Careers

Our aim is to deliver and embed careers education across the school, providing a range of activities and opportunities to educate students, parents, staff and the wider community on the potential careers available locally, nationally and internationally.

We are committed to developing career-essential skills, aptitudes and knowledge to allow our young people to explore their own career potential and make informed decisions. We aim to widen the horizons of staff and students of the careers of today and tomorrow, along with parents and carers, so that all stakeholders understand what is out there and the qualifications and qualities needed.

We strive to better inform all stakeholders of what careers education is about and the opportunities and impact it can have on their life chances.

Our goal is to support our students, with parental, carer and staff engagement, to evaluate their progress, achievements and experience, to review what they need to achieve their career goals and give them the skills and techniques to move forward on their journey – whether it be employment, training or further education.

“Every young person needs good career guidance to make informed decisions about their future.”

Our careers programme includes a wide range of activities to support students at every stage. We deliver dedicated careers units in the scheme of work for Year 8 and 10 within Personal Development, and our annual Careers Fair brings together employers and education providers from across the region.

Year 11 students benefit from Future Me interviews, while Work Shadowing opportunities are available for Year 10 and 12 students. We are now exploring expanding this for Year 7 upwards, enabling students to go to work with a relative for a period of a day to five days.

Additional provision includes ad-hoc careers talks, subject visits and inputs in department areas, UCAS days and UCAS Fairs, visits to universities, our Top Achievers programme for Year 11, and SEND post-16 interviews to support students in planning their next steps.

Sandy Secondary School evaluates the impact of its careers provision through a robust approach, including student surveys, destination data analysis, and the use of tools such as Unifrog and COMPASS+ to track progress toward achieving the Gatsby Benchmarks. Extensive research highlights that students’ perceptions of careers are often shaped at a very young age, influenced by socio-economic background, gender stereotyping, and their immediate networks. Recognising these factors, our careers programme is designed to challenge stereotypes and broaden aspirations, enabling all students from Year 7 to 13 to explore a wide variety of sectors and opportunities.

By encouraging students to think beyond the careers of today, we aim to inspire them to dream bigger and consider diverse pathways, ultimately influencing their subject choices, performance, and career aspirations. We actively involve parents in providing feedback on the programme and seek employer insights following engagement activities. Furthermore, we collaborate closely with our SEMLEP (South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership) adviser to benchmark our careers provision against regional standards, ensuring it remains impactful and inclusive for all students.