Careers and Futures
MS LUCIE KING, HEAD OF CAREERS AND FUTURES
[email protected]
Our approach to Careers and higher education at Queenswood is integrated, structured and personalised for each student.
We see Careers and Futures education as a vital component of the curriculum, preparing girls for their future life, and supporting them on their lifelong journey through learning and work. Our role is to inform, guide and nurture individual development into adulthood, enabling the best choices to be made at each stage of the journey. Careers and Futures education runs through every year group in the school and includes activities and events delivered through all departments, as well as off-site visits that are focussed on particular career paths. The quantity of input builds each year as girls approach independent adult life. In Year 7 and 8, girls explore their own personal development as they progress into secondary school and we look at key skills for future life and work through a series of careers sessions within the PSHCEE programme using the ‘STEPs’ programme.
The Year 9 focus is on making good subject option choices for GCSE based on possible future career plans. Each girl completes an initial online career profile psychometric and begins to research her career beyond school. In Year 10, girls participate in careers and work tutorials and towards the end of the year are offered the ‘Morrisby’ profile, which is a battery of psychometric ability tests with an interest questionnaire. In Year 11, individual discussions about Sixth Form and post-sixteen choices based on the student’s Morrisby profile take place early in the year. Individual sessions run with the Head of Careers, who is also available on an ongoing basis to offer guidance and advice to each student. During Year 11, recommendations are made about the value of work experience and volunteering activities and girls are encouraged to begin to build their future profile in these ways.
In the Sixth Form, the focus for most girls will be on University (UCAS) or other higher education applications. The Head of Careers is available for one-to-one meetings with all girls for specific advice and guidance. Our well-stocked Careers room and information bank can supply information on University choices in the UK, the USA, Canada and elsewhere, as well as guidance about vocational and professional careers. An annual briefing is offered by our USA Universities expert for parents and girls considering University in the USA, and subject tutors support applications that will require specific additional elements such as Medicine, Law, and Oxbridge.
Sixth formers are offered the opportunity to attend externally delivered Oxbridge and other Universities’ information and briefing events. The Head of Sixth Form and the Deputy Principal Academic also meet with every girl to discuss their future options and are another source of input and guidance. The Careers Department run the ‘Centigrade’ higher education profiling system with all Lower Sixth girls to provide additional information and structure regarding potential choices. This provides recommendations on specific institutions, relevant courses, taster day sessions and available open days. Girls are encouraged to research their choices and attend University open days and taster sessions.
The Sixth Form enrichment programme offers a diverse and stimulating series of weekly external speakers, trips and events and is a value-adding, important contributor to forming the girls’ profile, as is the experience of community engagement, personal leadership and volunteering opportunities offered. A biennial Careers Convention event is organised and offered to Year 11 and Sixth Form girls and their parents and guardians. Careers interest groups and seminars such as the Biomedical and Business Enterprise groups are also offered to broaden knowledge and expertise.
In addition to the in-school programme, a series of trips, events, seminars and experiences occur across the school year, utilising the extensive and helpful Queenswood alumnae and parent network. Trips into the City of London, guest speakers and alumnae mentors all build the girls’ profiles and help shape their choices. Queenswood’s rich and personalised approach to Careers, Higher education and future choices means that girls leave school confident in themselves, their choices, and successful in their chosen paths.