Careers
To assist students in making the best decisions for their career after Saint Aidan’s, students receive a great deal of support throughout their five years with us.
As well as Personal Development lessons structured to get students thinking about long term goals and aspirations, our Personal Development Days include numerous activities which focus on potential career paths and the skills/qualities required. From Year 9 onwards, students are encouraged to attend our annual Careers Convention attended by over 40 local employers and institutions. Moving into Key Stage 4, students have access to many of the local feeder institutions who deliver assemblies and organise campus visits and drop-in sessions. The school also employs a designated independent Careers Officer and, during the course of the Year 11, each student will receive a “one to one” careers appointment (these are also available to students in Years 9 and 10, where appropriate). Over the course of the five years, students who are identified as needing additional advice and support with their career pathway are allocated one-to-one sessions with our Careers Officer or Life Coach.
We have strong links with the following institutions:
- Blackpool Sixth Form College
- Blackpool and the Fylde College
- The Nautical College
- Myerscough College
- St Mary’s 6th Form
- Ripley St. Thomas Sixth Form
- Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School Sixth Form
- Lancaster and Morecambe College
- Preston College
We also have links with Lancaster, Cumbria and Edge Hill Universities.
Over the course of the five years at Saint Aidan’s, students can expect the follow careers-related input:
Year 7
- ‘Careers Week’ assembly focus
- ‘Careers Week’ survey of potential career paths
- Introduction to KUDOS – our personalised career program
Year 8
- Leadership Skills Personal Development Day
- Targeted students one-to-one careers aspiration meetings, including all disadvantaged students
Year 9
- Personal Development topic with careers-related themes and post 16 options
- Careers Personal Development Day
- Careers Officer and post-16 providers present at Parents Evening
- Mentoring sessions for selected students from external life coaches
- Targeted students one-to-one careers aspiration meetings, including all disadvantaged students
- Careers Fair in Autumn Term
- Mentoring session with Form Tutor before Options Process
Year 10
- One week’s Work Experience in Summer Term
- Mentoring sessions for selected students from external life coaches
- One-to-one careers interviews for selected students
- Careers Fair in Autumn Term
- Careers Officer and post-16 providers present at Parents Evening
- Work Preparation Personal Development Day centred on employability skills and including a job interview
- Opportunity to apply for Officer/Proctor posts within a framework of application letters and interviews
Year 11
- A one-to-one careers interview for every student
- Assemblies from various post-16 providers
- Careers Officer and post-16 providers present at Parents Evening
- Careers Fair in Autumn Term
- Drop-in sessions from local providers
- Visits to selected post-16 providers
- Mentoring sessions for selected students from external life coaches