Richard Challoner School

Guidance notes for each year group

Year 7

Who am I? Introduction to Careers 

  • The focus of the sessions for year 7 is to get them thinking about what skills they have and how they have changed since starting secondary school.
  • They will learn information about what careers education is and to identify why and how school links to their future.
  • Activities will develop their knowledge about themselves which should be encouraged as a good thing and provide opportunities to explore jobs and careers.
  • At the beginning of the unit please introduce the topic of careers and use the questions sheet to start a discussion in your tutor group about what they want to know and then revisit this again at the end.
  • At the end of the unit, students are asked to evaluate what they liked and how they will use what they have learnt in the future. This helps to identify areas of development and future planning. Please express the importance of the evaluation form.
  • Differentiation-Careers isn’t split into ability as the pathway will be individual. However as it is difficult to know the learning needs of every student in the school, please adapt activities as necessary if you have students in your tutor group who need them presented in a different way.

Year 8

Me and My Future

  • The focus of the sessions for year 8 is to get them thinking about who they are and to learn more about apprenticeships, jobs and the working world.
  • They will learn information about what work is like and to further identify why and how school links to their future.
  • Activities will develop their knowledge about themselves which should be encouraged as a good thing and provide opportunities to explore jobs and careers. Knowing who we are and what we are good at will help them when thinking about option choices in year 9.
  • At the beginning of the unit please introduce the topic of careers and use the questions sheet to start a discussion in your tutor group about what they want to know and then revisit this again at the end.
  • At the end of the unit, students are asked to evaluate what they liked and how they will use what they have learnt in the future. This helps to identify areas of development and future planning. Please express the importance of the evaluation form.
  • Differentiation-Careers isn’t split into ability as the pathway will be individual. However as it is difficult to know the learning needs of every student in the school, please adapt activities as necessary if you have students in your tutor group who need them presented in a different way.

Year 9

Decisions, Decisions!

  • The focus of the sessions for year 9 is to get them thinking about why they make option choices and how they can best prepare for life in KS4.
  • They will learn information about what subjects they can take, links to future career pathways and reflect on themselves as a learner.
  • Activities will develop their knowledge about themselves which should be encouraged as a good thing and provide opportunities to explore jobs and careers.
  • At the beginning of the unit please introduce the topic of careers and use the questions sheet to start a discussion in your tutor group about what they want to know and then revisit this again at the end.
  • At the end of the unit, students are asked to evaluate what they liked and how they will use what they have learnt in the future. This helps to identify areas of development and future planning. Please express the importance of the evaluation form.
  • Differentiation-Careers isn’t split into ability as the pathway will be individual. However as it is difficult to know the learning needs of every student in the school, please adapt activities as necessary if you have students in your tutor group who need them presented in a different way.

Year 10

Careers and Future Planning

  • The focus of the sessions for year 10 is to get them thinking about what choices they will need to make post 16. Using New Kudos they can reflect on their skills and likes to generate ideas on careers. Revisiting dreams and aspirations and looking at how they are currently working should get students thinking about grades, exams and next steps.
  • They will learn information about what employability and work and how what they learn now is linked to the future.
  • Activities will develop their knowledge about themselves which should be encouraged as a good thing and provide opportunities to explore jobs and careers.
  • At the beginning of the unit please introduce the topic of careers and use the questions sheet to start a discussion in your tutor group about what they want to know and then revisit this again at the end.
  • At the end of the unit, students are asked to evaluate what they liked and how they will use what they have learnt in the future. This helps to identify areas of development and future planning. Please express the importance of the evaluation form.
  • Differentiation-Careers isn’t split into ability as the pathway will be individual. However as it is difficult to know the learning needs of every student in the school, please adapt activities as necessary if you have students in your tutor group who need them presented in a different way.

Year 11

Options Post 16

  • The focus of the sessions for year 11 is to get them thinking about post 16 options.
  • They will learn information about what pathways they can take and understands the different qualifications available to them.
  • Activities will develop their knowledge about themselves which should be encouraged as a good thing and provide opportunities to explore jobs and careers. They will also look at money and finance with budgeting as a key feature.
  • At the beginning of the unit please introduce the topic of careers and use the questions sheet to start a discussion in your tutor group about what they want to know and then revisit this again at the end.
  • At the end of the unit, students are asked to evaluate what they liked and how they will use what they have learnt in the future. This helps to identify areas of development and future planning. Please express the importance of the evaluation form.
  • Differentiation-Careers isn’t split into ability as the pathway will be individual. However, as it is difficult to know the learning needs of every student in the school, please adapt activities as necessary if you have students in your tutor group who need them presented in a different way.
  • Evaluating the unit at the end is really important to include the students in future planning and to know what is successful. Careers Education is not set in stone and needs to reflect the needs of our students. Tutors will also be asked for their feedback.