Students
Careers education is embedded throughout the curriculum and complemented by a rich programme of opportunities beyond the classroom. Through PSHE and tutor-time activities, employer encounters, guest speakers, alumni events, careers fairs, enterprise activities, workplace visits, work experience and visits to colleges and universities, students are encouraged to explore the breadth of opportunities available to them and to develop a deeper understanding of the world of work.
Meaningful encounters with employers and professionals allow students to discover different industries and career pathways, understand the skills and qualities valued by employers, and develop the confidence and employability skills they will need in the future. Work experience and encounters with employers provide valuable first-hand insight into the workplace and enable students to apply their developing skills in real-world settings.
We use Unifrog, a comprehensive careers and destinations platform, to support students throughout their careers journey. Unifrog provides a central hub where students can explore careers and future pathways, research universities, colleges and apprenticeships, discover opportunities, record their experiences and reflect on their developing skills and interests. It also supports our work experience programme, helping students to prepare for, manage and reflect on these valuable experiences.
As students progress through the school, they have access to impartial information, advice and guidance at key decision-making points. One-to-one careers guidance with a qualified careers adviser enables students to consider their individual strengths, interests and aspirations when making choices about GCSEs, post-16 options and their future beyond St Edward’s.
Our programme encompasses the full range of progression routes, including A levels, T Levels, apprenticeships, further and higher education, gap-year opportunities and employment. We work with employers, education providers and external organisations to ensure that students have access to current and relevant information about the changing world of work.
Labour Market Information (LMI) forms an important part of this provision. Students are encouraged to understand how industries and employment patterns are changing, where future opportunities may emerge and the skills that will be increasingly valued by employers. By combining this knowledge with an understanding of their own strengths and aspirations, students are better equipped to make realistic and informed decisions about their future.
We encourage every student to take ownership of their career development: to be curious, to explore possibilities, to embrace opportunities and to reflect on their experiences.
At St Edward’s, careers education is about much more than choosing a job. It is about helping young people understand themselves, discover their potential and develop the confidence, knowledge and skills to shape a fulfilling future.
Parents & Carers
We know that, as a parent or carer, you want to give your child the best possible start in life. At St Edward’s, we recognise that this means much more than academic success. It is about helping young people develop confidence, discover their strengths and interests, and understand the many opportunities available to them beyond school.
Our careers programme is designed to involve parents and carers as important partners in this journey. From choosing GCSE and post-16 options to considering university, apprenticeships, further education or employment, there are many decisions to make along the way. Our Careers Team is available at key transition points to provide information, answer questions and help families explore the options available.
We encourage parents and carers to talk openly with their children about their interests, strengths and aspirations, while encouraging them to make the most of the opportunities available at St Edward’s. Attending careers events, employer talks, careers fairs, work experience and information evenings can help students broaden their horizons and make more informed decisions about their future.
Unifrog is an important part of our careers provision and provides students and their families with access to a wealth of information about careers, university, apprenticeships and other pathways. Parents and carers can use Unifrog alongside their child to explore possibilities, research opportunities and support conversations about future choices.
We also encourage families to make use of reliable information about the changing world of work. Labour Market Information (LMI) can help students and parents understand emerging industries, employment trends and the skills that employers are seeking. This can be particularly useful when considering longer-term career and education choices.
How can parents and carers help?
There are many simple ways in which you can support your child’s career development:
- Encourage your child to take part in careers events, work experience, employer encounters and other opportunities.
- Talk regularly about their interests, strengths and aspirations rather than focusing solely on particular jobs.
- Encourage them to explore a wide range of careers and pathways, including university, apprenticeships, further education and employment.
- Help them research and reflect on their options using reliable sources of information and Labour Market Information.
- Make use of Unifrog to explore careers, courses, universities and apprenticeships together.
- Attend relevant parents’ evenings, options events, careers fairs and information sessions.
- Share your own experiences, contacts and knowledge of the world of work.
Get involved
Our careers programme is strengthened enormously by the support of parents, carers and the wider St Edward’s community. We are always keen to hear from people who would be willing to share their career journey, speak to students about their industry or profession, offer workplace visits or work experience, or provide other opportunities for students to engage with the world of work.
We also value the feedback and views of parents and carers. We regularly seek feedback on our careers provision and the experiences we offer, using this insight to evaluate what we do and help shape and improve our future careers programme. Your views help us ensure that our provision remains relevant, responsive and effective in supporting the changing needs and aspirations of our students.
If you have a career, business, organisation or experience that you feel could inspire our students, or if you have suggestions about how we could further develop our careers provision, we would be delighted to hear from you. Equally, if you have contacts who may be interested in supporting our careers programme, please get in touch with the school’s Careers Team.
Useful resources for parents and carers
We will continue to develop a collection of trusted resources to help parents and carers support their children with future education, training and career decisions. These will include information on:
The world of work continues to change, and there is no single route to a successful future. At St Edward’s, we want our students and their families to feel informed, supported and confident as they navigate the opportunities ahead.
Together, we can help every student discover what is possible and take their next steps with confidence and purpose.
Employers and Industry Partners
At St Edward’s, we believe that meaningful engagement with employers and industry partners is an essential part of preparing our students for the world beyond school. Working with businesses, organisations and professionals helps bring careers to life, broaden students’ horizons and give them a genuine insight into the world of work.
We warmly welcome employers and industry partners who would like to support our careers programme. There are many ways to get involved, whether through offering work experience, delivering an inspiring talk, hosting a workplace visit, participating in a careers fair, running a workshop, supporting mock interviews or sharing your experience and expertise with students.
Ways to get involved
There are opportunities to support students across all year groups, including:
- Work experience – offering placements that give students valuable first-hand experience of the workplace.
- Employer talks and presentations – sharing your career journey, industry knowledge or expertise.
- Careers fairs and employer encounters – helping students discover different sectors, roles and career pathways.
- Workshops and enterprise activities – providing practical, hands-on experiences that develop workplace skills.
- Mock interviews – helping students develop confidence, communication skills and interview techniques.
- Mentoring and coaching – supporting students through structured guidance and encouragement.
- Apprenticeship and pathway events – sharing information about apprenticeships, higher education, employment and other routes into your industry.
- Curriculum enrichment – helping students understand how their subjects and skills relate to the workplace.
- Workplace visits – giving students the opportunity to see different working environments and learn more about specific industries.
- Alumni and professional networking – sharing experiences and helping students understand the variety of routes into different careers.
We are particularly keen to work with employers who can help challenge stereotypes, promote diversity and inclusion, and demonstrate that there are many different routes into rewarding careers.
Benefits for employers
Working with St Edward’s provides an opportunity to make a genuine difference to young people while developing meaningful links with the local community. Employer engagement can also help organisations raise awareness of their industry, develop the communication and leadership skills of participating staff, and contribute to developing the future workforce.
By sharing your knowledge and experience, you can help students understand the skills and qualities employers value and make more informed decisions about their education, training and career pathways.
Our careers programme is underpinned by the Gatsby Benchmarks, supporting meaningful encounters between students and employers and helping us to develop strong, sustained relationships with the world of work.
You can also view our Provider Access Statement for more information
We will support you
We recognise that employers are giving their valuable time and expertise to support our students. We aim to make working with St Edward’s straightforward, well organised and rewarding.
Our Careers Team will act as your main point of contact and will work with you to understand your aims, identify suitable opportunities and ensure that you have the information you need before taking part. We will provide details of relevant arrangements, facilities and safeguarding requirements and will seek feedback following activities to help us continually improve our provision.
With your permission, we can also keep you informed about future opportunities to work with our students.
Join our employer network
Whether you are an established local employer, a national organisation, a professional, an entrepreneur or an alumnus with a career story to share, we would love to hear from you.
Your experience could inspire a student to consider a career they had never previously imagined, help them understand the relevance of their education, or give them the confidence to take their next step.
If you would like to support the St Edward’s careers programme or join our employer network, please contact Hayley Jones, our Careers Manager.
Careers for Teachers
At St Edward’s, we believe that careers education is the responsibility of the whole school community. Every member of staff has an important role to play in helping students understand the relevance of their learning, discover their strengths and aspirations, and recognise the opportunities that their education can open.
Our careers programme is underpinned by the eight Gatsby Benchmarks, the national framework for high-quality careers education, information, advice and guidance. Across Key Stages 3, 4 and 5, students follow a planned and progressive programme through PSHE, tutor time and wider school activities, developing the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to make informed decisions about their future.
Key areas include:
- Exploring careers, pathways and opportunities
- Developing employability and transferable skills
- Understanding the links between subjects and future careers
- Developing decision-making, communication and oracy skills
- Understanding choices and progression routes
- Managing change and transitions
- Developing confidence, resilience and independence
- Preparing for life beyond school
Careers Across the Curriculum
Careers education extends far beyond dedicated careers lessons. Subject teachers have a unique opportunity to help students understand how their learning connects to the wider world and the many pathways it can lead to.
A simple reference to a career, industry, employer or real-world application can help a student see their subject in a new light. Teachers are requested to:
- Highlight careers and industries linked to your subject.
- Explain how the knowledge and skills developed in your subject are used in the workplace.
- Introduce students to relevant employers, professionals or alumni.
- Highlight possible pathways and qualifications at 16 and 18.
- Identify the transferable skills students are developing through lessons and activities.
- Use real-world examples, case studies and current developments within your subject area.
- Share your own experiences and career journey where appropriate.
- Encourage students to consider the breadth of careers that their subject can lead to.
These small interventions can make a significant difference to students' understanding of why their learning matters and how it may contribute to their future.
Using Unifrog
Our careers platform, Unifrog, provides staff with a valuable resource for embedding careers into the curriculum. Teachers can use the platform to explore career pathways, access careers-related resources and help students connect their subjects and developing skills with future opportunities.
Unifrog can also support conversations with students about their interests, strengths and aspirations, helping them to take greater ownership of their career development.
Bringing the curriculum to life
We actively encourage departments to work with employers, professionals and former students to create meaningful links between classroom learning and the world of work. This might involve inviting a professional to speak to a class, arranging a workplace visit, developing a subject-specific workshop or using an employer to demonstrate how a particular skill is applied in practice.
Our Careers Team can help departments identify suitable employers and organisations and develop opportunities that complement existing teaching.
Teachers can also draw on Labour Market Information (LMI) to help students understand how industries are changing, where opportunities are emerging and which skills are increasingly valued by employers.
The impact of careers education
A student's future can sometimes be influenced by a single conversation, experience or moment of inspiration. As a teacher, you may be the person who helps a student recognise a possibility they had never considered.
By making connections between curriculum learning and the wider world, we can help students to see purpose in their education, broaden their horizons and develop the confidence to pursue opportunities that reflect their interests and potential.
Every subject has a story to tell about the future — and every teacher can help students discover where it might take them.
If you would like support in developing careers-related learning within your subject or would like to work with an employer or professional to bring your curriculum to life, please contact Hayley Jones, our Careers Manager.