At Queen Ethelburga’s, career guidance extends beyond career choices; it is centred on preparing students for life beyond the Collegiate. The bespoke programme begins in Year 5 and continues through to Year 13.
Our aim is to raise young people’s aspirations, to develop employability skills and students’ confidence when transitioning between education, training and work.
There are three key elements to our ‘QE Futures’ careers programme for students: Discover, Develop and Prepare.
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1. Discover
The discovery stage aims to advise and guide students of the various post-18 options available, including apprenticeships, gap years, the forces and higher education.
Students begin the programme in Chapter House with visiting speakers and as they advance through school, a range of career lessons are delivered as part of Personal Development.
Discovering Careers in Personal Development
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From Key Stage Three, students access Morrisby, a careers website that helps students discover career options tailored to their strengths and interests.
In Year 11, students complete a more comprehensive profiling assessment, which recommends careers and courses based on students’ verbal, numerical, and abstract aptitudes, as well as their interests and personality. After completing the assessment, one of our Career Advisors conducts one-to-one meetings to guide and discuss the profile with each student.
2. Develop
As part of the Develop stage, we focus on building students' employability skills. This links closely to our Thrive Academic aim to build skills for future success and focuses on developing analytical or creative thinking, collaboration and communication skills, and digital competence. These are all skills demanded by employers and are reflected in the World Economic Forum Skills Report.
QE Futures teaches students the importance of developing personal employability skills for success in the world of work. From Years 7 to 11, students will learn a variety of essential skills within their Personal Development lessons and from dedicated Employability Skills days, as well as from participating in our Stretch and Challenge programme.
Developing Employability Skills Lessons
- Year 7: Confident Communication & Effective Collaboration
- Year 8: Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
- Year 9: Self-Awareness & Reflection
- Year 10: Skill Development & Resilience
- Year 11: Leadership & Personal Growth
3. Prepare
The final stage is exclusively for Years 12 and 13 to prepare for life beyond Queen Ethelburga’s. The stage is split into two strands: preparing students for university and life in the workplace.
A. Preparation For University
Key Stage Five is the stepping stone to universities, and we encourage students to be aspirational in their goals. See below the university support students can access to help prepare a competitive university application.
Advice is delivered through either lunchtime workshops or a programme of larger, assembly-style insight talks during the Year 12 Personal Development Programme (PDP).
Personal Development Programme
For students applying for UK universities, we host university guest speaker talks as part of the competitive university application support sessions on offer to students, including talks from King’s College London, UCL, University of Sheffield, Bangor University and University of Bath.
For students wishing to apply abroad, we host guest speakers who advise students about applying to international universities in countries such as the US, Hong Kong, Australia and Canada.
The Careers Department deliver sessions on:
- Writing competitive personal statements
- Choosing courses
- Student finance
- Applying for degree apprenticeships
Top University Destinations
91Students attended Russell Group Universities in 2024 |
28Students secured a place at UCL in the last three years. |
22Students continued their studies in Medicine, Veterinary Medicine or Dentistry in the last three years. |
Early Applicant Oxbridge Support
For students interested in applying for the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, we run a series of lunchtime sessions to help with the application process.
Topics covered include:
- Student life at Oxbridge
- Choosing a college
- Writing a competitive personal statement
- Completing admissions tests
- Undertaking interviews at Oxbridge.
The Careers Department also hosts an Oxbridge Day where Old Ethelburgians who went to Oxbridge return to QE to offer support and guidance.
Discover our Stretch and Challenge programme for enhancing knowledge, skills and experience around a selection of careers.
Medic Career Support
One of our most successful support programmes is the QE Futures Medics Provision to help students submit applications for Medicine, Veterinary Medicine or Dentistry. The programme is aimed at students interested in medical research and development, who achieve high academically and understand the demands of being a Medic.
Download QE Futures Medic Provision
The Careers Department offers one-to-one support for:
- Finding work experience
- Help with writing the personal statement
- Achieving a high score on the UCAT admissions test
- Being successful in an interview.
B. Preparation for Life in the Workplace
Year 13 students attend a series of sessions on degree apprenticeships and employment sessions to help prepare for life in the workplace. The sessions are to inform students on what to expect when working and how to successfully obtain a job.
Students can access the following support:
- CV and Cover Letter Workshop
- Interview Technique Workshop
- Completing Psychometric Assessments Workshop
- Year 13 Mock Assessment Centre
- LinkedIn Workshop
- Degree Apprenticeship Application Support
Attend a Career Event
| QE Futures Fair & Options Convention |
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Key Stage Four and Five students are invited to the QE Futures Fair to meet with representatives from a range of universities, gap year companies, workplaces and the armed forces. On the same day, students in Years 9 to 11 (and their parents) are invited to attend the Options Convention to discover the subjects and choices available to them in the following year. |
| Inspiring Futures Event |
| Students in Years 10 and 12 are invited to the annual Inspiring Future Careers Event to speak with industry professionals from a broad range of sectors. Students learn first-hand about what is involved in a particular career sector, the skills required and the (sometimes) unusual routes these professionals have taken to get there. |
| Army Skills Day |
| Army representatives speak to Year 10 students about the careers in the army and lead practical team building activities. The aim of the day is to develop students’ key employability skills in problem-solving, leadership and collaboration skills. |
| University of Sheffield Trip |
| For Year 11 students to see a university first-hand, tour the facilities, attend a lecture on applying for university and attend a study skills workshop. |
| University of Cambridge Trip |
| For Year 12 students interested in applying for Cambridge to visit St John’s College for a tour with current university students and attend a workshop on applying for Cambridge. |
| UCAS Exhibition Trip |
| Year 12 students are invited to attend a fair hosted by one of the universities in the North of England. Students can speak to university representatives, apprenticeship providers and employers. Students can ask questions about the courses on offer and entry requirements. |
Join Us
We are always looking for parents, employers, businesses and alumni to support our Careers Programme. This could be through:
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Delivering a career talk
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Offering work experience placements
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Holding a stand at our QE Futures Fair
Complete the form to discuss how you may be able to support our students and their future career choices.
