Sacred Heart Catholic College

Careers

Mr James Gardiner, Course Leader: 0151 9312971, j.gardiner@shca.pfcmat.org 

Mrs J Mills, Careers Senior Lead: j.mills@shca.pfcmat.org    

Read our Policy on Work Experience for pupils here   

Sacred Heart Catholic Academy is committed to providing a planned programme of impartial careers information, advice and guidance to all pupils.

This is done through a range of processes designed to enable individuals to make informed choices and transitions related to their personal, educational and careers development. 

Resources for Teachers

My Learning My Future

Be More

What's the point?

Careers Subject Directory 

See what jobs your chosen subjects can lead to

Careers Journey
School Year Activities
Year 7 Students begin their careers journey at Sacred Heart by thinking about their own qualities by completing a CV that will be kept and amended throughout their time at Sacred Heart. Throughout the year, employers will visit students from the local area, showcasing the different job opportunities available to them in the future. Other areas will be considered in PSHE lessons.
Year 8 Students will now have an opportunity to meet employers in a ‘Meet Professionals event’. This will allow students to discuss what is involved in various job roles, and allow students to start thinking about their future careers and what skills are needed for them to achieve this.
Year 9 Year 9 is a year where student have to make some very important decisions. Students are fully informed on their choices at GCSE. Students are supported in this decision making to impartial careers advice at a Careers Fair. 
Year 10 Students in Year 10 to develop their skills of employability. All Year 10 students take part in a week long Work Experience with local and national businesses. Able and Disadvantaged will be given opportunities to access Higher Education days.
Year 11 Year 11 continues the opportunity for students to think about their future further with a ‘Meet the professional’ event. Visits to universities raises aspirations to encourage students to think about their futures, especially advice about A Level studies. Students also have an opportunity to discuss apprenticeships and other options at a Careers Fair.
Year 12 Year 12 students are made to fully consider their post 18 options by taking part in work experience which links strongly to their future career. Mock interviews are held. There are varied events to help students apply for university, including UCAS help, visits to Oxbridge and other Universities.
Year 13 Students are further helped with the UCAS process. For those students not considering Higher Education, external agencies and employers work with those pupils to help give them further advice and independent careers advice.

Work Experience

Work Experience Self Placement Form

Provider Access

Introduction

This policy statement sets out the school’s arrangements for managing the access of providers to pupils at the school for the purpose of giving them information about the providers education or training offer. This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.

Pupil Entitlement

All pupils in years 8 to 13 are entitled:

  • to find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point;
  • to hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through options events, assemblies and group discussions and taster events;
  • to understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.

For pupils of compulsory school age these encounters are mandatory and there will be a minimum of two encounters for pupils during the ‘first key phase’ (year 8 to 9) and two encounters for pupils during the ‘second key phase’ (year 10 to 11). For pupils in the ‘third key phase’ (year 12 to 13), particularly those that have not yet decided on their next steps, there are two more provider encounters available during this period, which are optional for pupils to attend.

These provider encounters will be scheduled during the main school hours and the provider will be given a reasonable amount of time to, as a minimum:

  • share information about both the provider and the approved technical education qualification and apprenticeships that the provider offers
  • explain what career routes those options could lead to
  • provide insights into what it might be like to learn or train with that provider (including the opportunity to meet staff and pupils from the provider)
  • answer questions from pupils. 

Meaningful provider encounters

One encounter is defined as one meeting/session between pupils and one provider. We are committed to providing meaningful encounters to all pupils using the Making it meaningful checklist.

Meaningful online engagement is also an option, and we are open to providers that are able to provide live online engagement with our pupils. 

Previous providers

In previous terms/years we have invited the following providers from the local area to speak to our pupils:

  • Liverpool Football Club
  • Mode Training
  • MCDT
  • Hugh Baird
  • Army
  • RAF
  • Liverpool Hope
  • Woodspeen Training
  • Navy
  • ESPFA
  • Edge Hill
  • Start Liverpool
  • LIPA
  • LJMU
  • Unilever
  • House of Beauty
  • NWCS
  • Smaller Earth
  • Steven Gerrard
  • Amey
  • Southport College

Opportunities for access

The school offers the six provider encounters required by law and a number of additional events, integrated into the school careers programme. (See table below)

We will offer providers an opportunity to come into school to speak to pupils or their parents or carers.

Please speak to our Careers Leader to identify the most suitable opportunity for you.

PSHE opportunities to be available for all Year Groups 2023/24.

School Year Autumn Term Spring Term Summer Term
Year 7 Careers Fair FAME assemblies
Year 8 Meet the Professionals
Careers Fair
No encounters – legislation requires encounters to have taken place by 28th February if in Year 9
Year 9 KS4 Options event
Meet the Professionals
Careers Fair
Group sessions for Careers
No encounters – legislation requires encounters to have taken place by 28th February if in Year 9
Year 10 Mock Interview sessions Life Skill - Work Experience preparation. Careers Fair
Work Experience and prep
Work Experience
Year 11 Independent Career Interviews Independent Career Interviews
Careers Fair
Sixth form Taster event
Independent Career interviews
Confirmation of places in Sixth Form
Year 12 Careers Fair Work Experience
UCAS Preparation
Year 13 Independent Career Interviews
UCAS Preparation Help
Independent Career Interviews
University Finance help
Careers Fair

Premises and Facilities

The school will make the main hall, classrooms or private meeting rooms available for discussions between the provider and pupils, as appropriate to the activity. The school will also make available AV and other specialist equipment to support provider presentations. This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the Careers Leader or a member of their team.

Meaningful online engagement is also an option and we are open to providers that are able to provide live online engagement with our pupils.

Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature at the Careers Resource Centre, which is managed by the school librarian. The Resource Centre is available to all pupils at lunch and break times.

Complaints

Any complaints with regards to provider access can be raised following the school complaints procedure or directly with The Careers & Enterprise Company via

provideraccess@careersandenterprise.co.uk

Useful Links

Higher Education

Thinking about applying to University? Below are links for UCAS and a summary of main universities in the North West and beyond.

UCAS
Edge Hill University
Liverpool Hope University
University of Liverpool
University of Manchester
Liverpool John Moores University
Lancaster University
University of Salford
Russel Group
Unistats Data
BE More Website - Liverpool City region focus on skills and career options.

Apprenticeships

The Apprenticeship Guide
Get In Go Far Apprenticeships

Future Careers

Not sure what you want to do in the future ? Click on these handy websites which can help you navigate through the many possibilities

Careersbox
Start
Tomorrow's jobs
National Careers Service
Step
Prospects
allabout
NGTU - Not going to uni
Greater Merseyside Learning Providers Federation
Careers of the Future
Career connect
Student Finance England
Prospects
icould

Growth Sector

What are the new sectors which might be the biggest employers of the future in Liverpool

Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership