Work Experience and Careers Programme
At Beths, our students benefit from our in-house specialist Careers Department and our partnerships with external services. These services work together to help our students develop an appreciation of where different qualifications and training pathways can take them. We support each of our students every step of the way as they prepare for their futures.
Our aim is that through our career guidance, all students will develop the ability to:
- Identify and appraise their own individual qualities and skills
- Discover their strengths and weaknesses
- Explore educational choices, careers options and lifelong learning opportunities
- Understand how their interests and achievements can inform their career choices and help them make decisions about their future
- Build a strong knowledge of the world of work
- Develop career management, employability and enterprise skills
- Gain skills for the modern workplace by taking part in work-related activities in and out of the classroom
- Aspire to their highest possible and achievable career goals
The Careers Team actively engage with parents and carers throughout their child’s educational journey. Parents are able to set their own accounts on the Unifrog careers platform and support their child’s careers education. The Careers Team attend parent and student events, particularly in Key Stage 4 and 5. Parents attend the Careers Apprenticeship event and are actively involved the work experience programmes in Year 10 and 12. Parents are encouraged to share feedback with the Careers Team.
Careers Programme for Each Stage
We provide countless opportunities for students to explore their career options, beginning in Year 8. We have a tailored careers programme for each Key Stage, as well as welcome outside speakers and alumni, host careers fairs, and more.
Careers in Key Stage 3
In Year 8, we demonstrate to our students the wide variety of careers to open their eyes and minds to the true possibilities for their futures. From Green Careers Week to National Apprenticeship Week and National Careers Week and learning about different pathways in our PSHCE (personal, social, health and citizenship education), we ensure our students develop a thorough understanding of the many pathways they can take. Our Careers Spotlight provision also includes quizzes, student personality profiles and exploring subjects and how they relate to careers on Unifrog.
In Year 9, students begin to explore the relationship between their subject options and different careers. We equip our students with the information to understand what is right for them as individuals and the flexibility of their choices. In a changing job market, we share insights on what employers are looking for, how jobs will change in the future, and how they can be prepared going forward.
By the end of Key Stage 3, students will have
- Developed an awareness of personal qualities, skills and interests relate to future career aims and ambitions
- Explored a variety of career options and qualification routes relevant to student interests via career sessions in PSHCE and independent research, including apprenticeships, universities, and alternative post-16 and post-18 pathways
- Connected careers with curriculum subjects, with particular emphasis on Year 9 Option Choices
- Begun to navigate the Unifrog careers platform
- Taken part in careers activities and learning as part of National Apprenticeship Week and National Careers Week.
- Taken part in an enterprise activity and attended the school Careers Fair
Careers in Key Stage 4
As students begin Years 10 and 11, we encourage them to share their views about careers and aspirations for the future in our career’s surveys. The results of these surveys, combined with strategic discussions with the Head of Year and Key Stage 4 Co-ordinator, allow us to reflect the interests of each student and broaden their horizons. In Year 11 all students attend work experience. The Careers Junior Prefects are a group of KS4 students who work with the Careers Team. We also provide 1:1 guidance interviews from our trained Prospects Careers Advisors for our Year 10 and 11 students.
By the end of KS4 students will have:
- Had a 1-1 guidance interview with an independent Careers Adviser
- Created a CV, and learnt how to approach employers, companies and individuals in order to find and apply for work experience
- Taken part in a week of in-person work experience
- Explored careers and self-development in PSHCE
- Continued to develop their use of Unifrog, identifying skills for the future
- Connected careers with curriculum subjects, with particular emphasis on post-16 pathways and Level 3 qualifications
- Identified intended destinations and career aspirations within careers surveys.
- Taken part in careers activities and learning as part of National Apprenticeship Week and National Careers Week.
Careers in Key Stage 5
The Careers team shares key information and resources with the sixth form to help them make informed and purposeful choices. We do this in a variety of ways, including the Careers channel on Teams. This is updated regularly with information that we receive from universities and career companies and covers a wide range of topics including open days, apprenticeship opportunities, employability tips and events.
We have a large number of external students who start Beths in Year 12, so we conduct an insightful careers survey asking questions about their preferred subjects, interests and career ambitions. This allows us to uncover their career and post-18 aspirations so their needs can be tailored accordingly.
By the end of KS5, students will have:
- Attended careers events, including UCAS Discovery and Beths Careers Fair, and had the opportunity to attend the Beths Apprenticeship event
- Created a CV and LinkedIn profile, developed interview skills, and learnt how to approach employers, companies and individuals in order to find and apply for work experience
- Taken part in a week of work experience (predominantly in-person)
- Continued to develop their use of Unifrog, identifying skills for the future
- Connected careers with curriculum subjects, with particular emphasis on post-18 pathways and Level 3 qualifications
- Identified intended destinations and career aspirations within careers surveys.
- Taken part in careers activities and learning as part of National Apprenticeship Week and National Careers Week.
Careers Events and Activities
Careers Fair
To provide our students with opportunities to speak to a variety of companies, universities and higher education providers, we hold regular Careers Fairs at Beths. Universities and education providers who have previously attended include the University of Birmingham, Durham University, Imperial College London, Warwick University, Institute of Engineers, and the Royal Veterinary College. Previous employers have included Deloitte, Watermans, EY, Morgan Stanley, Balfour Beatty and Specsavers.
These fairs provide our students with information about applying for apprenticeships, the different career pathways that are available after sixth form, and the value employers and education providers place on being a well-rounded student.
UCAS Discovery Event
Last academic year, all Year 12 students attended the UCAS Discovery Event at ExCel London. This was an incredible opportunity for our students to talk to over 170 universities, as well as some apprenticeship providers and employers. Students found this event helpful to learn more about entry requirements for university, and more information about the options that are available to them following sixth form.
Work Experience
Our Year 12 students have the opportunity to undertake a week’s internship to gain real-world experience of the workplace and develop expertise that they can take into their working lives. We want our students to appreciate the demands, priorities, disciplines and relationships found in the world of employment and develop their self-confidence and self-discipline while working with adults. This is also an important opportunity for our students to explore possible career paths.
Over the years, Beths has been represented at prestigious companies including the Bank of America, the London Stock Exchange, PwC and KPMG. Some students experienced the reality of working at the Crown Prosecution Service, the Bangladesh High Commission, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Department of Business and Trade, as well as at academic institutions including Goldsmiths, Imperial and Kings Colleges.
National Apprenticeship Week
Apprenticeships are an increasingly popular pathway for our students. Apprenticeships are 80% work and 20% study and are a partnership between an employer and a training provider like a university. A degree apprenticeship gives students the opportunity to gain a paid-for degree while getting industry experience and earning a salary. They are available in lots of industries, from hands-on fields like engineering to more office-based roles like business administration, finance, and law.
During National Apprenticeship Week (February) all year groups explore apprenticeships in PSHCE, form times and assemblies. We also hold an Apprenticeship Fair where sixth form students and parents are able to speak with employers offering apprenticeships in a variety of sectors. Former students representing Morgan Stanley, Glaxo Smith Kline, Bromley Healthcare, Keltbray, EY, IBM and Deloitte were able to share their knowledge of the pathway they took from Beths to their apprenticeships with the next generation of Beths scholars.
Work Experience
We offer a comprehensive work experience programme designed to inspire, equip, and empower our students for their future careers. This valuable programme provides students with hands-on exposure to the professional world, helping them develop essential skills, gain practical insights, and build confidence. Through carefully selected placements, our students are given the opportunity to explore different industries, enhance their employability, and lay the foundations for future success.
Destinations
We believe in our extensive careers programme and when matched with our platinum standard of education, our students go on to prestigious higher education institutions, world-leading organisations and establish illustrious careers.
