Here at Shuttleworth College, we have an award-winning programme of careers advice, information, and guidance; having been presented with the East Lancashire Education Awards’ Career Aspiration Awards two years running!

Our programme helps young people to learn to make decisions and manage transitions as learners and workers. As we develop career awareness and broaden horizons, we are supporting the vision and mission of the school that all learners ‘Think Big, Chase Dreams, Succeed Together’. It is essential that the school contributes in preparing young people for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experience of adult life. All students who attend Shuttleworth College will be exposed to the knowledge and skills they need to make informed choices and achieve economic wellbeing in later life.

Our award-winning, five-year careers programme meets the government-set ‘Gatsby Benchmarks’ in every area. Here’s what that looks like here at Shuttleworth.

 

A Stable Careers Programme

We have a 5-year programme led by one of our senior leaders to meet the benchmarks and target key transition periods such as post-16, and Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4. This programme comprises age appropriate and timely activities; the sharing of information via the website with links for students, families, teachers, and employers; along with letters, meetings, and information that are shared with students and parents at key points.  We also offer a timely work-related learning conference for Year 10, ‘Your Future, Your Choice’, to help our students develop employability skills; provide them with experiences of work and encounters with employers. This results in informed post-16 applications in Year 11. We also have an excellent careers section within the library.

 

Learning from Career & Labour Market Information (LMI)

We share information via the website with links for students, families, teachers, and employers. Shuttleworth directs all to find advice via the links on the websites, e.g. nationalcareers, start, careerpilot which updates using LMI. This includes in-house careers taught sessions. We also deliver a northwest specific LMI session during the week long, Year 10 work-related conference ‘Your Future, Your Choice’ held at Burnley College.

 

Addressing the Needs of Each Pupil

Shuttleworth’s five-year programme links directly to its motto of ‘Think Big, Chase Dreams, Succeed Together’; it is aimed at meeting the needs of all students. Our Student Profile folders and shmoodle employment logs facilitate Year 10 & 11 students tracking their career development. Year 10 also undertake an aspirations survey so we can try and match our provision to their interests. Post-16 applications and destinations are tracked in Year 11 and followed up, which prevents NEET and ensures appropriate and ambitious pathways. We also take pride in challenging female career stereotyping via the ‘Women into Engineering’ event during International Women’s Day.

 

Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Our curriculum overview includes pre- and post-sessions related to the careers activity. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) activities are promoted through the science and creative technologies curriculum, as well as enrichment through STEM Club, Secondary Engineers, and Bicycle Club. Our Technology curriculum links learning programmes to industry links and have regular organised industry visits which link to lessons and/or classroom projects. We also take part in the Promotion of Young Engineers at Burnley College. The English faculty provides great support with CV writing in addition to practising face-to-face and telephone interview techniques. Maths also deliver money management in PSHE sessions.

Encounters with Employers, employees, industry representatives, and FE staff have attended a range of Shuttleworth events, including the Year 9 and Year 11 careers fairs; our Open Evenings; and assemblies. There is, of course, ‘Your Future, Your Choice’, the Burnley College based employability conference that includes employability skill-building using different work-based providers. All of Year 8 will also take part in site visits to local industries. This includes pre- and post-activities in school. A visit is organised, as well, to the Apprenticeship Show, Manchester, and promotion of all FE Apprenticeship events during Year 11. 14 Burnley Bondholders currently act as Year 11 mentors for some students as part of our Business Mentoring scheme.

 

Experiences of Workplaces

‘Your Future, Your Choice’ takes place in July of Year 10 and is a week-long, Burnley College based, employability conference which includes work place visits and work shadowing. All of Year 8 will take part in site visits to local industries and includes pre-and post -activities in school. We also currently have connections with the AMS, Neve, Warburtons, Veka, Safran-Nacelles, Futaba, Tenneco, Kaman, Tooling, Boohoo.com, Burnley College, Pendle Leisure, BCW, RPC Containers, Calico, 2BR, UK Fast, Williams, BMW, James’ Places, and Fagan & Whalley. This includes STEM enrichment with visits to AMS, Neve, and RPC Containers.

Our Encounters With Further & Higher Education (FE & HE) FE Taster days are attended by Year 10 & 11 and span across Burnley College and Nelson & Colne College as well as Thomas Whitham for our most able students. During their 5 years here at Shuttleworth, students will have the opportunity to have 2 Russell Group university visits, including taught sessions in school on, ‘What is university?’, ‘What could I study?’, ‘Where could I study?’, and ‘Planning for independent living’. We also offer careers fairs for Year 9 and 11 with FE presentations to inform students on the whole range of post-16 choices. FE staff are directed to stress how academic success links to future pathways, as well as training Form Tutors and Pastoral Leaders on FE and apprenticeship applications, including higher level apprenticeships. The Year 11 Careers Fair also includes an application and CV writing session supported by FE staff. Staff encourage the participation in the Young Engineers programme run by Burnley College, as well

 

Personal Guidance

During ‘Your Future, Your Choice’, all students undertake a mock interview and get verbal and written feedback. We also train Form Tutors and Pastoral Leaders on all the options available, so as best to advise pupils. Level 6 qualified staff are used during Year 11 application sessions and provide drop-in sessions during the second half-term, with individual sessions booked in for any student without an appropriate application in place. Shuttleworth staff are always available to help a guide with applications, including interview techniques.

 

Key contact

Mrs. Ackroyd
fackroyd@shuttleworth.lancs.sch.uk
01282 682300 Ext 11109

“The future depends on what you do today.”

Mahatma Gandhi