Careers Service @ MGGS

MGGS broadens horizons and inspires our students to achieve their goals and ambitions

Welcome to our Careers Service

At MGGS, Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) are taken very seriously. As such we employ a full time, dedicated ‘Careers Leader’, provide an accessible and up-to-date careers library equipped with computers, careers guides and university prospectuses, and offer interactive workshops and talks from businesses, apprenticeships and universities across all the year groups. In addition we offer five RISE Days, spread throughout the academic year, with each year group experiencing careers themed sessions, aimed at encouraging them to think about the future, meet potential employers and practice essential employability skills such as CV writing and interview skills.

Mrs Culbreth
Aspiration and Careers Leader
Level 6 Qualified Careers Adviser
01622 752 103 ext 606
careers@mggs.org

R Culbreth, Aspiration and Careers Leader

Our Careers Service aims to provide students with:

We believe that providing careers education is an essential part of a young person’s development into a young adult. We aim to provide students with:

  • Knowledge as to the wide and varied career opportunities available to them

  • An understanding of the labour market, including industry growth and average wages

  • Advice and encouragement for students to determine their own career path, by focussing on individual strengths and skills

  • Encounters with a wide and varied selection of employers; including interactive sessions on employability skills such as CVs, interviews and skills workshops.

In addition, students can arrange one to one appointments with our full-time Careers Leader to discuss options, CVs, interview practice, apprenticeships, UCAS applications and any other careers guidance. Mrs Culbreth can be contacted by email during term time. Each student has access to impartial CEIAG through the school’s careers programme. EBP Kent supports us with our biennial Careers Fair. http://www.ebpkent.co.uk/

Pupils are eager to explain how the school’s extensive and well-considered curriculum is helping them pursue their dreams, whether this is to be a doctor, actor, author, scientist or something else.

Ofsted

How is our Careers programme delivered?

Our Careers programme is delivered across varying platforms, spread throughout the academic year, these include;

  • RISE days with specific, targeted careers advice and guidance, tailored to each year groups careers needs and expectations.

  • Special events including STEM week where students get the opportunity to meet specialists from Scientific, Technological, Engineering and Mathematical fields and learn about the opportunities available

  • Visits, trips and assemblies; students from Year 12 are invited to attend the Kent Higher Education Exhibition in June. Other trips and visits are also available and will be circulated to the students as and when they take place

  • One-to-one interviews take place with students in Year 9, Year 11 and Year 12 to discuss option choices and post 16 and 18 career decisions. Year 13 students are also given detailed ongoing support for their UCAS applications and for apprenticeship or job applications

  • Once every two years we have our Careers Fair, created in collaboration with our CEIAG partners, EBP, it is a fantastic opportunity for students to meet and talk with employers from a wide range of sectors. Previous employers include NHS, BBC, Sky, KCC

  • We also have careers education included in our Year 7 and 8 ‘Big Questions’ lessons carousel, where we use various Thinking Skills techniques to explore students’ ambitions, interests and strengths to help them determine how to make good career decisions in the future.

  • In Year 9, a Planning for Our Future option is offered to students via our Curriculum Extra programme to help them to explore potential career pathways

Our Careers Programme is updated regularly to include any new opportunities which present themselves throughout the year, all events are advertised to the school community via Google Classroom and the School Blog.

Careers Provision Map

Autumn Term (Terms 1 & 2):

Introduction to Unifrog

Careers Fair (biennial)

Appointment of Careers Ambassadors

Spring Term (terms 3 & 4):

National Careers Week – opportunities for students to learn about different careers and their pathways through activities and speakers

National Apprenticeship Week – students learn about types of apprenticeships available and how to find them

STEM Week – opportunities to learn about the range of careers in STEM

International Day of Women and Girls in Science – opportunity to raise the profile of women in science roles

Summer Term (terms 5 & 6):

Careers RISE Day – sessions include information on transferable skills and LMI

National University Week – opportunity for students to learn about university life and the types of courses available and where they lead to

International Women in Engineering Day – opportunities to raise the profile of women working in engineering roles

Autumn Term (terms 1 & 2):

Careers Focus Day

Careers Fair (biennial)

Appointment of Careers Ambassadors

Spring Term (terms 3 & 4):

National Careers Week – opportunities for students to learn about different careers and their pathways through activities and speakers

National Apprenticeships Week – students learn about types of apprenticeships available and how to find them

STEM Week – opportunities to learn about the range of careers in STEM

International Day of Women and Girls in Science – opportunity to raise the profile of women in science roles

Summer Term (terms 5 & 6):

National University Week – opportunity for students to learn about university life and the types of courses available and where they lead to

International Women in Engineering Day – opportunities to raise the profile of women working in engineering roles

Autumn Term (terms 1 & 2):

KS4 Options assembly and parents evening

Careers RISE Day – launch of the Step into NHS Competition

Planning for my Future Enrichment sessions

Careers Fair (biennial)

Appointment of Careers Ambassadors

Spring Term (terms 3 & 4):

1-1 GCSE option choice interviews

Planning for my Future Enrichment sessions

National Careers Week – opportunities for students to learn about different careers and their pathways through activities and speakers

National Apprenticeships Week – students learn about types of apprenticeships available and how to find them

STEM Week – opportunities to learn about the range of careers in STEM

International Day of Women and Girls in Science – opportunity to raise the profile of women in science roles

Summer Term (terms 5 & 6):

Planning for my Future Enrichment Sessions

Start of GCSE Option subjects

National University Week – opportunity for students to learn about university life and the types of courses available and where they lead to

International Women in Engineering Day – opportunities to raise the profile of women working in engineering roles

Autumn Term (terms 1 & 2):

Careers Fair (biennial)

Appointment of Careers Ambassadors

Spring Term (terms 3 & 4):

Careers RISE Day – activities using Unifrog including creating a CV and post-16 planning

National Careers Week – opportunities for students to learn about different careers and their pathways through activities and speakers

National Apprenticeship Week – students learn about the types of apprenticeships available and how to find them

STEM Week – opportunities to learn about the range of careers in STEM

International Day of Women and Girls in Science – opportunity to raise the profile of women in science roles

Summer Term (terms 5 & 6):

Employability Skills Day – sessions including transferable skills and CVs and employer talks

Vision Event – introduction to Sixth Form

Work Experience

1-1 post-16 guidance meetings for Gifted and Talented students

National University Week – opportunity for students to learn about university life and the types of courses available and where they lead to

International Women in Engineering Day – opportunities to raise the profile of women working in engineering roles

Autumn Term (terms 1 & 2):

Post-16 options assembly and parents evening

Careers RISE Day – sessions on CVs, post-16 options and employability skills

1-1 post-16 guidance meetings

Careers Fair (biennial)

Appointment of Careers Ambassadors

Spring Term (terms 3 & 4):

Post-16 interviews with Leadership Team

National Careers Week – Opportunities for students to learn about different careers and their pathways through activities and speakers

National Apprenticeship Week – Students learn about types of apprenticeships available and how to find them

STEM Week – Opportunities to learn about the range of careers in STEM

International Day of Women and Girls in Science – Opportunity to raise the profile of women in science roles

Summer Term (terms 5 & 6):

Work Experience

Sixth Form Induction

National University Week – Opportunity for students to learn about university life and the types of courses available and where they lead to

Autumn Term (terms 1 & 2):

Careers Fair (biennial)

Appointment of Careers Ambassadors

Spring Term (terms 3 & 4):

National Careers Week – Opportunities for students to learn about different careers and their pathways through activities and speakers

National Apprenticeship Week – Students learn about types of apprenticeships available and how to find them

STEM Week – Opportunities to learn about the range of careers in STEM

International Day of Women and Girls in Science – Opportunity to raise the profile of women in science roles

Work Experience

Apprenticeship Fair

Summer Term (terms 5 & 6):

UCAS Discovery Exhibition

Post-18 Information Evening

Information on UCAS and apprenticeship applications

1-1 post-18 guidance meetings

National University Week – University talks and application support

International Women in Engineering Day – Opportunities to raise the profile of women working in engineering roles

Autumn Term (terms 1 & 2):

Careers Fair (biennial)

Support with UCAS/apprenticeship/employment applications and interviews

Appointment of Careers Ambassadors

Spring Term (terms 3 & 4):

Ongoing support with apprenticeship and employment applications

National Careers Week – Opportunities for students to learn about different careers and their pathways through activities and speakers

National Apprenticeship Week – Students learn about types of apprenticeships available and how to find them

STEM Week – Opportunities to learn about the range of careers in STEM

International Day of Women and Girls in Science – Opportunity to raise the profile of women in science roles

Summer Term (terms 5 & 6):

Final support for apprenticeship and employment applications

UCAS Extra/Adjustment/Clearing support

National University Week – helping students to prepare for the transition to university

Across our career provision, students are challenged to consider their future while being aware of their skills and how they can adapt and apply these to the world beyond school. By giving students access to information about a wide variety of possible career paths, we broaden their horizons and inspire them to achieve their goals and ambitions.

We measure the impact of our careers programme in a number of ways including our destination information; after an individual event students and any employers involved are asked to fill in an evaluation (this covers Careers fairs, RISE day activities and other workshops or talks throughout the year). We also annually get students and staff to evaluate the careers provision via feedback forms, this information is then collated and used to inform the careers programme for the next academic year.

For further information about the school’s Careers policy and CEIAG entitlement programmes for our students, please contact Mrs Culbreth, the Aspiration and Careers Leader – 01622 752 103 ext 436 or email careers@mggs.org

Information for Students

All students from Years 7-13 are entitled to impartial careers information, advice and guidance meetings with Mrs Culbreth. Meetings can be booked by email careers@mggs.org.

All students can have one-to-one guidance meetings in Year 9 to discuss GCSE options, Year 11 to discuss post-16 options, and again in Year 12 to discuss post-18 options. You will be supported to make your decisions at each of these transition stages.

Students from each year group will have the chance to become Careers Ambassadors, working with Mrs Culbreth to ensure careers provision is exciting and engaging, and relevant as you develop and move through the school.

All students are encouraged to read the Careers Newsletter which is posted to year group Google Classrooms every Friday.

Resources for Students

You will use Unifrog. regularly during your time at MGGS. There are lots of great resources on there from the Careers Library to the Know How Guides. If you can’t login, please contact Mrs Culbreth for help.

Careermag for Students is a free termly magazine subscription designed to help you make career choices, with information on careers and qualifications.

Information for Teachers

Each teaching department will have a Careers Champion, working with Mrs Culbreth to ensure careers education is taken as a whole school approach and is being embedded into curriculum learning.

Resources for Teachers

Subject in a Box is a free lesson resource from Loughborough University, designed to help teachers provide students with an insight into degree-level study while engaging in an interactive lesson.

Unifrog has lots of resources for teachers and ideas as to how you can link careers to your lessons. If you can’t login, please contact Mrs Culbreth for help.

Guidance for Parents/Carers

Careers Advice - Digital Aspirations Conference

Our Aspiration and Careers Leader is always available for guidance to parents; please contact Mrs Culbreth at careers@mggs.org

When your child is applying for further education, it can be a very stressful time and you may wish to seek advice on how best you can support them.

Maidstone Grammar School for Girls offers three evenings dedicated to supporting students and their parents; the first is our Sixth Form Opening Evening. This is an opportunity for students to talk to subject department heads, sixth form students, the Student Leadership team and our careers lead about what life is like at MGGS sixth form. Students and parents are encouraged to visit and talk to teachers and departments about course requirements, workload, extracurricular activities and any career concerns they have. Feedback from this night has always been overwhelmingly positive, and our sixth-form guides are always on hand for tours and honest advice and feedback about their experiences. The second night is our GCSE options evening. This is an informative evening for both our Year 9 students and their parents, to help support your daughter with their GCSE option choices. The third night is our Post 18 evening. We encourage parents and students to attend this evening to learn about the UCAS process, as well as the other post 18 options available such as Degree apprenticeships, what and who is involved and how we can help and support students and/or parents/carers.

If you would like to share your experiences and offer a careers talk to our students, please email careers@mggs.org.

Resources for Parents

The UCAS Guide for Parents is a very useful tool for parents/carers. It has advice and tips covering all parts of the UCAS process.

Careermag for Parents is a free termly magazine subscription, designed to help you support your children with information on careers and qualifications.

Information for Employers

If you are interested in engaging with the school to offer work experience, work opportunities such as apprenticeships or school leaver programmes, career talks or anything else employment or career-related, please contact Mrs Culbreth directly at careers@mggs.org

Resources for Employers

The Careers and Enterprise Company has some handy guides on work experience and supporting careers activities in schools.

I can honestly say that since my daughter has been at MGGS that her confidence has improved, she’s more likely to express her opinions and generally seems much happier in herself. She never considered going to university until attending this school, but now she is and it seems as though her future is looking more promising than ever.

Sixth Form Parent

Events such as the International Women’s Day exemplifies the school’s thought-provoking and extensive careers programme

Ofsted

Related Pages

Leaders of the Future
Duke of Edinburgh's Award
Student Destinations
MGGS Alumni

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