Kingstone High School ensures that all of our students go on well-prepared to college, training and education, or apprenticeships through a careers programme that meets the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks. 

The eight benchmarks are a framework for good career guidance developed to support secondary schools and colleges in providing students with the best possible careers education, information, advice, and guidance.

Kingstone High School uses the Gatsby Benchmarks to ensure that a comprehensive programme for careers provision is in place. 

1 – A stable careers programme
Our school will have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by students, parents, teachers, governors and employers.

2 – Learning from career and labour market information (LMI)
Every student, and their parents, will have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities, that is relevant to our local area, supported by an informed adviser to make best use of available information.

3 – Addressing the needs of each pupil
Students have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each student. Our school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.

4 – Linking curriculum learning to careers

All teachers will link curriculum learning with careers where possible. STEM subject teachers will highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths where lesson opportunities present themselves.

5 – Encounters with employers and employees

Every student will have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace, in particular within curriculum lessons, at least one per year.

6 – Experiences of workplaces
Every student will have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks.

7- Encounters with further and higher education
All students will understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace.

8 – Personal guidance
Every student will have opportunities for guidance interviews with a career adviser, who is trained at Level 6 or higher, whenever significant study or career choices are being made. These interviews will be expected for all students but should be timed to meet their individual needs.

Careers Advice 

Mrs D Waters, our Independent Careers Advisor, is based at Kingstone High School every Wednesday.  All Year 11 students have dedicated careers support time, and a one to one interview.  Mrs Waters is also available for students wishing to enquire about future choices for college and work, and will help with college applications.  You may also email her for advice at dwaters@kingstoneacademy.co.uk

You can use the following websites to give you chance to research possible careers and explore ideas about your next step. 

It may give you ideas about which subjects to take as different careers sometimes need specific qualifications. We recommend that students consider possible career paths and post 16 subjects early on so that as many options are kept open for successful futures.    For some jobs you need to go to university, for others it’s an option.  You can also find out about apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships. 

www.eclips-online.co.uk This has good, detailed job information sheets on it. Login using:  Kingstone-3    This is free to access in school, or at home. Start by using Job Groups and the A-Z. You could also try ‘Career Wizard’ to give you some ideas.

https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk  Although this is largely aimed at adults there is a really good LMI section. (Labour Market Information) which shows which sectors are growing and gives regional job information. Start by looking at Job Profiles.

www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship  Use this to look for apprenticeship vacancies – both locally and nationwide. Be careful of closing dates. You apply on line and will need to login and create a password/account.  Not all vacancies are advertised on this site, some will appear in the local press, and on company websites.

www.icould.com This is a really good site for seeing things as they really are. You can watch a 5 minute video of people working in a particular industry and find out how they got their job and the training required.  There is also some detailed labour market information , which tells you where jobs are available geographically, and what you would earn. Try the BUZZ quiz for ideas. 

www.ucas.com  The main university application site, but also useful for viewing the range of degrees available and their ‘entry requirements’.  Information on degree apprenticeships is also included. 

https://targetcareers.co.uk  TARGET careers helps young people to make smart decisions about their future. Investigate careers that interest you and decide whether to do an apprenticeship or go to university. There is a full list of UK undergraduate courses and advice on choosing between them, or you can search for apprenticeships with some of the country’s biggest employers.

www.stepintothenhs.nhs.uk    Find out about careers in the NHS

www.informedchoices.ac.uk    Guidance on A level choices and Universities.