Careers Education for Parents
Careers Leader: Mr Sean Ord
Contact Information: Tel: 0191 4283200 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Introduction:
All of our students have the right to access free and impartial Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) as well as the opportunity to gain experience of the world of work. This entitlement is delivered in three ways:
- Careers lessons are taught as part of our Social Moral and Cultural (SMC) curriculum.
- Careers is taught once a week by tutors during registration time.
- All subject areas deliver careers through their curriculum when appropriate.
The CEIAG is further enhanced through targeted drop-down days and a dedicated Careers Adviser undertakes individual guidance interviews with students at Key Stage 4 (KS4).
The Gatsby Benchmarks set out a framework for schools to deliver ‘good career guidance’. Jarrow School uses the Gatsby benchmarks to drive our CEIAG provision and we have adopted the Careers Development Institute (CDI) Framework to structure the delivery of our careers programme. We welcome training providers, employers, colleges and universities into our school for assemblies, careers events and training activities. If you would be interested in supporting us with this, please contact Mr Ord This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
CEIAG Team
Mr Ord – Senior Teacher and Careers Leader
Mr Ord is the Careers Leader at Jarrow School and is responsible for the strategic planning and evaluation of careers education. He oversees the careers curriculum for all students and leads a team of career champions who support with the delivery of this.
Mr S Ord Tel: 0191 428 3200 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Mrs C Ridley – Careers Adviser
Mrs Ridley is our dedicated Careers Adviser. She is responsible for all meaningful encounters that students experience at Jarrow School and co-ordinates work experience in Year 10. Mrs Ridley meets with all pupils in KS4 to assist with applications and give impartial careers advice.
Mrs C Ridley Tel: 0191 428 3200 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Parents
As a parent or carer, you have a leading role when your child is making decisions about their future career. Talking to your child about careers is important. Not only when they are making big decisions, such as subject choices and what to do when they leave school, but also throughout their school life and beyond. It is important to be prepared and feel confident when they come to you for advice. Below is some useful information including links to websites to support you in assisting your child with their future career choices. These are two resources which will help you to support your child.
Cascaid: A Parents’ Guide to Careers Guidance
National Careers Service: A Parent’s Guide – What do you need to know?
Labour Market Information (LMI):
Labour Market Information (LMI) refers to any relevant information about the current state of the jobs market. LMI can include information like:
- The industries and businesses that operate in a certain location.
- The types of jobs that exist and what they involve.
- How many of those jobs there are.
- The skills that are currently or will be in high demand.
- Commute and travel to work patterns.
- Typical rates of pay.
- Career progression opportunities.
Here is a short YouTube video to explain the importance of LMI
These are the latest LMI reports for the North East:
Year 10 Work Experience Placements:
Every student should have first-hand experience of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities and expand their networks.
In Year 10 students will be given the opportunity to complete a work experience placement during the Summer Term. This helps students to develop the key employability skills required to be successful at their chosen workplace. Independence is encouraged and students are asked to find their own work experience placement and to complete work experience diaries (provided by school), while on placement. Look out for letters, forms and text messages from school about work experience. School also asks employers to nominate students for “Outstanding Contribution to Work Experience” Award.
Placements are supported and checked by Mrs Ridley and our partner FutureWork. Attendance is also checked with employers and school staff visit various placements.
My World of Work
Follow this link to the My World of Work website. This website allows you to support your child with building a career options profile.
CV Writing
Advice and guidance on supporting your son/daughter with writing a CV/cover letter can be found below.
Interview Techniques and Tips
Advice and guidance on supporting your son/daughter with their interview techniques can be found below.
Interview Advice (National Careers Service)
Interview Techniques (Target Jobs)
What are the options for Post-16 Education?
There are a range of options available for continuing to study, Post 16. Your son/daughter will need to apply for either A Levels, or a Level 3 course of study. Most post-16 education establishments will require them to achieve a minimum of 5 GCSEs at Level 4 (some courses of study will have further requirements). This video by South Tyneside College explains all of the options that are available to your son/daughter after they leave Jarrow School.
What do the different levels of study mean?
Confused about study options and levels?
Level 1 – GCSEs at grade D and below/level 4 and below
Level 2 – 5 or more GCSEs at grade C and above/level 5 and above
Level 3 – A Levels, AS Levels, BTEC Level 3
For more information of the full range of qualifications and their levels visit the National Careers Service.
Post-16 Schools and Colleges
There are a number of local schools and colleges which will offer a wide range of courses and provision such as A Levels, Apprenticeships and work-related (vocational) studies. Your son/daughter can find prospectuses for many of the schools/colleges online. They can look at their websites for further details on what they offer, and for details of their open days and application process. Some of these can be found below.
- Newcastle Sixth Form College
- Harton Sixth Form
- St. Joseph’s Sixth Form College
- St. Wilfrid’s Sixth Form College
- Whitburn Sixth Form College
- Newcastle College
- South Tyneside College
- Gateshead College
- Sunderland College
Traineeships and Apprenticeships
A Traineeship is an introduction-level programme that combines a work placement with training, it helps to prepare young people for the world of work and supports with English and Mathematics if required.
Apprenticeships are available at Intermediate, Advanced and Higher/Degree levels, and are available in a wide range of employment sectors. The length of time that it takes to complete is dependent on the level and occupation. All Apprenticeships are real jobs so young people on the programme can earn a salary.
All Apprenticeship opportunities must be advertised on the National Apprenticeships Website. Your son/daughter must be registered on this site to apply. They are allowed to start an Apprenticeship once they have reached the compulsory education leaving date, after the last Friday in June.
More information about Apprenticeships can be found using the links below:
National Apprenticeships Website
T Levels
T Levels are new courses which follow GCSEs and are equivalent to 3 A levels. These 2-year courses, which launched in September 2020, have been developed in collaboration with employers and education providers so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work, further training, or further study. T Levels offer students a mixture of classroom learning and on-the-job experience through an industry placement of at least 315 hours - approximately 45 days. Some local providers who offer T Levels are listed below:
- City of Sunderland College
- Gateshead College
- North East Futures UTC
- St Wilfrid's RC College
- Tyne Coast College
More information about T Level’s can be found here.
Unifrog
In keeping with our commitment to provide students with outstanding careers guidance and tailored support when choosing their next step after school, we will now be using Unifrog; an award-winning, online careers platform. All students in Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 now have access to this excellent website.
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.
As parents we, would encourage you use the platform with your child so you can support them through the process of deciding their next step. This link provides an overview of how Unifrog works. We have also set up a parent login so that you can use Unifrog as if you were a student yourself, allowing you to support your child throughout the process. The form code you need is: JRRWParents and you can sign up here: www.unifrog.org/code
