Careers at Goffs Academy
This information is designed for students, teachers, parents, and employers.
At Goffs, we pride ourselves on ensuring that students are well prepared for future employment, and have a range of opportunities to find out more about different careers.
Our Careers Education and IAG programme aims to prepare our students for their future lives beyond school. This means that all students, and parents, should be made aware of all their options as they progress through school and their post-school options.
The SLT member responsible for Careers, and our designated careers lead is Mark Holding (Assistant Principal) and he can be contacted at mho@goffs.herts.sch.uk
Careers Providers
We work closely with YC Hertfordshire to ensure that students have access to a range of different employers during their time in school.
For example, in Year 10, all students take part in a Careers Fair and Mock Interview Day, before participating in a week’s work experience placement, in the summer term.
Every student in Year 11 has a 1:1 session with a Personal Adviser from YC Hertfordshire regarding their plans for their future.
Hannah and Alex are YC Hertfordshire Personal Advisers and hold Level 6 qualifications in Advice and Guidance. YC Hertfordshire is Matrix accredited.
Hannah and Alex:
- will provide a personalised action plan to help students reach their goal
- have access to a range of career exploration tools to help students explore the careers world
- are experienced in providing individualised, impartial careers, information, advice and guidance to young people and their parents/carers
- are knowledgeable about local, regional and national opportunities with access to a wealth of up to date information
- are skilled in tailoring careers information, advice and guidance to individual needs
- can draw in additional resources to support individual needs
- have current, enhanced DBS clearance
Remote Careers-Learning Provision
- Since March 2020, linked to school closure, our advisers have been supporting our students remotely and YC have put together a very useful document entitled ‘Your Career and Personal Development during COVID 19’.
Your-career-and-personal-development-during-Covid-19.pdf
Careers Curriculum Map
All areas of the curriculum support the Careers Education programme, and all subject areas have identified where they can support this, and it is outlined in the document below as well as being mapped out in the the Career Development Institute (CDI) Framework CDI Framework
Who we work with:
The following organisations support our Careers and IAG provision:
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The Real Game https://www.realgame.co.uk/ |
Provide learning and earning resources for secondary schools which we subscribe to and use with our Year 7 students |
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YC Hertfordshire https://www.ychertfordshire.org/
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Run Navigate Your Future days in school for Year 8 students Source our Year 10 Work experience placements including site risk assessments Provide qualified personal advisers to conduct 1:1 interviews with our Year 11 students and some Year 10 students, as needed |
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Young Enterprise |
Deliver a range of enterprise activities for Key Stage 3 students and run a day in school for our Year 9 students
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Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership https://www.hertfordshirelep.com/
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Herts LEP manages The Careers and Enterprise Company funded programme in Hertfordshire. Their Enterprise Coordinators work with us at strategic level to support us against The Gatsby Benchmarks Herts LEP supports us to gain up to date and relevant Local Labour Market Information and to keep us connected to employers who support our students to gain more information about the world of work |
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Herts Regional College |
Provide direct interventions for targeted students in Year 10 and upward to promote their college, including tours |
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Fix Up |
The Fix Up speakers are a team of passionate people focused on motivating students, teachers, parents and encourage them to succeed in their next steps
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Amazing Apprenticeships |
Provide access to an extensive collection of resources and support for teachers, careers advisers and students Offer apprenticeship support for students in Years 10-13 and currently run two sessions for our sixth form students Run Vacancy Snapshot – showcasing some of the world’s largest companies and what to expect from their recruitment processes |
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National Citizenship Service (NCS) |
Run a summer school for Year 11 students within which students learn skills that can be useful in the world of work |
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The Brilliant Club |
Provide direct interventions for targeted students in the sixth form, to promote university/higher education |
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Learn to Live |
Offer a range of resources relating to careers education |
Further information and useful links
We are signed up to The Careers and Enterprise Company – The Enterprise Adviser Network – programme. This is a free provision managed locally by Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership to support us to achieve all 8 Gatsby Benchmarks.
Further information about The Careers and Enterprise Company can be found here:
https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/
Further information about The Gatsby Benchmarks can be found here:
http://www.gatsby.org.uk/education/focus-areas/good-career-guidance
Further information about The Government’s Careers Strategy can be found here:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/664319/Careers_strategy.pdf
Careers Activity Plan
We deliver a structured Careers and IAG Activity Plan which is reviewed on an annual basis, and involves all year groups. Below are some of the key activities which we offer, and all activities are linked to the Career Development Institute (CDI) Framework CDI Framework
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Year |
Event |
Time of Year |
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7 |
The Real Game Students are given the opportunity to consider what job they might do in the future, its earning potential and how they would balance income versus expenditure. |
Summer Term |
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8 |
Navigate Your Future (YC) This workshop informs students on how important it is to start to consider their careers plan early on as they are literally able to drive it into the direction which they wish. |
Spring Term |
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9 |
Education Pathways/Options Evening This gives students, along with their parents, an opportunity to consider their own progression through education, exploring the different pathways they may follow and how they can pursue their own unique aspirations through education. |
Spring Term |
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9 |
Launchpad/Young Enterprise This interactive workshop is designed to prompt students to start thinking about the world of work. Discussion will challenge any preconceptions they may have about the workplace and includes a budgeting activity called the Tenner Challenge (linked to another of our Curriculum Enrichment Days called Managing a Budget). |
Spring Term |
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9 |
1:1 Options Interviews All Year 9 students have a 1:1 meeting with a member of SLT regarding their next steps. This includes a discussion relating to careers as well as their GCSE options that would best link to these. |
Summer Term |
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10 |
Employability Skills This session will give students a chance to assess their current skills and experience, prompting them to consider what employers are looking for and how they can improve their own CV, interview ability and skill set to increase their future employability. |
Spring Term |
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10 |
CV Writing Students work within form time to prepare their own CVs and understand how to present them according and what information to include, these are then presented at the mock interview day. |
Spring Term |
|
10 |
Mock Interview day (YC) Students come face to face with employers who put them through a real-life interview scenario and then provide them with feedback about how they presented themselves, how they answered the questions and on their CVs. |
Spring Term |
|
10 |
One-week Work Experience (YC) Work experience takes place in the workplace and allows young people to experience what it is like to undertake a job supervised by staff who already work in the environment. An information evening takes place for parents and students early in the Spring Term. |
Summer Term |
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10 |
GCSE Exam Skills/Resilience This session focuses on resilience and positive mental attitude with links made to revision techniques. The session will also explore coping strategies for dealing with stress and anxiety. |
Autumn Term |
|
11 |
Personal Guidance Interviews (YC) Provided by an Independent Careers Advisor by YC, all Year 11s have at least one destination interview. |
On-going |
|
11 |
1:1 Options Interviews All Year 11 students have a 1:1 meeting with a member of SLT regarding their next steps. This includes a discussion relating to careers. |
Spring Term (January and March) |
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11 |
Fix Up/GCSE Exam Skills This session focuses primarily on revision techniques. Students will be guided through various revision/study methods and given practical tips on how to manage their time more effectively. The session will also explore coping strategies for dealing with stress and anxiety and offer real-life examples from the external presenters. |
Autumn Term |
|
11 |
Careers Scheme of Learning This relates to a form time scheme of learning reflecting on Year 10 work experience and looking to various careers as well as the differences between apprenticeships and University. This scheme also considers employability skills and jobs within the local area. |
Autumn Term |
|
11 |
Visit to HRC College (for selected students) Students are given the opportunity to visit the College to explore their post-16 options. |
Spring Term |
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11 |
ACE Programme (for selected students) Students are mentored throughout the year by a member of staff and are offered the opportunity to visit Universities or workplaces linked to their future plans. |
On-going |
|
11 |
Next Steps after Year 11/Sixth Form Open Evening The evening explores the different post-16 options available including a discussion on A-Levels, BTECs, vocational qualifications and apprenticeships, as well as promoting the Goffs Sixth Form. |
Autumn Term |
|
11 |
National Citizenship Service (NCS) (for selected students) Students who participate in this summer school programme learn skills that can be useful in the world of work as one week is specifically work-related with NCS partnering with a range of organisations to offer the best possible experience for students. |
Summer Term |
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Sixth Form – Year 12 (please see separate section of our website for more information)
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UCAS Trip An opportunity for Year 12 students to find out more about university and the courses on offer. Students can join a campus tour with UCAS Student Ambassadors, take part in interactive subject-specific sessions and get advice about student finances and UCAS. |
Summer Term |
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Sixth Form - Year 12 |
Work Shadowing Week This is a work experience week takes place in the workplace at the very end of the academic year and allows young people to experience what it is like to undertake a job supervised by staff who already work in the environment. Students are encouraged to source their own placements given that they are approaching their last year of school. |
Summer Term |
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Sixth Form – All
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Amazing Apprenticeships The day involves a guest speaker going through the apprenticeship provision, how they work in practice and how to apply. |
Autumn Term |
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Sixth Form – All |
Learn to Live Curriculum Enrichment Day This day off timetable offers a range of resources and interactive broadcasts from business individuals to describe aspects of the world of work. |
Autumn Term |
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Sixth Form – All |
Mock Interview day Students come face to face with employers who put them through a real-life interview scenario and then provide them with feedback about how they presented themselves, how they answered the questions and on their CVs. |
Autumn Term |
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Sixth Form – All |
Higher Education Evening The evening focusses on the various options presented to students at this point in their education. |
Spring Term |
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Sixth Form – All |
CV writing/UCAS applications Students work within form time to refine on their own CVs or UCAS applications and understand how to present them according and what information to include. |
Autumn Term |
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Sixth Form - All |
1:1 Careers Interviews Students have a 1:1 meeting with a designated careers support adviser who works within the Sixth Form. The tailored meetings are solely based on options relating to careers and the adviser puts students in contact with employers or organisations, as is needed. |
On-going |
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Sixth From |
The Brilliant Club (for selected students) Students are mentored throughout the programme by a PhD students and are offered the opportunity to produce a piece of work that is of University standard, linked to the subject area a student would like to pursue at Higher Education level. The programme includes visits to Russell Group Universities and a formal graduation. |
On-going |
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All Years |
Hop Into website HOP is the premier gateway in Hertfordshire to find out about:
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On-going |
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All Years |
Super Speakers A range of speakers from a range of subjects attend the school to present to those who sign up. They are led by professionals from industries including: law, business, psychology, art and design. |
On-going |
Hertfordshire Skills Framework (https://goffschurchgate.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/document/hertfordshire-skills-framework-2018-framework-icons-poster.pdf?t=1554384088?ts=1558453313)
This is the culmination of a huge research piece carried out by The University of Hertfordshire to identify the predominant skills and qualities that a large range of Hertfordshire employers have stated are most important for young people to possess and demonstrate in the workplace; it is therefore vital information for students, teachers and parents to be aware of. These skills are going to be embedded through throughout the school both within the curriculum and through wider awareness within work on CVs and in assemblies.
Labour Market Information
Broxbourne Labour Market Information
Hertfordshire Labour Market Information
Employer Engagement
We recognise the importance in working with local employers in order to support our Careers Education and IAG provision we are very keen to establish links with employers who will be able to open our students’ eyes to the world of work.
We currently engage with over 30 different employers through work experience placements for our Year 10 students and our planned Year 9 Careers Fair. We welcome further support from employers within a range of industries. If you would like to support any of the above events or feel you may be offer support in a different way then do please contact our Careers Lead, Mark Holding mho@goffs.herts.sch.uk
Careers Education Policy
For a copy of our Careers Education policy, please follow this link: https://goffs.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/key_information/R42a-Careers-Education-Policy-Goffs-June-19.pdf?t=1592741083
Sixth Form - Careers
You can find out about Careers relating directly to the Sixth Form under the Sixth Form section of our website: https://www.goffs.herts.sch.uk/358/careers-university
