Careers and Work Placement

The main focus of citizenship lessons in Year 7 is to develop self-awareness and self-esteem

Through the University Game with the University of Brighton, Year 7 students will be encouraged to consider going to University and understand how this is achieved. All Year 7 students will also participate in an activity supported by Gatwick Airport Engineering where they will build a bridge during their science lessons.

Citizenship lessons will continue to develop self-awareness and self-esteem.

We encourage Year 8 students to consider careers in engineering by running the Faraday Challenge and hosting a marine engineering workshop through the Sea Cadets. There will be careers aspiration workshops working with selected groups of Year 8 students. Students will be encouraged to think about their future careers with a Kickstart Your Career workshop through American Express and Albion in the Community. We also offer the opportunity for a group of students to participate in a Motion Capture workshop through Creative Assembly. An understanding of the local job market will be covered in a specialised lesson during citizenship. We also participate in Digital Day – a competition aimed at increasing awareness of careers in the digital field.

Year 9 students will continue to build on the knowledge they have of university life by participating in Fresher’s Fortune – an outreach activity from the University of Brighton where they will look at student finance.

Students will also participate in the Dare to Dream programme with LoveLocalJobs Foundation where they will receive a series of inspirational assemblies.  A selected group of students will receive careers mentoring as part of this programme from American Express volunteers.

Through citizenship lessons, students will be encouraged to think about what influences their careers choices and what skills and qualities they have. Students will be introduced to the National Careers Service website and begin to complete skills based quizzes aimed at helping them find appropriate careers.

In the spring term, we will hold a guided choices evening aimed at providing students, parents and careers with all the information needed to choose the GCSE’s that students are most suited for.

Through citizenship lessons and tutorial sessions, students will develop an understanding of their choices for post 16 education and training as well as how to access sources of information to help them in their decision making. Students will receive guidance on how to create a CV and work with their tutors to create their own. 

Through the University of Brighton Outreach, we will offer a study skills session for all Year 10 students aimed at improving revision techniques. During National Apprenticeship Week, Amazing Apprenticeships will give an assembly to help students have a greater understanding of this valuable post 16 option.

We will also hold a 'world of work' week in the summer term, where students will have the opportunity to hear from a variety of industries, spend some time work shadowing a family member and participate in workshops.

All Year 11 students will be offered a 1-1 guidance meeting with our independent careers adviser during the autumn term. In addition, we will hold a post 16 information evening for students/parents and carers attended by over 25 post 16 education and apprenticeship providers. Students will receive assemblies from all local post 16 colleges together with an assembly from Amazing Apprenticeships and the University of Brighton. 

In preparation for college applications, students will complete personal statements. Year 11 students are carefully guided through further education applications which include colleges, apprenticeships and other training schemes. Parents are kept informed throughout with regular emailed information. A workshop is held for students interested in the apprenticeship route, together with a virtual parents information evening supported by Amazing Apprenticeships. 

Students will have the opportunity to attend the Woodlands Meed Careers Fair in the spring term. Pupil premium students in Years 8 and 9 will receive an aspiration workshop supported by our careers adviser. We offer the opportunity to attend our post 16 information evening during an earlier quiet session. Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and pupil premium students in Year 10 will receive a careers guidance meeting with our careers adviser and support will continue for students into Year 11 with college applications and interviews.

“This week I spent my time at Sussex Academy of Music (SAM) for work experience. It was a chance for me to gain skills in a working environment and it was a very interesting week, full of different opportunities to gain all sorts of experience and knowledge.

“On the Monday, I was taught about the accounting and shown the many documents they use to run the company. At first it was a bit confusing and disorientating as there was a lot I hadn't been taught about before but after awhile I started to really get to grips with how it worked. I did a lot of research for them- finding out about vending machines, external hard drives, online questionnaires and a new printer. I also looked through an appraisal form which is something I'd never seen before. My job was to check to see if the questions suited an admin job and to see if there were any spelling errors. That day I realised how little I knew about working and how companies like SAM actually run. But it's all part of the learning process during work experience.

“Tuesday was an exciting day as I went to my very first auction. I went with Rob to the auction to see if we could get some drumsticks, headphones or new guitars at a low price. During the auction, I learnt ways on bidding and what certain terms used by the bidders actually meant. When I came back, I had to sort out the rest of the research for the vending machines. This put me out of my comfort zone as I was asked to call up the companies that Rob had chosen and speak to them about costs etcetera. I have never been good with speaking on the phone, especially to people I don't know, but it was a chance to try and get over my nerves. I'm still a little bit nervous yet it helped me a lot.

“During the week, some Swedish girls were doing an EF course. On Wednesday morning I was told to observe the lesson and write notes based on how they were being taught. I got to see a few of the other things SAM did and it gave me some insight into how the company ran. Later on, after checking the stock of plectrums, Ben taught me how to use the recording equipment so it was set up for me to record one of my songs. It was a bit too technical for me at first and it took me a while to actually figure out what he was doing yet it was interesting to learn about it.

“Thursday was a relaxed day and I helped clean up the place and later on went over the online questionnaires I'd found with Ben. Not much happened however I did learn a bit more about accounting and was taught what happened when people bought something from the collection they had. It's definitely not simple that's for sure.

“Friday was my last day and quite a busy one. At midday we prepared for a party and I was there to help out with small things like putting on the same song on the laptops in two rooms. I got to watch Ben teach two of the kids the part of the song they'd be recording on piano and guitar and helped him with the music so he didn't have to keep running back and forth. It was a bit hectic at first yet they settled down and it was fun to watch them perform.

“Overall, the week was intriguing and something different. It helped me learn a lot about working in general and I realised how much work goes in when you want to run your own business. It's also given me ideas on what I could do in the future.”

Sussex Academy of Music