Careers - Beyond The Blue - Information, Advice and Guidance

Your career is the pathway you choose to follow through learning and work.

Beyond The Blue

We believe that every student should be inspired to achieve a successful future and our Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) will support them in working towards this.  The Careers Team at The Blue School are here to support students through the process of deciding what direction they would like to take when they leave school, and ensure that they develop the skills needed for a successful working life.  We also deliver guidance through 1:1 sessions with career advisors, the RSE curriculum and events appropriate to different age groups.

Our programme of Careers guidance and education is progressive.  From Year 7 onwards students are encouraged to reflect on careers choices, have meaningful encounters with employers and places of work and research career opportunities in structured learning time.  In Year 10, all students take part in a Work Experience programme to learn more about the world of work.  Students in Year 11 are given particularly intensive support to make important decisions about their Post-16 route in meetings with independent careers advisors, workshops hosted by external providers of careers education and in their subject lessons.

In Sixth Form, students are offered help in choosing their route on leaving school and we support students by hosting events and workshops for students, as well as parents, to give a full picture of opportunities in Higher Education, employment, Apprenticeships and Further Education.  Beyond this we provide focussed support to each student in completing UCAS applications and Sixth Formers have priority for 1:1 appointments with our careers advisors.

Click here for the 2021/22 Careers Programme

Our school Careers Programme is designed to link to the Gatsby Benchmarks which have been accepted as best practice by the Government.  They are:

1. A stable careers programme
2. Learning from careers and labour market information
3. Addressing the needs of each student
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

We assess the school's careers provision against the Gatsby Benchmarks using the Compass+ tool, which enables us to track individual students' career interests and intended destinations, actual destinations, careers activities and keep a record of organisations that can support the schools careers provision.

We use Career Pilot to provide students with expert careers information and tools.  Each student is provided with their own individual login and can use the programme to record qualifications, experiences and skills to map out their plan for the future.

We are a member of the Heart of the South West Careers Hub Enterprise Partnership and also work with the local Chamber of Commerce and Somerset Education Business Partnership to secure employer engagement and activities designed to encourage young people to find out and know more about local and national opportunities.

The Heart of the South West careers hub Student Padlet may be of interest to students and parents.  It is regularly updated with news and opportunities relating to careers in all industries in Somerset and the rest of the South West as well as careers education resources for all students at all levels.

The Careers Team

The Careers Office: careers@theblueschoolwells.co.uk or by phone via reception
Ms Melissa Benson (Careers Coordinator): MBenson@theblueschool.somerset.sch.uk
Miss Bridget Cox: BCox@theblueschool.somerset.sch.uk
Mrs Jane McKinley: JMcKinley@theblueschool.somerset.sch.uk

Careers in the Curriculum

As well as facilitating careers activities in the school, teachers add careers information into their lessons to help students understand the variety of jobs on offer.  Lesson content may also touch on employability skills, such as presentation, teamwork and leadership.

This coordinated approach ensures that key skills and knowledge about career options, progression and success are embedded in our curriculum from Year 7 to Year 13.  This allows our pupils to make links in their learning as well as develop the ability to think deeply about what they are learning and how this may impact on their future, whatever they decide to do.

Please click the link below to view our Careers Statement

Careers Statement