Careers in Bloomfield Collegiate School

Introduction

Bloomfield Collegiate School understands that every pupil needs high-quality careers guidance that is future-focused and personalised to help them make informed decisions in a world of constantly changing patterns of work and education. Our pupils learn strategies that will equip them to plan and manage their learning and career pathways at and beyond school.

Careers Events

There are many careers events held throughout the year.

Previously, Year 11 pupils had fun making bracelets and the Year 8 pupils discovered that behind the scenes Bloomfield is more than just a school. Year 10 pupils attended an event around success skills as part of their Year 10 Futures Day where they learnt about the need to be flexible in order to be successful in the future world of work. This day finished with individual interviews for each pupil supported by their teachers. Another highlight was the Year 12 trip to the Titanic Tent where they attended the “Skills Event”.

Careers Period

Bloomfield Collegiate aims to facilitate pupils to develop the skills and confidence to make the most of their life choices and follow the career path that suits them best.

This will be delivered through the 6 strands of Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance; which are:

Careers education
Career Planning
Employability Skills
Work Related Learning
Careers Information
Careers advice and guidance

Our aim is that all pupils will:

Develop the appropriate skills to become effective career decision-makers.
Have a clear understanding of the impact of their education, training and employment choices. Making career choices that are informed, thoroughly researched, based on self-awareness, and show an understanding of the relevance of their education, skills and experience and an awareness of the opportunities and pathways available to them.
Be lifelong learners and be motivated to pursue continuous professional development to achieve their own potential, to become effective employees who will make a valuable contribution to the local economy.
Have developed information-handling skills and be aware of career opportunities locally, nationally and internationally.
Have developed the skills to plan their career, and manage planned and unplanned career change.
Have access to good quality careers education provision, up-to-date labour market information, and impartial careers information, advice and guidance, to assist them to make well informed career choices and to achieve their potential.
Have access to modern, inspiring, fit for purpose facilities to provide access to relevant information, up-to-date careers assessment tools and professional, impartial guidance and support as required.
Have the use of technology to support access to relevant online information, advice and guidance.

Departmental Aims

Aim 1: Self-Awareness and Development- identifying, assessing and developing the skills and qualities necessary to choose and implement an appropriate career plan.
Aim 2: Career Exploration – acquiring and evaluating information, and reviewing experiences to identify and investigate appropriate career pathways and learning opportunities in education, training and employment, locally, nationally and internationally.
Aim 3: Career Management – developing skills in career planning, and employing effective career decision-making strategies to manage transition and make suitable career development choices, with the appropriate support, advice and guidance.

Year 10

In Year 10, we have a dedicated, weekly careers period built into the timetable. Pupils start off reflecting on their skills and qualities – we undergo a process of identifying and learning how to nurture transferable skills. We begin to hone in on subjects or areas in which we excel and look at possible areas of further study and career pathways that are linked.

Pupils then move on to looking at the future using our ‘Step Ahead’ resources. They learn about the changing world of work, how important transferable skills are, how jobs and careers have changed radically over the last ten-twenty years. Finally, pupils carry out research tasks on different types of qualifications and different career pathways.

A large part of the Year 10 careers experience is GCSE subject choice. Pupils receive an individual interview with a careers teacher and with an external careers advisor. Subject choices take place in January/February time and there is a dedicated careers week in school in which subject teachers talk to Year 10 pupils about their subjects at GCSE. We particularly focus in on new subjects at GCSE that KS3 pupils won’t have had experience in. Year 10 pupils also create career plans – that they will continue to refine and develop in Year 11 and Year 12.

At BCS, we treat pupils as individuals. Therefore, as much as we can, we tailor GCSE pathway. By the end of Year 10, using academic progress tracking, we support pupils in studying either 8, 9 or 10 subjects at GCSE.

Year 10 pupils are exposed to guest speakers throughout the year: NI Careers Service, Belfast Met, local entrepreneurs, past pupils, HR employees – this is all designed to prepare pupils for post-16 schooling and life beyond school. BCS avails of the Young Enterprise programme – inspiring workshops to help develop transferable skills and learn about employability.

Year 10 finish off the academic year by creating CVs – an important life skill.