Careers
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The CEIAG Programme At Laurel Park
Careers Education, Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) is a valuable part of the core curriculum at Laurel Park School. Every school has a responsibility to ensure that students have access to resources and experiences that will inspire and prepare students to make informed decisions and plans for their future and the ever changing world of work. Lessons have been incorporated into the PSHE programme, as well as opportunities through assemblies, talks, fairs, visits and trips.
Ms N Gray is Laurel Park School’s Careers Lead. She can be contacted on ngray@laurelparkschool.co.uk as well as 0208 368 4710. The Senior Leader link is Mr L Hubbard. Our Careers advisor is Ms S Brown (Mondays and Fridays only).
Careers Education At Laurel Park
The CEIAG programme is a statutory entitlement for all students which will be taught by their form tutors from Years 7 to 12. An annual programme of careers–related events is offered, typically including opportunities to engage with a variety of companies, other employers and apprenticeship providers, industries, as well as local colleges and university talks, careers and apprenticeship fairs, mock interviews and other opportunities. The programme aims to motivate students by encouraging them to think carefully about and to plan for appropriate progression pathways. The planned programme for the 2024-2025 is outlined below, but please note that events involving external provision are necessarily subject to change. In any case the CEIAG programme is intended to be flexible and adaptable as further opportunities become available.
Students will have formal careers lessons and training using the Unifrog platform, a one stop careers platform.
Year 7 and 8 focus on identifying their personality and interest profile, using the careers library effectively, the ‘know-how’ tool and identifying how they can strengthen employability skills and competencies in school. They will identify what a career is, start exploring possible careers, think about what success means to them and look at how the world of work is evolving.
Year 9 will build on this by reflecting in detail their psychometric tests and work on how various pathways ahead can shape their future as well including their GCSE options. They will examine how to manage money and understand the Labour Market Information (LMI).
Year 10 and 11 start using the careers and courses shortlisting tool, exploring and assessing apprenticeships and other alternative pathways to university. Unifrog will be their key tool in their independent advice and guidance in the lead up to their post 16 choices. Year 10 will also use Unifrog to support their work experience placement, which will take place in March 2025.
Year 12 will be focussing on their post 18 options, as well as developing their skills in completing their CVs, mock interviews and application processes. Unifrog will be their key tool in their independent advice and guidance in the lead up to their post 18 choices. Year 12 will also use Unifrog to support any work experience placements linked to their vocational courses.
As well as this, Unifrog, also gives students access to quizzes that suggest career paths for them, webinars on chosen career paths and assistance with college and university applications. Students will be able to access this platform both in school and at home and will have their own unique username. Parents can also access the platform in order to support their child. In order to find out how to do this, please click here.
More information on how to use Unifrog can be found here
Careers Advice At Laurel Park
Laurel Park School believes it is vital for students to have access to as many industries as possible. Talks and assemblies are organised with external providers, from local companies and business to larger corporations such as BAE and the British Army. We will strive to give as many students access to this provision as possible, which at times means making adaptations to the programme in order to accommodate these speakers.
From Year 9, we offer individual support and guidance, with the belief that every individual matters equally, and should receive equal access to provision, advice and guidance. Year 9s will have a bespoke 1:1 interview with Ms Brown, our careers advisor, offering them advice about making their GCSE option choices, linking it into the world of work. Year 10 and 11 students will be offered a 1:1 interview in order to prepare them for post 16 applications, interviews and careers, whereas Year 12 will have the same, but for their post 18 options. Our students are encouraged to have high aspirations, to aim for excellence, and to consider the broadest range of career areas and appropriate educational and personal development routes. Additional support will be offered for students who require ot to ensure all feel fully supported and informed of their career opportunities. All academic and vocational paths, ranging from university and other course options, to jobs, apprenticeships and entrepreneurship, are covered fairly and impartially.
Students have access to well-stocked careers information libraries which contain books, prospectuses, leaflets, supplements, lists, links and other resources. A variety of online resources are made available, with all students (and therefore parents) given access via a secure log-in to the comprehensive Unifrog careers package. This is also used by staff and students to record careers-related interactions and skill development. Students will also find information via Google Classroom, which parents can access at home should they wish to do so.
Monitoring And Measuring Careers At Laurel Park
Following publication of the DfE’s statutory guidance for schools in January 2018, the School’s CEIAG provision is now benchmarked against current best practice and legislation. We use student/parent and other feedback to inform development of our programme, along with our destinations data. We are using eight ‘benchmarks’ in the Gatsby Foundation Report on Good Career Guidance for our benchmarking and in the future to validate our provision with a national quality award.
We aim to do everything we can to inspire and encourage each of our students to realise their full potential, and to have happy and successful working lives.
In line with government policy, our work is now benchmarked against the ‘Gatsby Benchmarks – the recognised national standards for school careers provision. You can see these plus some examples of how Laurel Park School achieve these benchmarks below:
1. A stable careers programme
Publish your Careers Programme on school website where it can be viewed by pupils, parents, teachers and employers.
Promote the importance of the careers programme to students, parents, teachers and employers so that they know what to expect and how they can contribute to its success.
2. Learning from career and labour market information
Provide opportunities for students to access the Careers library, which contains current local and national LMI data
Ensure students have access to an informed Careers adviser.
3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
Add characteristics to students to help you monitor different groups (e.g. PP, SEND, LAC).
Provide opportunities for students to use the Skills tool to record their skills
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
Ensure all staff have received Unifrog training - particularly how they can use the platform for GB4 'quick wins' within lessons.
Encourage teachers to share their personal experiences of jobs outside of teaching (e.g. through a display or assembly).
5. Encounters with employers and employees
Approach companies directly, use LinkedIn, or contact your local Enterprise Adviser to help with expanding your employer network.
Each year group has access to at least one, first-hand, meaningful encounter with an employer each year - careers fair, careers talks or assemblies, workplace visits with employers.
6. Experiences of workplaces
Use Unifrog's Placements tool to manage all of your work experience administration from start to finish.
All Year 10 students to go on work experience placement in the Summer term
7. Encounters with further and higher education
Ensure that by the age of 16, every pupil has had an encounter with Sixth forms, Colleges and Apprenticeship providers
8. Personal guidance
Appointments for all Year 9-11 students per year
For further information on careers visit these sites:
SUCCESS AT SCHOOL is the place for young people to explore careers, get information on top employers and search for the latest jobs, courses and advice.
NATIONAL CAREERS SERVICE provides careers information, advice and guidance. We can help you to make decisions on learning, training and work at all stages in your career.
BARCLAYS LIFESKILLS gives millions of people the skills, knowledge and confidence they need for work with tools, tips and learning resources
AMAZING APPRENTICESHIPS is a leading organisation in the education sector, founded to tackle misconceptions about apprenticeships and promote the benefits.
NOT GOING TO UNI gives advice to parents of children who may not want to go to university
PROSPECTS guide students to match their skills and personality to 400+ job profiles to help them make the right career choice.
LMI FOR ALL provides high quality, reliable labour market information (LMI) to inform careers decisions.
Further Guidance
Work Experience For Year 10 Students At Laurel Park
All students are encouraged to undertake work experience placements in Year 10. Work, laboratory and other experience is now increasingly used as a criterion for entry both to vocational and other degree courses at university, and also for other courses, scholarships and applications (whether job, apprenticeship, Armed Forces or other). Some courses require students to build up an extensive portfolio of work placements, requiring long term planning and commitment. Parents can help by offering work experience. Students are also encouraged to undertake virtual work experiences and seminars in their own time.
Students are also encouraged to undertake a range of CV-building activities through engaging in school-related and/or other enrichment activities, which develop the personal qualities and skills required to have successful future working lives. They are also encouraged to apply for schemes, awards, masterclasses which develop their subject/career-linked portfolios.
Further guidance on work experience can be found here.
