At the start of Year 9, your child will complete a comprehensive aspirations questionnaire which will provide us with an insight into their future career plans, PSHRE topics that interest them, as well as an insight into their wellbeing. This information will be used to tailor our Work-Related Learning offering to suit the needs of your child. In addition to this, your child will participate in skills development workshops focused on developing leadership skills, Business etiquette, resilience and growth mindset, with a focus on developing their employability and soft skills. They will also be provided with information about the possible careers available to them in the future, so they can make informed decisions during the options process. These sessions will take place as part of our PHSRE programme during tutor time.
Year 9 is an incredibly important year for your child, as they will have the opportunity to choose the subjects they wish to study at GCSE. Throughout KS3, we will seek to broaden your child’s learning experience to better prepare them for selecting their GCSE options and in the run up to making their final decision, your child will be involved in a robust options programme which will provide them with detailed information and advice about the different career pathways available to them. They will have an opportunity to undertake Morrisby, an online career profiling system, providing career recommendations to aid with choosing their GCSE options, as well as various other options related activities.
Deciding which subjects to choose, may seem daunting but there will be plenty of information available to help your child and we would always recommend that your child chooses subjects they enjoy, are good at and have a keen interest in studying further. When selecting GCSE options it is also important for your child to think about which A-levels they wish to study post-16 or the sorts of apprenticeships they might like to undertake in the future, to ensure their GCSE selections meet the entry requirements needed.
For students who do not have an idea of the careers and/or industries that interest them, then it would be advisable for them to choose English Baccalaureate (EBACC) subjects, as these subjects will allow your child to progress onto several courses and keeps their options open for the future. EBACC subjects are considered essential to many degrees and future career prospects.
EBACC subjects include:
- English literature and language
- Maths*
- Science*
- Geography
- History
- Languages
*Compulsory subjects
What should parent/carers be doing to support their child with their careers journey?
As a parent/carer, we understand that you have a vested interest in your child’s future, and you want to ensure they are making the right decisions.
Things that you can do to support your child include:
- Having regular discussions with them about their skills and interests, linking these to potential careers
- Encouraging your child to attend career talks and events focused on the careers that interest them
- Encourage family members and friends to discuss their careers with your child, so that your child can gain an understanding of the variety of careers available to them in the future
- Look for extra-curricular and wider career opportunities that your child can participate in to nurture their career aspirations
For more information about how you can support your child’s career journey, please click here for a parent and carers guide to helping your child begin their careers journey
What should your child be doing to realise their future career aspirations?
- Be open to opportunities that allow them to find out about the careers that will be available to them in the future
- Identify their skills and interests, linking them to the careers that will utilise these skills
- Speak with family and family friends about the industries they work in and the job opportunities available within these industries
- Attend career fairs, career events and any other opportunities that will expose them to the world of work and the career opportunities available to them
- Speak with teachers and industry professionals about the sorts of careers available to them, particularly when making GCSE option choices
What we offer students in Year 9:
- Aspirations questionnaire
- Morrisby ambitions questionnaire – an online career profiling system, providing career recommendations to aid your child when choosing their GCSE options
- Bespoke and robust careers activities, focused on choosing the best GCSE subjects that link to their future career aspirations
- Access to a fully resourced careers library
- Careers drop-in sessions to discuss their future career plans
- Be Ready employability, wellbeing and soft skills sessions
- Speaker of the month – monthly after school careers talk, led by an industry professional
WRL ambassador programme – cross-key stage enterprise and entrepreneurial skills-based program
- Speakers for Schools career talks
- Careers investigation
- Financial education tutor-led program
- Invitation to The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair for students with a keen interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers