Careers Department

The Careers Department provide students from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 5 with a comprehensive programme (called QE Futures) designed to support and prepare them for the future.

Our QE Futures career programme recognises the importance of effective careers, education and guidance (CEIAG) to young people. The Careers Team sets high expectations for students to stretch their abilities and acquire the skills necessary for employment. This helps students, including the most vulnerable and those with special educational needs, to be the best that they can be with the gifts that they have.

Careers education is taught in Personal Development lessons and from visiting guest speakers. Students can also visit the Careers Department for individual support meetings and receive further information about career options. In Key Stage 5, students are provided additional support with university and job applications to maximise their chances of success.

Toni's Story

A Programme Designed Around The Quality In Careers Standard

Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate are committed to working towards the Quality in Careers Standard and meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks.

The Quality in Careers Standard is the national award for Careers Education, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) in schools. It is aligned with the eight Gatsby Benchmarks that outline good career guidance and fully complies with the Department of Education’s statutory guidance.

QE have adopted the eight Gatsby Benchmarks to build their QE Futures programme; see how the programme matches the Benchmarks below:

Eight Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance

1. A stable career programme

2. Learning from career and labour market information

Teachers announce the “Job of the Week” to students in form time to provide them with current labour market opportunities.

From Key Stage 3, students have access to Morrisby, a careers website that recommends career paths suited to students’ strengths.

Then, in Year 13, students are provided with various post-18 options, such as apprenticeship opportunities and university guidance.

3. Addressing the needs of each pupil

The careers programme is personalised to each child’s needs and expects everyone to do their best with the gifts that they have. Extra support is provided for children with learning disabilities, including adapted written resources for different abilities. Whilst, Personal Development lessons teach students to challenge stereotypical thinking when applying for jobs.

Queen Ethelburga’s records individual advice given to students and provides student with a Morrisby account that gives them a psychometric assessment to suggest tailored career choices for students. This information is recorded for future career workshops and 1:1 sessions in Key Stage 5.

4. Linking curriculum learning to careers

5. Encounters with employers and employees

Queen Ethelburga’s has a partnership with York Hospital for volunteering experience. In addition, students can use Investin, an online work experience company that provides students with immersive career experiences across various workplaces. Year 12 students can also partake in work experience at school; for example, students can gain experience in marketing.

Throughout the year, there are talks provided by employers and alumni students discussing their own experiences in the workplace and inspiring students to pursue their goals.

6. Experience of workplaces

7. Encounters with further and higher education

Students are provided with post-18 university and career fairs and can sign up for online presentations with higher education establishments. For students applying for medicine or Oxbridge, the Careers Team provides an enhanced programme that trains students to apply for competitive courses and succeed in university interviews.

Find out more information by visiting our University Destinations page.

8. Personal Guidance

QE Futures: Our Careers Programme

The QE Futures programme is designed to raise young people’s aspirations by developing their skills and confidence to manage transitions between stages in education, training and work.

Students are introduced to QE Futures in Key Stage 2 through role play and guest speakers. As they grow older, career education becomes part of their academic syllabus, with students learning about their future in Personal Development and General Studies programme.

There are four themes (Introduce, Inspire, Reinforce and Prepare) within QE Futures that students will progress through their time at Queen Ethelburga’s.

Introduce

Students are introduced to different career possibilities and explore what it means to have a career.

Reinforce

All students are offered 1:1 career interviews to help develop individual action plans.

Inspire

Students take their first steps towards future career planning. The focus shifts to linking students' skills with GCSE decisions and possible careers.

Prepare

Students are supported with post-18 choices and are provided with guidance to achieve their goals.

Introduce

Key Stage 2 students are introduced to preparing for their future through Personal Development lessons discussing the question “who am I?” to raise self-awareness.

Inspire

The Careers Team aims to inspire students in Key Stage 3 by guiding them through their Key Stage 4 options and advising them on the best subjects for their future career choices. As part of their guidance, Year 9 students partake in the Morrisby Aspirational Test, which is then reviewed in their transition to Key Stage 4 interviews.

Reinforce

In Key Stage 4, the Careers Department reinforce the importance of careers by organising a career fair for students and preparing students for their post-16 options. Students are informed about key skills and academic qualifications needed for their chosen career pathway.

Prepare

Key Stage 5 is the most important stage in the QE Futures programme. Students prepare for their UCAS application in Year 12 by attending a career fair and talks by universities and gap year organisations.

The Careers Team

Meet the Team

Mrs S. Dobson - Careers Adviser

Miss A. Chambers - Careers Adviser

Mrs L. Fassnidge – Work Experience Lead

Contact the Team

The Careers Department can be contacted on: careers@qe.org

Join Us

We are always looking for parents, employers, businesses and alumni to support our Careers Programme. This could be through:

Speaking to our students
Offering work experience placements
Holding a stand at our Careers Fair

Please get in touch by emailing careers@qe.org if you would like to discuss how you may be able to support our students and their future career choices.