Equipping Coloma Students For The Future
“Good career guidance is critical if young people are to raise their aspirations and capitalise on the opportunities available to them.”
Gatsby Benchmarks
A variety of resources to support good career guidance at Coloma is available via Google Classroom – Next Steps.
At Coloma we recognise that young people in our schools and colleges today face a future that will be very different from that experienced by their parents and teachers. The statutory age for participating in education or training was raised to 17 years in 2013 and to 18 years in 2015. Opportunities in higher education and apprenticeships are changing rapidly. Working life will involve more moves from one job to another than happened in previous generations, and will extend to a later pensionable age. Careers in the 21st century will be quite different from those in the 20th century. Finding “the right job” will be replaced by the need for young people to be equipped with the knowledge, understanding, skills and personal qualities to plan and manage their progression through learning and work. Led by Miss Huggett, Coloma has a whole school approach to careers education with all staff supporting its delivery through the pastoral system and within curriculum areas.
Careers Education at Coloma
At Coloma, we encourage and enable our girls’ to make and implement well-informed and realistic decisions about their future. We are committed to providing careers support within the curriculum and impartial careers information and advice, with one to one discussion at appropriate stages. As part of our careers programme, year 11 students are provided with a one to one guidance interview. Parents are welcome to attend these meetings. Students and parents of students in year 7-11 can request a careers guidance interview by contacting Miss Huggett.
We provide students with a wide range of information about opportunities including; university information and apprenticeships and work experience opportunities. We also invite career professionals and former students into school to talk to appropriate groups of students about their university and career experiences. In addition, we arrange mock interviews, seminars, and Higher Education conferences.
All careers information is presented in an impartial manner and includes information on the full range of post 16 and post 18 education and training options and promotes the best interest of the girls’ to whom it is given.
We are committed to providing the appropriate activities and experiences to enable learners to make well informed decisions and successful transitions from key stage 3 to key stage 4 and from key stage 4 to key stage 5 to Further Education, Apprenticeships/Traineeships or Employment and from Sixth Form to Higher Education, Apprenticeships or Employment.
We see careers education as a driving force behind the social mobility of our students.
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Autumn Term
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Spring Term
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Summer Term
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| Year 7 | Developing skills and aspirations
Careers, teamwork and enterprise skills, and raising aspirations |
National Apprenticeship Week 7th – 13th February 2022
National Careers Week 7th – 12th March 2022
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Financial decision making
Saving, borrowing, budgeting and making financial choices |
| Year 8 | Community and careers
Equality of opportunity in careers and life choices, and different types and patterns of work |
Citizenship
Criminal justice system, the government, politics and elections |
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| Year 9 | Setting goals
Learning strengths, career options and goal setting as part of the GCSE options process |
Employability skills
Employability and online presence
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| Year 10 | Study Skills
Preparation for and evaluation of work experience and readiness for work
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Financial decision making
The impact of financial decisions, debt, gambling and the impact of advertising on financial choices |
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| Year 11 | Next steps. One to One meetings
Application processes, and skills for further education, employment and career progression |
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| Year 12 | Choices and Pathways
Work and Career
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UCAS and Apprenticeship Applications | |
| Year 13 | Next steps. One to One meetings
UCAS / Apprenticeships / Student Finance
Employment
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| External School Enterprise Advisors
Ms Cordelia Bunnis Ms Adesumbo Taiwo Mr Phil Seruwo (Enterprise Coordinator London Enterprise Adviser Network)
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Coloma Careers Aims
In line with the Gatsby Benchmarks, at Coloma we aim;
- To help our girls’ remain engaged in their education and have a better understanding of lifelong learning.
- To facilitate learning for all students about careers and the world or work.
- To raise aspirations and awareness of the full range of post- 16 and post -18 opportunities.
- To enable learners to make considered choices by the end of all key stages and help them plan and manage their transitions to new roles and situations.
- To assist learners to identify and develop their career management, employability and enterprise skills.
- To help learners to value difference and diversity between people.
- To support all learners to make successful transitions into positive destinations.
- To help support Parents and Guardians so that they can facilitate and signpost Career and Education Pathways for their children.
University and Apprenticeship application and support
Preparing to go to University or starting an Apprenticeship can be a daunting prospect for many students. At Coloma we aim to provide girls with all the support they will need to manage this transition. This ranges from the practical aspects of deciding what courses and careers they wish to pursue, navigating their way through UCAS applications, and writing personal statements to learning about financial management and personal safety.
Through our experienced 6th Form Tutors, Heads of Year and Head of 6th Form along with outside specialist support we aim to provide the girls with all they will need to make a successful application to the Universities and Apprenticeships of their choice. From personal statements, completing application form, preparing for interviews to managing their way through the UCAS application process, Coloma will support students step by step to make sure their applications are appropriate. Coloma staff use Google Classroom to share resources and to keep our pupils informed and updates about Apprenticeship opportunities and UCAS deadlines. More information on the UCAS can be found here and details on apprenticeships can be found here.
How the school measures and assesses the impact of the careers programme on pupils
Coloma in the first instance, measures and assesses its career programme against the Gatsby Career Benchmarks. The impact of its programme is assessed through pupil voice and feedback from school stakeholders. The whole careers related curriculum is currently being developed alongside that of other areas so that careers education is an integral part of the whole school curriculum.
Latest News
Please see our school news, for upcoming events and for examples of our latest careers events and activities.
Contact Details
Miss Celia Huggett – Assistant Headteacher
02086546228
chuggett@coloma.croydon.sch.uk
Review date 30th August 2021
