Teach Secondary Issue 14.3

As adults, we can often be thinking about our careers and whether we are where we should be. For me, it’s important that young people leave school or college with the skills they’ll need tomake informed career decisions – not just in their immediate future, but well into their 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond. My aim for all students passing throughWigan& Leigh College is that what they gain fromour careers guidance will help them for the remainder of their lives. Given our size –with over 4,000 students on roll, aged 16 to 18 –maintaining rigour around our careers offering and the support learners receive is crucial if every one of our young people is to get the best careers guidance possible. In 2018, the eight Gatsby Benchmarks provided the launchpad for our careers strategy and they continue to be our bedrock, providing the rigour we require. That said, the world has vastly changed over the past few years, especially post- COVID, so I welcomed the Gatsby report published last year (see tinyurl.com/ ts143-LL1) that set out how the Benchmarks have been updated to reflect a series of wider changes across education and work. Those changes include a new emphasis on the importance of tailoring careers programmes to individual needs, and ensuring that encounters with workplaces are meaningful and impactful. The Benchmarks are now also more specific regarding the information that needs to be shared with parents and carers, and how schools can support them in using that information. I’ve seen first-hand just how valuable embedding these sorts of practices into college careers programmes can be. Ensuring that every career experience is appropriately tailored to the needs of each of our 4,000 young people – and meaningful – is amammoth annual task, but a worthwhile investment, due to the return we see in terms of impact. Young people are regularly inspired by the world of work and their potential place within it, which translates into increasedmotivation to achieve well in their subjects when they return. One-to-one meetings form part of the college’s student entitlement, and are mandatory for those aged 16 to 18 (and available until 24 for those with an Education, Health and Care Plan). Records of careers discussions are stored on a central system, so they can support students when making their decisions. Letters that detail each young person’s aspirations and intended next steps for achieving themare then routinely shared with their parents and carers. The 16 to 18 phase is when young people start thinking seriously about their next steps. As educators, our role extends much further than simply ensuring they come out with sufficient qualifications; if we’ve been unable tomove beyond their technical education and offer them chances to see what the world has to offer, then we’ll have failed. We need to open their eyes to all the possibilities available to them.We must remove any real or perceived barriers standing in their way if we can, demystify the next steps and equip themwith the skills to know how to access and interpret labour market information.We want to spark a fire in themof something they can aim for. Investing in a strong, structured, stable careers programme, underpinned by the updated Gatsby Benchmarks and supported by training and resources fromThe Careers & Enterprise Company, will help you do just that. To get the attention of the whole class following a paired or group activity, count down from ‘3’ slowly, clearly and with a bit of oomph. Keep it clipped, and don’t draw out the vowels (so not ‘ threeeee ’ but ‘ thre/ ’). This makes the numbers stand out and communicates that students need to quickly finish off whatever they’re doing. Leave one or two seconds between numbers to let them do so. By the time you get to ‘one’, the whole class should be giving you their silent attention. If you reach ‘one’ and a student’s still talking, look at them neutrally – not with irritation – until they’ve stopped. Hold that look for a moment or two, then crisply begin the next part of the lesson. If the student talks over you again, talk to them out of earshot of the class. Be crystal clear about your expectation for silence, and state that ‘ We are silent when the teacher is talking. ’ If the student talks over you again, impose a consequence. This count down technique is respectful (students should have time to finish), efficient ( just three words), and when done right, highly effective. Robin Launder is a behaviour management consultant and speaker; find more tips in his weekly Better Behaviour online course – for more details, visit behaviourbuddy.co.uk DOTHIS COUNTING DOWN EXERCISEBETTER CLASS CONTROLWITHTHESE TIPS FROMROBIN LAUNDER... ANNA DAWE IS CEO AND PRINCIPAL ATWIGAN & LEIGH COLLEGE; THE UPDATED GATSBY BENCHMARKSWILL FORM PART OF UPDATED GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE FOR COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS DUE FOR PUBLICATION THIS SPRING, FURTHER DETAILS OFWHICH CAN BE FOUND AT GATSBYBENCHMARKS.ORG.UK FOCUS ON… CAREERS DEVELOPMENT 76 teachwire.net/secondary