Abingdon School’s Career Guidance Programme takes pupils aged 12-18 (Year 8 to Year 13) on a journey of self-discovery, helping them to identify potential careers to which they are well suited, understand and experience the world of work, make educational choices informed by careers planning, and learn key skills needed to gain future employment.
In short, our goal is to help every pupil think carefully about, and take practical steps towards realising, his future career.
The Career Guidance Programme combines online career information resources with career thinking/planning lessons; employability skills workshops; CV, cover letter and interview training; one-to-one guidance meetings, and a wide range of events and activities, including talks by working professionals, an annual careers fair, several career advice evenings, two work experience schemes, and meetings with British Armed Forces careers advisers. The career guidance section of the student intranet (Firefly) is a 'one-stop-shop' of links to recommended web sites for researching educational and career choices and finding work experience schemes, enrichment programmes, and traineeships, apprenticeships and other work-based learning options for school leavers.
Every year group enjoys a set of bespoke activities designed for its step in this journey, with one year’s activities smoothly transitioning into that of the next year. This design ensures coherence from year to year and puts pupils in the best position possible to make informed educational choices at the end of each key stage in their education: GSCE, A-Level, and all post-18 options, including Higher Education.
Supporting the delivery of the Career Guidance Programme are teachers, tutors, and selected suppliers of career education, information, advice, and guidance as well as parents and Old Abingdonians. If you are a parent or Old Abingdonian (or both!) and would like to volunteer your time to support an activity or event in the Programme, get in touch!
Michael Triff serves as Head of Career Guidance, responsible for designing, delivering and evaluating the Career Guidance Programme. He is always interested to hear your views.
Read his blog entitled 'Do Secondary School Pupils Need Career Guidance?'
Telephone: +44 (0)1235 849129