Year 9 Work Experience Launch Presentation 2025

The school employs a Registered Career Development Professional of the Career Development Institute as the school’s primary provider of independent, impartial careers education, information advice and guidance.  The Careers and Higher Education Advisor is available in the Futures Hub to all students of the school for one-to-one interviews.  Email careers@poolegrammar.com with any questions.

The school delivers a range of careers sessions through the PSHE system within the school delivered by tutors and the Careers and Higher Education Advisor, which run throughout years 7 to 13.

The school organises compulsory Careers Interviews in Year 11 with parents invited, and voluntary interviews by appointment in Year 12 with the Careers and Higher Education Advisor.  Students who advise their tutors they are not applying to university, or those who specify preference for applying for apprenticeships or other jobs after school, are also given compulsory careers interviews with the Careers and Higher Education Advisor at the end of Year 12 and the start of Year 13.  It is the expectation of the school that students will have completed 2 weeks’ work experience by the time they leave in Year 13, which can be supported by the Careers and Higher Education Advisor whilst the students are in Year 10.  Pupil Premium students and those who are have special educational needs or disabilities are also encouraged to make use of additional careers interviews and other interventions in their time at school.

Bi-annually, the school organises a major careers convention event, to which a vast array of employers, representatives from higher education institutions and industry experts are invited, totalling around 140 professionals.  This event is well attended by students and their representatives and has grown from being based in just the Main Hall to being in all 4 large halls.  To complement the wealth of information that is shared via the stalls, additional specialist talks are delivered in about 20 classrooms.  In addition, students and their parents or carers are very welcome to attend Parkstone’s similar events in March of each year, as well as those run by the BCP Council and their 11-19 team, with the Careers and Enterprise Company, Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership, and the Southern Universities Network.  These career enrichment activities form a vital part of career exploration for our students, along with a variety of other talks and events which are run each year.

The school recommends the following tools to assist with making choices:

https://www.ucas.com/ucas/after-gcses - this will help if you’re considering leaving after year 11

https://www.gov.uk/topic/further-education-skills/apprenticeships - the apprenticeships website

https://discoveruni.gov.uk/ - to compare higher education institutions

https://www.ucas.com/ - to find higher education courses

https://www.ucas.com/connect/videos#js=on – video guides on applying for higher education

www.which.co.uk/university - to find higher education courses which match predictions

https://www.gov.uk/studentfinancesteps  - information about student finance

http://www.top100graduateemployers.com/ - a useful insight into graduate careers potential