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The Gatsby Foundation’s eight benchmarks of good careers guidance
(1) A stable careers programme
(2) Learning from career and labour market information
(3) Addressing the needs of each pupil
(4) Linking curriculum learning to careers
(5) Encounters with employers and employees
(6) Experiences of workplaces
(7) Encounters with further and higher education
(8) Personal guidance
(click the link above for a detailed programme)
Students, parents, carers, teachers and employers can access more information by emailing the Careers Coordinator, Mrs Cretney: careers@stphils.org.uk
Your Careers Coordinator is Mrs Cretney & the SLT link, Ms Yost
Mrs Cretney is based in the Careers Room located above the Music Practice Rooms corridor and up the stairs and is available in school Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
If you would like to drop in with a query please come along on:
Tuesdays/Thursdays - break-time 10.45am - 11.10am
Tuesdays - after school 3pm - 3.45pm
Thursdays - during lunchtime 1.10pm - 2pm
If you would like a one to one careers guidance interview:
You can either let your form tutor know.
Write your name in the Interview Request book in the Careers Room
Visit the Careers Area to speak to Mrs Cretney.
Priority is given to certain year groups at key decision times in the year e.g. Year 9 choosing GCSE/BTEC options, After Year 11 Choices & Sixth Form applying to Universities and Apprenticeships. Year 9 and above Students with EHCP plans.
If you would like further information please contact Michele Cretney, Careers Coordinator, by email. FAO Careers Coordinator at careers@stphils.org.uk
Work Experience
Work Experience is a valuable part of the school curriculum.
It can offer students a chance to:
Increase independence and self confidence
Learn about various career options and try them out
Develop work-related skills and knowledge
Include the experience in future applications for university/apprenticeships/jobs
Find out more about themselves and what inspires them
Discover their strengths, values, motivations and interests
Meet new people and build up network of contacts
Identify any reasonable adjustments that they may need because of a disability or long term health condition
Students are encouraged to find their own work experience placements, with support, where necessary, from their Parent/ Carer, Tutor, the Work Experience Coordinator, the SEND team and their Head of Year.
Students looking for help can use the drop-in sessions below.
Ms V Elliott - Work Experience Coordinator
Careers Room (through door and up stairs at the end of the music practice corridor, then up steps on right)
Mon to Fri during morning break time (10.45am -11.10am).
For more information please email workexperience@stphils.org.uk
Careers Education Information Advice & Guidance (CEIAG)
Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) is an important aspect of the student learning experience at St Philomena's School and prepares our young women to make decisions where they can reach their optimum potential in their education and also their future professional life in the world of work. CEIAG significantly contributes to the school’s commitment to high achievement, inclusive, effective teaching and learning. We have been successful in achieving the Careers Mark Gold Award.
Careers education and guidance is delivered through PSHE lessons, tutor time, assemblies and additional career and work related activities with internal / external partners (parents , local colleges, universities and employers). The school has a dedicated Careers Coordinator (part- time) who oversees the coordinating of independent and impartial (CEG) for Years 7 to 13. A careers programme outlines the framework for Careers education and guidance learning and this supports the curriculum for key stage 3, 4 and post-16 key stage 5. The Careers programme is supported by the Xello on- line careers tool and UNIFROG. (See links below )
The St Philomena’s Careers policy adheres to statutory guidance in the Education ( Careers Guidance in Schools) Act 2022 that amends the existing duty, of the Education Act 1997.
‘The Act extends the duty to all pupils in state-funded secondary schools , meaning that schools must now secure independent careers guidance from Year 7.’ ….’ This also includes the legal requirement ,known as the ‘Baker Clause ‘, where schools must provide opportunities for a range of education and training providers to access all Year 8 to 13 pupils to inform them about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. ‘
At St Philomena’s a strategic decision was made to deliver CEG to all year groups (7 to 13) several years ago. St Philomena’s CEIAG policy strives to meet the 8 Gatsby Good Career Guidance Benchmarks.
Examples of how we provide impartial and independent careers advice and guidance include:
One to one careers interviews with trained and qualified careers advisers
Guest Speaker talks, assembles and events such as Speed Careers and Careers Carousel
Employer visits
Work experience
Further Education and Higher Education visits
Displays and communication of impartial careers and education information for example in Bulletins
Signpost to websites such as www.ucas.com, www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship,www.careerpilot.org.uk and www.icould.com
Involvement of external partners such as South London Careers Hub, Careers and Enterprise Company, for example with Employer engagement and our Enterprise Advisers.
If you would like further information about CEIAG or are interested in supporting careers related activities (ie Career talks, Apprenticeship and Technical training awareness, or FE/HE engagement ), please contact Michele Cretney, Careers Coordinator, by email. FAO Careers Coordinator at enquiries@stphilomenas.org.uk
Useful Information:
www.icould.com - a comprehensive free careers website where students can explore careers related to school subjects, watch short career videos and it has lots of useful Labour Market Information ( LMI) .
www.careerpilot.org - Careerpilot can be used by ALL young people aged 11-19 in schools, colleges and independently. The site helps students develop career skills so students can manage their career decisions as they go through life.
www.successatschool.org - a comprehensive careers website where students can get careers advice, search for employers, jobs and courses.
National Careers Service website: https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/ Government website that provides information, advice and guidance to help you make decisions on learning, training and work.
National Apprenticeship website https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeshipsearch
Find out about apprenticeships. There are more than 250700 occupations that offer apprenticeships. There are 3 levels ; Intermediate, Advanced and Higher & Degree apprenticeships. Higher apprenticeships can provide an alternative route to gaining a degree level qualification. Apprenticeships are now available in sectors such as Digital Marketing, Business administration, Accountancy, Law and Engineering.
Career Mark Quality Award
Career Mark Quality Award
St Philomena's have been successful in achieving the Careers Mark Gold Award for a fifth successive time. It recognises excellence in Careers, Employability and Enterprise and is now linked to the new Gatsby Benchmarks. A report is produced to evidence managing and delivering CEIAG (Careers, Education, Information, Advice & Guidance) including:
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Addressing the needs of each student
- Encounters with further and higher education
- Encounters with employers and employees
An internal termly Compass assessment of careers related activities and curriculum learning linked to careers is undertaken , to help populate the report and an external assessor meets students across the Year groups to ask about the Careers education experience and to assess the quality of provision.
This is a great achievement. Research shows that if young people have three plus meaningful experiences with employers in their school life and access to personal and impartial careers guidance , it is highly likely to lead to successful employability after school.
Xello is a Careers tool, introduced in June 2024 as part of the Careers Programme at St Philomena's, it replaces and is an updated version of Kudos. It will be used by all Year groups as part of their Careers Education in PSHE lessons and as an independent careers research and activity tool.
Xello offers enhanced updated features - the Skills quiz called Matchmaker and direct links to College, University course information.
Also has:
a Learning styles quiz
Skills Lab tool
Personal Portfolio,
Career Clusters ,
CV builder
Log Work experience/Qualifications
Log Personal achievements.
Xello is a Single sign-on system using the Arbor student email. Students can log on easily using the Xello Icon on the Google page as shown below. No need for students to recall usernames/passwords.
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