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    Careers Education

    Our Aim

    The aim of the careers provision at Cardinal Hume is consistent with the aims and values of our school, specifically ‘To prepare students for adult life and fit them for productive roles at work, in the community, at home and at leisure by providing them with the necessary knowledge, concepts, skills and attitudes’. We also aim to fulfil the Gatsby Benchmarks, that outline effective careers education, to help prepare our students for adult life.
    This web-page is designed for students, parents/carers and employers to access detailed information regarding all aspects of careers education at Cardinal Hume.

    Measuring the Impact of Careers Education at Cardinal Hume Catholic School

    The impact of careers education at Cardinal Hume Catholic School is measured in a number of ways, including:

    • Destinations of school leavers onto the next stages of their career journey are recorded and collated, including monitoring NEET figures in conjunction with Gateshead council CEIAG department.
    • Termly Compass+ evaluations carried out by Careers Leader in line with CEC guidelines.
    • Student evaluations of all activities, visits and trips including Y10/12 work experience are carried out to determine the impact and suitability for repeating.
    • Employer feedback is collected, recorded and analysed by Careers Leader to determine success of Y10 & Y12 students on work experience.
    • Student voice is utilised to determine the effectiveness of the careers IAG programme
    • Regular, planned IAG staff meetings discuss the effectiveness of the careers IAG programme.
    • Careers leader monitors work across curriculum areas to embed careers learning into the curriculum, including lesson observations of English, Maths and STEM subjects to ensure Gatsby benchmark 4 is fully met by the school curriculum.
    • Analysis of IDSR figures carried out by Careers Leader and SLT.

    Compass+ is a tool provided to school by the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) to help plan and evaluate the effectiveness of the careers programme against the Gatsby Benchmarks. A Compass evaluation is carried out towards the end of each term by the careers leader. Click on the link below to view the results of the last Compass evaluation for Cardinal Hume Catholic School that was carried out on 14/12/23.

    https://compass.careersandenterprise.co.uk/shared/Bs0eS25vJpqzm3P4aKLrafDWQBfxKORb

    The next evaluation is scheduled for Thursday 11th July 2024.

    Destinations of School Leavers

    Provider Access Legislation (PAL) formerly known as the Baker Clause

    In line with the Provider Access Legislation of January 2023 (formerly known as the Baker clause), Cardinal Hume Catholic School has the following policy for external training provider access to our students:

    Cardinal-Hume-Provider-Access-Policy-branded-May-2023.pdf (cardinalhume.com)

    A Structured Approach

    At Cardinal Hume Catholic School our strategy structures the approach to ensure the tools and resources offered to us are utilised to make the most effective progress:

    1. Utilise the Compass evaluation tool to honestly assess current capability and opportunities for pupils within our careers programme.
    2. Align and clearly communicate realistic and actionable focus areas across the school year.
    3. Engage the right resources, both within our school and across our partners, to maximize progress and impact via generously sharing and reapplying best practices.
    4. Capture specific activities in the ‘Careers Plan’ to document progress and engage all teaching staff
    5. Utilise the Unifrog software to enable each and every student to build a personal profile and document their personal need, interactions, activities and guidance.
    6. Systematically utilise the Compass evaluation tool to measure progress and report back to SLT and the board of governors on a regular and planned basis.

    Gatsby Benchmarks of Effective Careers Education

    In 2013 Sir John Holman was commissioned by the Gatsby Foundation to research what pragmatic actions could improve career guidance in England and subsequently developed 8 effective career guidance benchmarks.  In 2015 a national pilot was commissioned to test how focused action planning and activity can result in meaningful improvements in careers education. Following this positive pilot, a systematic national roll out and adoption of the benchmarks has started, being championed in our region by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NELEP) who are partnering Cardinal Hume along with  our dedicated Enterprise Advisor from the multinational corporation Proctor & Gamble, who offers a range of actionable material and training to enable progress in offering effective careers provision to students at Cardinal Hume. Increasingly the benefits and criticality of good career guidance is making a real difference in preparing our students for life after school, specifically within the world of employment.

    Meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks

    • Benchmark 1: A Stable Careers Programme

      Cardinal Hume has a stable, structured careers programme, that has the explicit backing of the senior leadership team and the school governors. An experienced and well qualified senior teacher was appointed as careers leader in 2019 with responsibility for managing the provision of careers education across the school.
      The careers programme is published on the school website to enable pupils, parents, teachers and employers to access and understand it. The programme is evaluated on a termly basis with feedback from pupils, parents, teachers and employers as part of the continual evaluation process.

    • Benchmark 2: Learning from Career and Labour Market Information

      Pupils, and their parents, have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They receive help from our qualified careers advisers to make the best use of available information.
      Within the IAG programme all pupils, by the end of year 9, will have accessed and used information about career paths and the labour market to inform their own decisions on study options.
      Parents  are encouraged to access and use information about labour markets and future study options via the ‘weduc’ system and parent information evenings, to inform and support their children’s decisions.

    • Benchmark 3: Addressing the Needs of Each Pupil

      At Cardinal Hume we acknowledge that pupils have differing needs at different stages of their careers guidance.  Opportunities for advice and support is tailored to the needs of each pupil. Our careers programme looks to embed equality and diversity considerations throughout it’s delivery, actively challenging stereotypical thinking and raising pupil aspirations.
      Systematic records are kept of individual advice given to each pupil and subsequent agreed decisions. All pupils are e-mailed a copy of these records to support their career development.
      The intended destinations of all school leavers are collated and recorded to ensure effective progression

    • Benchmark 4: Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

      Teachers at Cardinal Hume embed careers information into lessons by teaching about relevant career pathways and job roles within lessons.  For example, Maths teachers highlight the relevance of numeracy within careers such as Architecture, Games Design, Accountancy, Engineering and many more.  English teachers highlight how literacy skills are required across a wide range of careers such as Journalism, Law, Blogging, Creative Writing, Publishing and many more.

      All subject leaders have included how they meet this benchmark within their department development plans to ensure coverage across the entire curriculum.

    • Benchmark 5: Encounters with Employers and Employees

      Pupils receive multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. Within Cardinal Hume this is delivered through a range of enrichment opportunities including visiting speakers during IAG and lessons, mentoring, enterprise schemes, virtual events and trips to workplaces.

      Our aim is that each year,from year 7 onward, all pupils should participate in at least one encounter with an employer or employee to learn about what work is like or what it takes to be successful in the workplace.

    • Benchmark 6: Experience with Workplaces

      Every pupil at Cardinal Hume is given the opportunity of first-hand experience of a workplace through work visits, work shadowing and work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks.

      All pupils in year 10 are given the opportunity to embark on a work experience placement. This takes place in July during the final week of the summer term. In year 13 students are given a second opportunity for a work experience placement. Additional to this, students are encouraged to participate in virtual work experience in their own time, with many VWEX opportunities being shared with students via teams and e-mail.

      All work experiences’ are additional to any part-time jobs that pupils may already have.

    • Benchmark 7: Encounters with Further and Higher Education

      All pupils are made aware of the full range of learning  opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace. By the end of year 11, each pupil will have received an opportunity to explore what it is like to learn in a range of educational environments, including sixth form, college, university and apprenticeship providers. Additional guidance is given to students in Y10/11 by the North East University Collaboration Programme (NEUCP) during IAG sessions.
      By the end of year 13, all pupils who are considering applying for university will have had at least two visits to universities to meet staff and pupils. Any students considering applying for apprenticeships after sixth form are provided with advice and guidance on how to achieve this. Training providers are encouraged to send apprenticeship opportunities to the school, that are forwarded to students so that they can apply if interested.

    • Benchmark 8: Personal Guidance

      Every year 11 pupil at Cardinal Hume receives an impartial guidance interview with a level 6 qualified Careers Adviser and receives an individual action plan tailored to meet their specific careers aspirations. A second interview is provided in year 13 to further explore pupils individual needs, which may have changed significantly since year 11. The advice and guidance they receive reflect these changes. Students intended destinations are discussed at length with them during these sessions to ensure they have a suitable plan in place for their future progression.

    1-2-1 Careers Advice

    In line with Gatsby benchmark 8, all students at Cardinal Hume receive careers interviews in year 11 and again in year 13 to ensure they receive the correct information to inform their careers decisions whatever pathway they decide to follow. All advice is given by a qualified careers advisor and is impartial to give students a balanced and informed perspective of their options at the end of key stages 4 and 5.

    Careers IAG Programme

    • Year 7 - Positive Character Attributes for Employability

      Session 1 – Character attributes/Raising Aspirations

      Session 2 – Challenging Gender Stereotypes within Careers

      Session 3 – World of Work Employer Encounters

      Session 4 – Introduction to Unifrog 1 – Personality & Interests Profiling

      Session 5 – Introduction to Unifrog 2 – Investigating careers linked to personality and interests profile

    • Year 8 - Raising Aspirations for Employability

      Session 1 – Raising Aspirations – HE/Future Careers

      Session 2 – Employability Skills & Aspirations 1

      Session 3 – Employability Skills & Aspirations 2

      Session 4 – Discovering Your Personality

      Session 5 – Career Pathways

    • Year 9 - Careers Planning - KS4 Options

      Session 1 – Options Introduction – Pathways to Careers

      Session 2 – NE University Connect Programme – ‘The Choice is Mine’

      Session 3 – Career Pathways & Labour Market Information 1 – Unifrog

      Session 4 – Career Pathways & Labour Market Information 2

      Session 5 – Employer Encounters

    • Y10 - Preparation for Work Experience

      Session 1 – Career Pathways & Labour Market Information – Unifrog

      Session 2 – Are you job ready?

      Session 3 – Preparation for Work Experience 1 – ‘How to contact employers’

      Session 4 – Preparation for Work Experience 2 – ‘H&S and how to behave on work experience’

      Session 5 – NE University Connect Programme – ‘What If – Work Experience?’

    • Y11 - Post 16 Options - Pathways

      Session 1 – Life in Sixth Form at Cardinal Hume

      Session 2 – College, Apprenticeships and Other Options

      Session 3 – NE University Programme – ‘What if HE?’

      Session 4 – NE University Programme – ‘Apprenticeships Explained’

      Session 5 – Recording Initial Intended Destinations

    Work Experience - (Year 10 & Year 12)

    https://www.unifrog.org/teacher/resources/shared/know-how-how-to-use-the-placements-tool

    UCAS Degree Apprenticeship Finder - Y13

    UCAS and the DfE have developed a new resource on the UCAS website for students to find degree and higher level apprenticeships more easily. Any Y13 students looking for degree level or higher level apprenticeships can use the link below to find a vacancy that they would like to apply for. It is strongly recommended that students still continue to apply for university courses through UCAS website in the normal way, to keep all of their post 18 options open to themselves.

    https://careerfinder.ucas.com/jobs/apprenticeship/

    Unifrog - Student Guides

    • Unifrog - Careers Platform

      Unifrog is the chosen careers platform at Cardinal Hume. Use Unifrog to search for info on careers and job roles, record activities & competencies and much more…..

      Click to sign in to Unifrog

    • Careers & Enterprise Company

      The national body for careers education in England, delivering support to schools and colleges to deliver modern, 21st century careers education.

      Click to visit CEC homepage.

    • Amazing Apprenticeships

      Amazing Apprenticeships are a leading organisation in the education sector, founded to tackle misconceptions about apprenticeships and promote the benefits.

      Click for info on Apprenticeships

    • Apply for an Apprenticeship

      Use the government website to create an account and search for an apprenticeships suited to your own needs. Enter your postcode to find vacancies local to you.

      Click to search apprenticeships

    Labour Market Information (LMI)

    Labour market information (LMI) helps us to understand employment in different sectors, occupations, wage levels and the skills/qualifications needed for these jobs. Students should explore a variety of LMI and resources, including what data is available and how they can use it to support with their career guidance planning and inform their understanding of the North East economy. LMI information is widely available to students on the Unifrog platform for each of the job roles in the careers library section.

    For a more detailed guide to LMI and the importance of it to young people use the link below to access the web page of North East Ambition:

    Click here: Labour Market Information – North East Ambition

    External Partners of Cardinal Hume Catholic School

    The following companies and organisations are current active partners of Cardinal Hume Catholic School to aid the provision of careers education. We are always looking to extend this list and welcome any external contacts who are interested in partnering the school to assist with the delivery of our careers programme.

    • Proctor & Gamble
    • North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NELEP)
    • Deloitte
    • St James’ Place Wealth Management
    • Building Self Belief
    • Atomhawk Design
    • Mawson Kerr Architects
    • Edable Architecture
    • Virgin Money
    • National Association of Women in Construction
    • Hays Travel
    • Unipres
    • Essity
    • Nissan UK
    • British Army
    • RAF
    • SETA
    • NHS
    • TClarke
    • KPMG
    • Ben Hoare Bell LLP
    • Zenith Training
    • Ernst Young
    • Gateshead College
    • Newcastle College
    • Newcastle University
    • Durham University
    • University of Sunderland
    • Loughborough University
    • Northumbria Police
    • Smallpiece Trust- Arkwright Foundation Engineering Scholarships

    Engineering Success: EDT Industrial Cadets Gold Award

    Five Y12 A level Design & Technology students have completed the Industrial Cadets Gold Award, a prestigious STEM award ran by the Engineering Development Trust (EDT). The students worked in conjunction with TechnipFMC who produce control umbilical’s for the offshore and subsea oil and gas sector. The students successfully passed the award and impressed the assessors with their innovative method of joining underwater hydraulic tubing.

    National Careers Week 2024

    To celebrate and mark National Careers Week 2024 there was a range of activities taking place across the school. Each subject area has been embedding careers activities into lessons to allow students to see where the different subjects can lead to. Careers based activities were also provided for tutor time sessions including a house competition careers quiz that students fully enjoyed.

    Inspire the Future Careers Event

    The highlight of NCW was our major careers event ‘Inspire the Future’ that was held in the atrium on the Wednesday of NCW, when we were joined by more than thirty representatives from a wide range of business, professions and services.  The evening included networking at the many stalls in the Atrium as well as public presentations  from delegates, as detailed below:

    1. Careers in Business & Finance – Paul Whittle, Associate Partner, St James Place
    2. Careers in Science – Rhys Jones, Research & Development Manager, Proctor & Gamble
    3. Careers within Medicine – Dr Alex McCulla, Surgeon in Training, Gateshead NHS Trust
    4. Moving Away from Home for University – Louise Biddle, Loughborough University
    5. Finding Employment – Steven Tough, Job Centre Plus
    6. Higher & Degree Level Apprenticeships – Donna Mills, ASK Programme, BL-Training
    7. Higher Education – Brandon Lewis, University of Sunderland
    8. Careers within Law – Sarah Purkis & Lauren Taylor
    9. Professional Services Careers – George Gardner, KPMG
    10. Careers within the Digital Sector- Darren Yeomans, Studio Director, Atomhawk Games
    11. Careers in Engineering – Mark Horner, Essity ltd
    12. PlanBEE route into Architecture – Scott Brown, Gateshead College
    13. Careers in Engineering Manufacturing – Lois Heywood, Nissan UK
    14. Studying at Gateshead College – Scott Brown, Gateshead College
    15. Careers within Finance & Banking – Jo Edwards, Virgin Money plc

    I would like to thank each and every one of their staff who gave up their valuable time to help inspire our students in considering their future careers.

    Mr M Stobbs

    Leadership of Careers & Character Education

    Inspire the Future Careers Event - Wednesday 6th March 2024

    National Apprenticeship Show - Utilita Arena, Newcastle, 21st/22nd Nov '23

    Mr M Stobbs

    During November 2023, 35 Y13 students and 65 Y11 students attended the National Apprenticeship Show at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle upon Tyne. With over 50 employer stands that offered an insight into their company and the relevant employment sectors the students gained a host of valuable skills and knowledge concerning the various levels of apprenticeships. Interactive activities gave the students an enjoyable experience and insight into all types of apprenticeships, from intermediate all the way up to degree level apprenticeships.

    Mr M Stobbs
    Leadership of Careers and Character Education

    • Read More

      The event was a huge success, with students coming away (as usual) with bags of goodies and a new found understanding of the opportunities that apprenticeships can offer young people. I would like to thank Junior Saunders and his team at NAS Events Ltd for arranging the show and inviting the school.

    National Apprenticeship Show 2023

    Y12 Employability Programme

    Mr M Stobbs

    Year 12 students from Cardinal Hume Catholic School have participated in three employability programmes in consecutive years in conjunction with the charity 'Building Self-Belief' who work with schools across the region to improve students well-being while also building their self-belief. The aim of these employability programmes is to bridge the gap between education and employment, building students skills and awareness of recruitment processes across a range of employment sectors.

    During the programme, our students have visited the business premises of Haines Watts, Jump Marketing, TTM Management and Sol-stock Photography. They have taken part in mock interviews, spoken with employers and employees about recruitment processes and career progression , carried out a mock marketing project including setting up a photoshoot using professional equipment. Students have also visited Newcastle and Leeds Beckett Universities to hear about life as an undergraduate at university.

    Each group of students also attend 10 workshops run by BSB within school focusing on skills such as creating CVs, the importance of social media profiles, developing ICT skills for the workplace and how to develop their presentation skills. The programmes culminate in students giving presentations on the benefits that they have gained from the programme, to parents, members of the school leadership team and employees of companies involved in the programme.

    BSB also take the students on a team building and confidence boosting outdoor activity such as gorge walking, kayaking or paddle boarding.

    Mr M Stobbs
    Leadership of Careers and Character Education

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      Cardinal Hume would like to thank the staff involved from Building Self Belief, and all of the companies that have given up their valuable time to help support the careers education of Cardinal Hume Students through this programme.

    Building Self Belief: Y12 Employability Programme

    Army Youth Challenge Days - Albemarle Barracks

    Mr M Stobbs

    As part of the personal development and careers awareness for Y9 students the school have worked with the British Army at Albemarle Barracks, Northumberland, taking part in their Army Youth Challenge Course on a number of occasions.

    Mr M Stobbs
    Leadership of Careers & Character Education

    • Read More

      On the days, students take part in a range of problem-solving activities to develop teamwork, communication, resilience, and personal fitness. The days are always very well received and thoroughly enjoyed by all staff and students who have taken part. The soldiers of the 4th Light Infantry Regiment were incredibly impressed by the positive attitude and behaviour of the students from Cardinal Hume, many of them commented that they were the “best students they can remember having on the course.” A big thank you to Major Robert Humphries and his staff of the 4th Light Infantry Regiment for organising and running an excellent day for our students.

    Army Youth Challenge Days - Albemarle Barracks

    Ethan, Head Prefect 2021/22 lands prestigious ICE QUEST Scholarship

    Mr M Stobbs

    Congratulations to Ethan Matuki, Head Prefect at Cardinal Hume for 2021/22 academic year after he has been successful in gaining the prestigious QUEST Scholarship with the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE). The scholarship provides Ethan with significant financial support throughout his studies at university and more importantly gives Ethan a guaranteed position with his sponsor company, including a hefty signing on fee, after he completes his degree at university. Ethans sponsor company is the major construction company Galliford Try. The scholarship is testament to the positive attitude and commitment to his studies exhibited by Ethan throughout his time at Cardinal Hume. We would like to take this opportunity to wish Ethan the greatest of success in his future career within the world of civil engineering and to thank him for his excellent service to Cardinal Hume Catholic School as Head Prefect.

    Mr M Stobbs
    Leadership of Careers & Character Education

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      Any year 13 students wanting more information on applying for the ICE Quest Scholarship can see Mr Stobbs in school.

    Arkwright Scholarship with Smallpiece Trust

    Mr M Stobbs

    Georgina has been successful in being the first female student from Cardinal Hume to secure an Arkwright Engineering Scholarship which is the most prestigious scholarship scheme of its type in the UK. To achieve this award Georgina had to undergo and pass a rigorous external selection process, aimed at selecting only the highest-calibre students after she applied in Year 11, passing a tough exam and submitting examples of his Design & Technology coursework within the application. Through the Arkwright Engineering Scholarships programme, the Smallpiece Trust identify, inspire and nurture future leaders in Engineering and technical design. Every Arkwright Engineering Scholarship is sponsored by an industrial company, professional institution or personal donor.

    Mr M Stobbs
    Leadership of Careers & Character Education

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      Cardinal Hume became an accredited Arkwright School in 2019.

    Arkwright Scholarship with Smallpiece Trust

    Mr M Stobbs

    Cardinal Hume became an accredited Arkwright School in 2019. Luke from year 12 has been successful in being the first student from Cardinal Hume to secure an Arkwright Engineering Scholarship which is the most prestigious scholarship scheme of its type in the UK. To achieve this award Luke had to undergo and pass a rigorous external selection process, aimed at selecting only the highest-calibre students after he applied in Year 11, passing a tough exam and submitting examples of his Design & Technology coursework within the application.

    Through the Arkwright Engineering Scholarships programme, the Smallpiece Trust identify, inspire and nurture future leaders in Engineering and technical design. Every Arkwright Engineering Scholarship is sponsored by an industrial company, professional institution or personal donor. Luke is being sponsored by The Reece Foundation who are dedicated to supporting the development of future engineers within the North East.

    Mr M Stobbs
    Leadership of Careers and Character Education

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      Any Y11 students wishing to apply for the Arkwright Scholarship can see Mr Stobbs for details.

    Year 7 World of Work Event

    Mr M Stobbs

    Year 7 students received a range of presentations from the following people giving an insight into each of their career journeys, the multitude of opportunities that their sector provides and the various pathways into them.
    Neil Rooney, Senior Design Engineer, Elekta - Design, installation and maintenance of medical facilities for the treatment of cancer
    Catherine Cassley - Learning and Development Officer, Gateshead NHS Foundation Trust - Medical and non-medical job roles within the NHS
    Sophie Clare - Senior Project Manager, Mott McDonald - Engineering solutions
    Sophie Harold - Digital Marketing & Matthew Thomas - Digital Journalism, Allies Group - How digital journalism and marketing shapes society
    Rhys Jones - Research & Development Manager, Proctor & Gamble - The variety of scientific and non-scientific job roles within a multi-national corporation such as P&G
    Charlotte Knill - Northumbria Police Cyber Investigation Team - How police monitor and protect against cyber crimes.
    Megan Groom - Trainee Engineer, Castle Building Services - Pathways into construction industry
    PC Callum Richards - Northumbria Police - The exciting and varied role of the modern police constable

    Mr M Stobbs
    Leadership of Careers and Character Education

    • Read More

      I would like to thank all of the above for taking their time out from busy working lives to share their stories. Each presentation was outstanding and well received by year 7 students, with fantastic feedback on how much they enjoyed the event.

      It was great to see two of our Cardinal Hume Alumni, Neil Rooney and Callum Richards returning to school to share their career journeys with the students.

    Surveying Day with Geo-Sciences Department of Newcastle University

    Careers Team

    Cardinal Hume
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    Cardinal Hume Catholic School
    Old Durham Road,
    Gateshead,
    NE9 6RZ

    Tel: 0191 487 7638
    Fax: 0191 482 4421
    Email: info@chs.bwcet.com

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