Teach Secondary Issue 14.2

hosted a series of one-hour workshops for our Y9s, where they got to learn about the local labour market, giving them an awareness of job opportunities across Essex and London they wouldn’t have known about otherwise. So long as we plan such activities carefully throughout the academic year, we’re able to maintain that balance. Some elements, like our assemblies, will be timetabled to take place before school. One thing we’re looking at possibly introducing are Y11 careers breakfasts, whereby local employers will visit the school from 8amuntil 8:45am, to discuss particular jobs and sectors that our Y11 students might interested in finding out more about. Progressmade In November 2024, we launched a newwork experience scheme that saw our Y10s participate in 2-hour CVworkshops, again led by DWP representatives, fromwhich they came away with CVs created using a DWP template designed to be ‘AI-proof’, which listed key skills and keywords that the representatives knew employers are looking for. In January this year, those CVs were then used as part of a ‘mock interview’ activity that involved a number of local employers. They volunteered their time across two days help us organise 30-minute mock job interviews, for which they, as the interviewers, were given some guided questions to put to our students, while assessing the CV prepared by the student sat before them. The employers were tasked with being adaptable and creative with their questions for the activity, which served to familiarise our students with what a formal interview situation looks and feels like, while also giving them a chance to put some questions of their own to the interviewers. The students then received feedback on their interview performance and CVs, which they’ll use to further develop their CVs ahead of securing work experiences placements from July 2025 onwards. Meaningful encounters To help us reach out to local companies, we received some assistance from the national Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) and its Greater Essex local branch. We’ve also taken part in CEC’s termly networking meetings, to which all Essex are invited, with each meeting lasting approximately three hours. These meetings feature speakers from local education settings and businesses putting forward various ideas and partnering opportunities, some of which we’ll then follow up on later. The Greater Essex CEC has also assigned us a school link colleague, who has helped me bolster our local networking by identifying companies and local bodies who may be willing to work with us. Otherwise, our outreach efforts have been largely done through word of mouth. Our biggest school activity is Careers and Aspirations Week, which takes place in July. The main school timetable is collapsed, so that we can dedicate five hours each day across that week to a different form of careers activity for all year groups. This year, one of those days will be set aside for a ‘take your child to work’ initiative for Y7 to Y9, where a parent, other relative or trusted family friend will take the student to their place of work for the day. Previously, we’ve also put on an enterprise activity, where students were tasked with suggesting ways in which companies could operate in a more environmentally friendly way. For students showing early signs of being entrepreneurial, we’ve organised activities based around showing themwhat it’s like to set up their own business and become self-employed. Our plans for this year’s events include setting aside an hour for Y7, in which they’ll have the chance to meet with four different employers for up to 15 minutes via a carousel system, and get to hear about the employer’s job, find out what they actually do and ask some follow-up questions. We want to encourage more of these meaningful encounters over time, help our students develop employment skills right from Y7 – and ultimately encourage them all to pursue their dreams however we can. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alex Frappell is a history teacher and Careers and Aspirations Lead at St Martin’s School, Brentwood WHATWE DOAT STMARTIN’S Career-themed assemblies for all year groups Dedicated lessons on careers for all year groups, in accordance with the school’s PSHE curriculum. Drop-down careers sessions held throughout the academic year – including a September session for Y7, in which DWP representatives deliver a ‘goals and aspirations’ hour, intended to help students pursue more far-reaching career ambitions Amock interview activity for Y10s A ‘Careers and Aspirations’ week held at the end of the academic year, incorporating a Y7-Y9 ‘Bring Your Child to Work’ day 29 teachwire.net/secondary C A R E E R S TEACH SECONDARY SPECIAL CAREERS