Careers Education

La Retraite is committed to developing the whole individual and sees investing in Careers as essential to achieving this.

From Year 7 through to Year 13, students follow a comprehensive careers programme called 'Steps to Success', which enables them to develop the skills and attributes required for the world of work.

In addition to supporting students with access to University or Apprenticeships, La Retraite offers a Scholarship Programme that is available to the top 20% in each year group, according to ability. Participation in the Scholarship Programme prepares students for Competitive University applications such as Oxbridge or Medicine.

We measure the impact of the Careers Programme through student panels, usage figures in Unifrog and destination data which we compiled each year.

To contact our Careers Lead, Ruth Coyle, please email admin@laretraite.co.uk. 

To contact our independent Careers Advisor, Ms Boyle, please email aboyle@laretraite.co.uk

Steps to Success Programme 

 

Our Steps to Success Careers Programme is tailored to fit the needs of each year group, with activities and learning opportunities developed to ensure each key stage develops their employability skills. Below is a rough outline of the core tuition each year group will receive as part of the programme.

Provider Access Statement

Introduction

The Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022 sets out new requirements on the number and types of encounters schools will need to deliver for their pupils with providers of technical education or apprenticeships.

This statement sets out the school's arrangements for managing the access of providers to secondary students at our school for the purposes of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.

Provider obligations for pupil encounters

• The Skills Act specifies schools provide at least six encounters with providers of approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships
• Two in Y8/9, two in Y10/11 (which are mandatory for all registered learners to attend) two in Y12/13 (which it is mandatory the school offer but optional for learners to attend).
• Two encounters in the same phase cannot be with the exact same provider
• Schools should ask providers to whom access is given to provide information that includes the following— (i) information about the provider and the approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships that the provider offers, (ii) information about the careers to which those technical education qualifications or apprenticeships might lead, (iii) a description of what learning or training with the provider is like, and (iv) responses to questions from the pupils about the provider or approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.
• Mandated for each registered pupil not just select groups
• Expected to come into force in January 2023

Management of provider access requests

Opportunities for access

Our provision includes various opportunities for students to access a range of events. These are mainly integrated into the school's careers programme and curriculum. These events are therefore delivered internally, with contribution from external providers where appropriate.

The school works with external agencies such as higher education providers including London Southbank University & Roehampton University, in addition the schools works with professional bodies to deliver workshops and engagement through the schools blended Careers and Personal development programme. LDN apprenticeships, ASK, Lambeth college and JP Morgan offer support to deliver engagement with pupils.

Procedure

A provider, other than the school, wishing to request access should contact the Headteacher or Director of Sixth Form, via the school's contact details. Local providers are invited to key relevant events. In addition, external providers interested in coming into the school should speak to the Careers Lead. The details can be gained by calling the school's main switchboard or via admin@laretraite.co.uk.

The school's policy on safeguarding sets out the approach to allowing providers into school as visitors to talk to our students.

From June 2022 all visits by external visitors except for parents/carer and key professionals listed below, all others will be subject to a visitor protocol.

Visitors who do not need to be DBS-checked but who must prove their identity via official records/cards are:

• HMI and Ofsted Inspectors
• Members of the Metropolitan Police
• Local Authority Visitors including Social Workers
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) representatives
• NHS Staff

To request a visit your school contact must complete a visitor request form and send it to the Designated Safeguarding lead. This will detail the person/company visiting, the purpose of the visit and ensure appropriate due diligence has been applied to establish they are appropriate visitors.

Once approved the visitor or external speaker must sign to the visiting agreement form and return it to the La Retraite staff member organising the visit or event. If this is an company/organisation this only needs to be completed by the most senior member in charge of the group on that day.

Documents

Investors in careers2024-2025 'A Guide to Planning Your Future' for after Year 11.

 

 Access to Labour Market Information

Students access up-to-date Labour Market Information via our Careers platform: https://www.unifrog.org/

Parent and Carers can also access local borough’s labour market Information here:  https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/la/1946157253/report.aspx

Resources

Once visits have been agreed, the school will provide appropriate rooming to facilitate the visit, along with any equipment requested by the provider, where it is available. Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature.

Careers Policy

Careers Policy

 

CDI Careers Framework

 

Gatsby Benchmarks

The Gatsby benchmarks ensure that every young person aged 13 and over will receive exposure to local employers in order to gain a greater understanding of the world of work.

The benchmarks also offer individualised information, advice and guidance around a range of post-16 education offers, from sixth form to technical college to university and apprenticeships, enabling young people to make informed choices about their future.

The eight benchmarks set out in the Good Career Guidance report serve as a framework for improvement in careers provision and have been adopted as part of the Government's Careers Strategy and statutory guidance for schools and colleges.

1. A Stable Careers Programme           

Every school and college should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by students, parents, teachers and employers.

Our Strategy

ACTIVITY	LEARNING AIMS & OBJECTIVES	ROLES & RESPONSIBILITY	FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
Named Careers Lead to be added to school website.	Awareness of responsibility for careers promoted with parents, students and stakeholders.	Careers Lead Admin Officer responsible for Website	School careers section to have a complete review with proposed additions: labour market information and direct links to Unifrog.
Set up an evaluation process for both staff and students.	Identify gaps within in staff and students career related learning from years 7-13	Careers Lead Senior Leadership Team	Evaluation process to be develop and audit of gaps in knowledge to be completed.
Set up a link careers representative for each department.	Incorporation of careers within subjects.	Careers Lead Heads of Department	Nomination of department careers link representative to co-ordinate the delivery of careers within the department, distribute careers resources as directed by the Careers Lead. HOD to undergo Compass Plus training to add career-related activities for their department.
Careers training for new teaching staff.	Developing an understanding of embedding careers in the curriculum.	Careers Lead Senior Leadership Team	Careers session added to staff induction process to include training on Unifrog, the school’s careers platform.

2. Learning from Careers and Labour Market Information

Every student, and their parents, should have access to good-quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed adviser to make best use of available information.

Our Strategy

ACTIVITY	LEARNING AIMS & OBJECTIVES	ROLES & RESPONSIBILITY	FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
CPD sessions within subject departments.	To incorporate Labour market information within lessons.	Careers Lead Senior Leadership Team Heads of Department and Subject Leaders	Continued use of Unifrog careers resources in lessons and PSHE.
Embedding of labour market widgets and links in school website.	To provide access to LMI for staff, parents and stakeholders.	Careers Lead Senior Leadership Team Admin Officer responsible for website	Identification of local LMI to update parents via school newsletter, information days/open sessions, Careers Day

To view the Labour Market Profile for Lambeth, please click here.

3. Addressing the Needs of Each Student

Students have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each student. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.

Our Strategy

ACTIVITY	LEARNING AIMS & OBJECTIVES	ROLES & RESPONSIBILITY	FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
CPD sessions with staff to tackle stereotyping and to raise aspirations.	To challenge stereotypical thinking.	Whole school	Displays around to school to challenge stereotypical thinking, promote STEM Displays of alternate pathways into careers such as apprenticeships/degree apprenticeships.
Consideration of a careers report to be attached to annual school report to demonstrate careers learning.	To provide the student with a copy of their career-related learning, to inform parents and carers.	Careers Lead Senior Leadership Team Heads of Department	Data to be extracted from Compass + and incorporated with annual school reports.

4. Linking Curriculum to Careers

All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. For example, STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths.

Our Strategy

ACTIVITY	LEARNING AIMS & OBJECTIVES	ROLES & RESPONSIBILITY	FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
Careers audit by subject careers link sent to Head of Department.	To support careers provision within subjects and the curriculum.	Careers Lead Head of Department Subject Careers Link	Updating of Compass Plus with departmental careers information.
Careers Lead attendance to department meeting to add careers to the agenda.	To ensure the embedding of careers within the curriculum.	Careers Lead Senior Leadership Team Heads of Department	Careers Lead to report to SLT. SLT line mangers to support the embedding of careers within the curriculum.
Displays within departments linking careers to curriculum.	To enable students to link subjects to career intentions.	Careers Lead Heads of Department Subject Careers Link	Resources to be provided, careers posters, external providers i.e., employers, apprenticeship service invited to talk/present in lessons and assemblies.
Promotion of careers on staff SharePoint.	To keep staff and students informed of career related opportunities.	Careers Lead Senior Leadership Team	Resources to be added to SharePoint by Careers Lead, Subject Careers Link.

5. Encounters with Employers and Employees

Every student should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes.

Our Strategy

ACTIVITY	LEARNING AIMS & OBJECTIVES	ROLES & RESPONSIBILITY	FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
Add employer focused events to the school calendar.	To enable students to access face to face employer information.	Careers Lead Governors Senior Leadership Team	Careers Day, targeted subject events, Medical Day, Law Day.
Employer-led activities and workshops.	Students to gain an understanding of the links between careers and learning.		Face-to-face sessions with employers, interview workshops, CV writing sessions, mentoring.

6. Experience of Workplaces

Every student should have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks.

Our Strategy

ACTIVITY	LEARNING AIMS & OBJECTIVES	ROLES & RESPONSIBILITY	FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
Visits to businesses.	Linking of subject-related learning  to workplaces to support students understanding of careers.	Careers Lead Senior Leadership Team Heads of Department Subject Teachers	Students’ activities to identify prior and post visit the links between careers and business.
Virtual engagement with businesses.	Enable students to observe a real-life workplace.	Whole school	Careers Lead, subject teachers and Heads of Department to develop relationships with employers to create engagement opportunities.

7. Encounters with FE and HE

All studentsshould understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace.

Our Strategy

ACTIVITY	LEARNING AIMS & OBJECTIVES	ROLES & RESPONSIBILITY	FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
Set up links to other organisations.	Support the Baker Clause and promote a broad range of providers of learning opportunities.	Careers Lead Senior Leadership Team Heads of Department	Promotion of participation programmes for further education, universities, apprenticeships, FE colleges.

8. Personal Guidance

Every student should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a careers adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all students but should be timed to meet their individual needs.

Our Strategy

ACTIVITY	LEARNING AIMS & OBJECTIVES	ROLES & RESPONSIBILITY	FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
One-to-one interview at appropriate timing, in particular during the students’ significant study and careers choices.	To enable students to make informed decisions armed with appropriate information related to careers aspirations and pathways.	Careers Lead Senior Leadership Team Independent Careers Adviser	Careers Adviser to be present at parents’ evenings, results days.
Support for SEND and vulnerable students.	To manage career expectations, raise aspirations and meet individual needs.	Careers Lead SLT SENDCo Independent Careers Adviser	Careers Adviser to attend meetings arranged with key workers and parents to maximise the impact of the students’ careers meeting.