Beths
Grammar
School

Careers

Welcome to Careers at Beths!

Beths has well-defined careers programme that includes workplace experience, employer visits, and talks from specialists working in various sectors. This is combined with a whole school approach to careers learning within the curriculum to help our students appreciate the relevance of subject knowledge and skills in the workplace, and understand the progression routes available. Making well-informed decisions about their future careers and subject choices includes providing students with access to information about future career prospects and employment options through tools such as Unifrog.

At Beths Grammar School our programme of Careers, Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) aims to inspire and motivate all students by providing them with an understanding of the range of future careers opportunities open to them, and an appreciation of where different education and training pathways can take them. 

In addition to Prospects, who provide independent, individually tailored careers guidance and support to identified students, we also work closely with employers and business through dedicated activities and events, and our Work Experience programme. Our aim is that all students should develop the ability to:

  • Identify and appraise their own individual qualities and skills
  • Identify their strengths and weaknesses
  • Explore educational choices, careers options and lifelong learning opportunities
  • Understand how their interests and achievements can inform their careers choices and help them to make decisions about their future
  • Build a strong knowledge of the world of work
  • Develop career management, employability and enterprise skills
  • Develop skills for the modern workplace and by taking part in work-related activities in and out of the classroom
  • Aspire to their highest possible (and achievable) career goals

To ensure up to date, high quality provision that adheres to government guidelines and best practice, our CEIAG programme takes into account the Department for Education statutory advice and guidance, and the eight Gatsby Charitable Foundation benchmarks (see below).

As a School we can measure the success of our CEIAG programme and the effectiveness of our teaching by the attainment of our students and their post-educational destinations when they leave Beths Grammar school. We keep detailed records of our student’s destination information and, as part of our statutory duty, pass this data on to the Local Authority.  Each year between 85% and 90% of our Year 13 students go on to Higher Education at universities locally, nationally and abroad. Of the remaining 10-15% of our Year 13 leavers; most are either accepted onto apprenticeship schemes or into employment. A small proportion will continue to further education.

The School welcomes external providers and employers speaking with our students about career pathways as detailed in our Provider Access Policy. Please contact Mrs Blyghton, Careers Lead on msblyghton@beths.bexley.sch.uk to arrange this or to discuss how you can develop links with our school to support students career aspirations.

We hope that you have found this information helpful, please do let us know if you have any thoughts or feedback or can support us by sharing your career journey. Lastly, if you are an alumnus of the school, we would invite you to follow us on LinkedIn.

More information on Careers at Beths Grammar School - Careers through the Years at Beths

  • Careers Programme for each Key Stage
  • Outside speakers and Alumni
  • Careers Fair for Years 9, 10 and 12
  • Whole school Careers Weeks including National Apprenticeship Week and National Careers Week

The Careers Team: Contact us on careers@beths.bexley.sch.uk

Allison Blyghton,                                              

Careers and Work

Experience Lead

 

 

Zoe Ratcliffe,

Careers and Work Experience Assistant   

 

 

 

Laura Rayneau,

Work Experience and Careers Assistant

 

 

 

We want Beths students to . . . be empowered; achieve within the world of work; have successful, rewarding and fulfilling careers; be motivated and happy to engage with the challenges of life.

 

A careers programme which supports all year groups

In keeping with our commitment to provide students with outstanding careers guidance and tailored support, we use Unifrog; an award-winning, online careers platform. The Unifrog platform is designed to support learners in making the most informed decisions about their futures and has a range of tools that are suitable for all year groups. Each student has their own personal account that provides a wide range of information related to their interests and aspirations.

Key features of the platform include:

  • Exploring Pathways – personality quizzes, career and subject profiles, university choices, MOOCs and webinars
  • Recording – self-reflection about extracurricular activities and key employability skills
  • Opportunities – search tools showing live vacancies/courses/placements for apprenticeships, universities and Further Education
  • Applications – tools to help students build applications for a range of pathways (e.g., CVs, Personal Statements, Common App Essays)

Unifrog helps students link subject choices to careers as well as creating an online portfolio of activities and evidence and develop key employability skills and experience throughout their time at Beths.

Employer Engagement

  • Talks and industry insights are given from visiting professionals, industry representatives, Alumni, local and national organisations and employers, across the academic year.
  • Exposure to a range of local and national organisations and workplaces through individual departmental trips/visits.

Targeted support around transition points

  • GCSE options Information Evening for students and their parents/carers - Targeted support with GCSE choices and other post-14 options to help ensure informed decisions and a smooth transition.

  •  A Level choices and other post 16 options to help ensure informed decisions and a smooth transition - all Y11 students receive a one-to-one guidance interview with a member of the Senior Leadership Team or Head of Year.
  • Our post 16 options information includes advice and guidance on Sixth Form and college applications, apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes, training and the world of work.
  • Support, advice and guidance on all post-A level options help ensure informed decisions and a smooth transition. Beths students are supported through the UCAS application process, but encouraged to consider Apprenticeships, School Leaver programmes, gap years, training and work. All year 12 students attend our Careers Fair in July.
  • A specific programme of support for those applying to Oxford or Cambridge and for those applying to medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine.

Careers embedded in the curriculum

Careers support starts in the classroom, and all subject teachers play an active role in careers awareness, both via integration within their lessons and by advising on career opportunities within their own subjects.

The provision for enterprise education involves suspended timetable days and form tutor periods. Activities are also embedded within our Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship and Economics education (PSHCE) across the Year groups, within lessons, and through involvement with co-curricular clubs.

Departmental displays reinforce the link between subject learning and career opportunities

Cutting edge careers advice and guidance

Prospects provide independent careers advice to identified students, typically (but not exclusively) year 11’s who may need support deciding which A Level courses to study. We also prioritise those considered to be vulnerable or at risk of becoming NEET (not in employment, education or training); those students with special educational needs or disabilities; and members of the Sixth Form who may need extra help with alternative options to university applications.

One of our Careers Advisers, Marion Schoberth, is a member of the Career Development Institute and has worked in education for over twenty years. “My role as a careers adviser is to give students the opportunity to discuss their potential career options. During their career discussions students have the time and space to explore their career options and consider obtainable personal goals to help them prepare for their future career journey.”

A safe and successful work experience programme

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information on our work experience programmes for years 11 and 12 please visit Beths Grammar School - Work Experience

More information on Careers at Beths Grammar School - Careers through the Years at Beths

  • Detailed Careers Programme for each year group
  • Outside speakers and Alumni
  • Careers Fair for Years 9, 10 and 12
  • Whole school Careers Weeks including National Apprenticeship Week and National Careers Week

We hope that you have found this information helpful, please do let us know if you have any thoughts or feedback or can support us by sharing your career journey. Lastly, if you are an alumnus of the school, we would invite you to follow us on LinkedIn https://uk.linkedin.com/school/beths-grammar-school/