Careers
We aim to provide an impartial and individual programme of Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance to help pupils build on their strengths, identify areas for development, overcome barriers and develop aspirations.
At Ribblesdale, we strive to provide clear careers guidance which must always:
- Inspire and motivate pupils to work hard in school, laying the foundations to realise their future plans
- Balance ambition with realism
- Offer sensible choices to pupils who don’t have a specific pathway in mind
- Support the choices of pupils who do have a pathway they wish to pursue, whilst making them aware of other options.
To support these aims, Ribblesdale has a careers team:
- Jen Briggs – School Governor and Enterprise Advisor on behalf of James’ Places
- Bridget Mashiter – Assistant Head Teacher, SLT Lead for Careers
- Sonia Richards – Careers Education, Information and Guidance
- Sara Ashworth – Independent Careers Advisor
As a school, we have invested in a full-time member of staff to lead careers provision across the whole school. We also have an independent careers advisor visit weekly to support pupils on a one-to-one basis on their post 16 opportunities.
Ribblesdale School is a member of the Lancashire Enterprise Advisor Network and the school works alongside Enterprise Coordinator John Hooper. An Enterprise Advisor has also been provided to assist in the delivery and development of careers education within school.
Our careers advisor is in school Monday and Tuesday. Pupils are welcome to drop in on their break or lunch time to discuss college, apprenticeships or careers-related enquiries. There are a number of resources available to support career planning and preparation as well as prospectuses from local colleges and training providers.
At Ribblesdale, we work closely with local employers, universities, colleges, training providers and sixth forms. This ensures pupils are given opportunities to have meaningful encounters with employers, further education and universities. We also aim to embed careers into the curriculum particularly in STEM subjects.
Careers websites and further information for pupils
General Careers Advice
A-Levels
You may choose to study A Levels at a college or sixth form. The following links provide a wealth of information around A Levels as a post-16 pathway.
Useful Links:
T-Levels
T Levels are new courses which follow GCSEs and are equivalent to three A-levels. These two-year courses, which launched September 2020, have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work, further training or study.
T Levels offer students a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience during an industry placement of at least 315 hours (approximately 45 days).
The following links provide a wealth of information around T Levels.
Apprenticeships
More and more young people are choosing to further their careers through an apprenticeship and as an alternative to university. Apprenticeships are very well-supported by the government and employers as the best way for young people to get the skills and experience required for business.
Useful Links: -
Armed Forces
You may choose to pursue a career with the Armed Forces. The links below are great place to start to gain further information.
Labour Market Information
When looking at career pathways it is important to have a look at Labour Market Information. This will give you an idea of the economy, salary and availability. Follow the link below for more on Labour Market Information.
Provider Access Policy
This policy statement sets out the school’s arrangements for managing the access of providers to pupils at the school for the purpose of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.
Pupil entitlement
All pupils in Years 8-13 are entitled:
- to find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point
- to hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through options events, assemblies and group discussions and taster events
- to understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.
For pupils of compulsory school age these encounters are mandatory and there will be a minimum of two encounters for pupils during the first key phase (Year 8 to 9) and two encounters for pupils during the second phase (Year 10 to 11).
These provider encounters will be scheduled during the main school hours.
The provider will be given reasonable amount of time to, as a minimum: •share information about both the provider and the approved technical education qualification and apprenticeships that the provider offers
- explain what career routes those options could lead to
- provide insights into what it might be like to learn or train with that provider (including the opportunity to meet staff and pupils from the provider)
- answer questions from pupils.
Management of provider access requests
Procedure
Providers wishing to request access should contact Sonia Richards, Careers Education, Information and Guidance: Telephone: 01200 422563 Email: srichards@ribblesdale.org