ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING OF OUR CAREERS PROGRAMME  

At Brandles, we believe that every student has the potential to fully achieve their career goals. 'Preparing For the Future' is our motto. 

We work alongside YC Hertfordshire to deliver a fun, educational and aspirational careers programme, led by Mr I Reid. 

YC Hertfordshire work with our students from Year 9 through to the end of Year 11, starting with 1:2:1 meetings with our Personal Guidance Advisor, Emma Dellaperelle, regarding careers guidance and further education. 

We use Compass+ to track our careers provision and work with YC Hertfordshire and families to ensure the best options are available for each individual post-16. 

We analyse our provision via the Gatsby Benchmarks of which there are 8 benchmarks that the school is required to meet, to ensure each student gets the best careers guidance throughout school. 

CAREERS POLICIES AND STRATEGIES

The Careers Leader, Ian Reid meets with the Careers and Enterprise Special Schools Co-Ordinator, Jacquie Gascoigne once a term to discuss progress with our careers strategy. We also have guidance from Chris Hone, our Business Advisor from Fortem.

CAREERS PROVISION FOR KEY STAGE 3 STUDENTS

 

Our students get many opportunities throughout their time at school including work experience, taster days and careers guidance.

YC Hertfordshire delivers our career guidance to our students, of which more information can be found on their website: https://www.ychertfordshire.org/

We understand that is it vitally important for students to access careers education as they prepare for the future.

Throughout KS3 our students have Wellbeing lessons once a week where careers and the future are discussed, as well as Life Skills enrichment which encourages problem solving and social skills that individuals can benefit from when going into employment. 

In Year 7 and Year 8, we provide opportunities for our students to perform community projects, including working with Tapps Garden Centre and ELSA. These experiences mean a lot to our students as the get a taste for the working life and can also give something to the local community. 

In Year 9, our Personal Guidance Advisor Emma Dellaperelle meets with our students for a 1:2:1 meeting to start their careers guidance journey. Emma has contact with each student's family from year 9 to discuss future options for our students.

CAREERS PROVISION FOR KEY STAGE 4 STUDENTS

 

Our students get many opportunities throughout their time at school including work experience, taster days and careers guidance.

YC Hertfordshire delivers our career guidance to our students, of which more information can be found on their website: https://www.ychertfordshire.org/

We understand that is it vitally important for students to access careers education as they prepare for the future.

In KS4, students access Wellbeing lessons once a week and Life Skills enrichment once a week where careers and future options are discussed. Students have lessons on CV writing, mock interviews and financing just to name a few. 

We work closely with North Hertfordshire College and Oaklands College to provide a smooth journey into further education. We have regular visits from Transition Workers who get to know our students before they leave us, so they have someone they can turn to for advice and assistance when going to college.

We have relationships with Amazing Apprenticeships as well as other alternative education providers such as Enemy of Boredom for those students who need a different approach towards their career aspirations. 

Our Personal Guidance Advisor Emma Dellaperelle meets with our students for a 1:2:1 meetings to discuss their career guidance journey. Emma has contact with each student's family from year 9 to discuss future options for our students.

CONTACT

If you wish to contact Ian Reid regarding careers, please feel free to email Ireid@brandles.herts.sch.uk or call 01462896351.

DESTINATIONS OF OUR STUDENTS 

 

Many of our students go to further education college and apprenticeships. Most recently our alumni are attending Capel Manor College for Tree Surgery, Oaklands College for Performing Arts and North Hertfordshire College for Carpentry and Public Services. 
To see what opportunities are available in Hertfordshire, please visit the fantastic Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal (attack link) https://www.hopinto.co.uk/ where you can find jobs, apprenticeships and labour market information.

 

GOVERNMENT STRATEGY AND THE EIGHT GATSBY BENCHMARKS

 

All advice and support is aligned to The Government's Career Strategy, which was developed in December 2017, and is underpinned by the Gatsby Benchmarks, which are a framework of eight guidelines for good career guidance, developed to support schools in providing pupils with the best possible careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG).

The eight Gatsby Benchmarks are:

1. A stable careers programme.
2. Learning from career and labour market information.
3. Addressing the needs of each pupil.
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers.
5. Encounters with employers and employees.
6. Experiences of workplaces.
7. Encounters with further and higher education.
8. Personal guidance.

We have a good relationship with the Careers and Enterprise Company and work with Jacquie Gascoigne, Special Schools Coordinator alongside Chris Hone, our Business Enterprise Advisor.

More information about the Careers and Enterprise Company can be found on their website: https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/

 

Brandles School is now part of the Careers and Enterprise Company 'Hub', which is formed of many secondary and special schools across Hertfordshire. This allows the school to form great relationships with employers and education providers who can work with our students.

We analyse our provision via the Gatsby Benchmarks of which there are 8 benchmarks that the school needs to meet, to ensure each student gets the best careers guidance throughout school.