Key Stage 4 Careers Guidance
Greenford High School is committed to providing Key Stage 4 students with high quality, independent advice and guidance with regards to careers, further and higher education and future life choices.
Ealing Connexions
Greenford High School works closely with Ealing Connexions and provides students with access to an impartial Level 6 Careers Coordinator, Clare Rodway. Clare meets Year 10 and 11 students to review options for Post-16 and explore everything from A Levels to local colleges and apprenticeships. Students are supported in applying for the next stage in their education or training and where relevant helped with arranging visits and interviews. Students are free to book follow-up appointments if their plans change and the goal is for every student to have a place in education or training for the following year by the end of Year 11.
Careers leader
Our school’s Careers Leader is Ms A Phull. Her email address is aphull@greenford.ealing.sch.uk.
Work Experience
Work Experience is organised for all Year 10 students for one week, towards the end of the academic year. Students who wish to pursue additional work experience are encouraged to do so, and should seek advice from Ms Rodway, Ms Phull or Mr Lewis if they are in Post 16.
Careers advice: questions to consider
What can I do when I finish Year 11?
At the end of Year 11 you will be completing your final GCSE exams but that doesn’t mean it is the end of your educational journey. Young people now need to stay in some form of education or training until they are at least 18. The good news is you have options available to you.
Option 1: School Sixth Form
Most of our Year 11 students stay on for sixth form at Greenford High School to study a range of A levels and BTEC qualifications, but there are also many other local sixth forms you can consider. When choosing your options think about the following:
- Your grades: what do you need at GCSE to get onto the course? If you’re unsure, speak to your subject teacher in Year 11!
- Your interests: what do you really like doing? Post-16 is a great time to study a subject in more depth including lots of reading around the subject so choose wisely!
- Your future plans: thinking of going to university or have a career in mind? Look now at the entry requirements for the course/ career you want to have
Interested in this?
- Speak to your subject teachers
- Attend the Post-16 subject fair and come armed with questions
- If applicable start researching other sixth forms to see what courses they offer and what their entry requirements are.
Option 2: College
Colleges are not attached to schools, and some prefer the fresh start they offer. Colleges usually offer A levels, NVQs, Diplomas and Foundation Learning or new T-Levels. Some colleges are specialist eg. you might have a catering college that specialises in cookery courses.
Interested in this?
- From the beginning of the year start researching colleges to see what courses they offer and what their entry requirements are
- Make an appointment with the careers advisor or speak to Mr Halsey about local colleges
Option 3: Apprenticeships
An apprenticeship allows you to work for an employer, earning a wage and studying for a qualification (eg an NVQ) at the same time. You would be linked with a college or training provider to help you complete your course
Interested in this?
- From the beginning of the year start researching apprenticeships to see what is available and what the entry requirements are
- Make an appointment with the careers advisor or speak to Mr Halsey about local colleges and apprenticeship opportunities.
More information
Want more info? Check out the following links:
...Or watch the following videos:
Apprenticeships in a nutshell:
Apprenticeship case study:
The world of work
Everyone knows what a doctor, fireman and teacher are but do you have any idea what a Political risk underwriter or an ethical trade manager does all day?! The world of work is huge! But luckily there are also a huge amount of resources out there to help you choose the kind of job that might be right for you.
Where to start?
Think about your personality - what do you like doing? Personality quizzes might be a good place to start if you’re unsure of what you want to do. Try this easy one as a starting point!
Research
This one is huge! There are lots of places to look. There are some great sources of information online - look at our Careers links and resources page for inspiration.
Ask around
Research doesn’t have to be online: talk to those around you: parents, extended family and friends could all have valuable information about different jobs to share with you!
Get some experience
If you’re old enough get a part time job or do some volunteering (schemes like NCS or Duke of Edinburgh help you with this). Alternatively, ask a friend or family member if you can shadow them at work for a day during the school holidays. See some more tips for finding work experience below!
Still unsure?
Speak to your teachers, Year team, the school careers advisor or Mr Halsey.
How do I write a CV and covering letter?
If you are applying for a job or a work experience programme, the chances are you will have to submit a CV and/or a covering letter. These are different documents which aim to convince an employer that you are the right person for the job or programme.
CV
This stands for curriculum vitae and is a document which lays out your relevant skills, qualifications and interests. Look at the Student Job website to see an example and start building your own CV.
Covering letter
This is a letter that you submit along with your CV. In this letter you must explain why you want the job or programme offer, and why you would be good for the role. For example, if the job description mentions that the job requires organisation skills, your covering letter should demonstrate that you have these.
For more information on CVs and Covering letters, look at this BBC Bitesize feature.
To find out about the latest opportunities for your year group:
- Listen out for careers bulletins and updates in form time and on Google Classroom
- Follow GHS Futures (Careers) on twitter
- Speak to our Careers Leader Mr Halsey