programme is supported by MPloy. Please see the following link for more details.
Understanding Safeguarding
Find out more
Work Experience for Year 10 students will take place 1st - 5th July 2024
To find out more about our work experience programme take a look at our work experience policy on the 'policies' page of the website.
Health and Safety Executive documents pertaining to Work Experience: