Paving the way to future employability Newstead Wood School Paving the way to future employability Case study: Year 12 Professional Placement Scheme Anthony Fitzgerald Director of Careers Guidance Ian Matheson Member of Parents Association - Careers Committee

School context Grammar school for girls (academy) with mixed sixth form in LB of Bromley Established Careers Education, Guidance & Work Experience Programme since the 80s 175 students in Year 12 (30% recruited from a whole range of mostly London schools) International Baccalaureate (IB) introduced 2010

Rationale “There is no such thing as a career path – it’s crazy paving and you have to lay it yourself” Robin Linnecar, Chairman of Praesta International

Main aim (1) To improve career management skills through the processes of: Researching Negotiating Planning Networking Communicating each student sets up their own placement

Main aim (2): To gain necessary Work Experience for vocational courses at University, e.g. Law Engineering Scientific Medical & related professions Media Veterinary Science Teaching

Main aim (3): To enable students to either ‘taste’ professions before applying for University and/or employment or undertake a community service placement (volunteering) To enhance business and economic awareness To build networks & professional confidence To reflect on and present about their experience to younger students

Three stage model Stage 1 Set up placement Stage 2 Go on placement Enrichment Week – 12th – 16th March 2012 Stage 3 Present to an audience about placement

Setting up a placement Information about scheme in summer 2011 prior to starting Year 12 (moodle resources) Guidance interviews with students recruited new into the Sixth Form in September 2011 Formal presentation in October including winning ways to set up placements, flexibility built in Ongoing support from careers staff and careers committee Strict deadlines: placement details need to be finalised by January 2012 at the latest– insurance checks

Go on placement In 2011.......... 149 of 175 students on placement during enrichment week Eight students on placement in Europe during February half-term in lieu of professional placement So what about the remaining 18?

Newstead Wood School

Present to an audience about your experiences Wednesday 21 March 2012 Y12 Presentation skills training Thursday 29 March 2012 Y12 Professional Placement presentations pd1 Y7 and 8 pd3 Y9 and 10 pd5 Y11

Innovations From 2012 scheme widened to include “service” placements (Academy, 100 hours of service & school ethos) Presentation skills development by professional trainer Presentations to younger students rather than to an invited audience: career information, learning from older students

Strengths of scheme Progression from WEX scheme in Year 10 Staged process  mutiple outcomes Close to London & Kent Labour Markets Optimal timing – HE choices / outside of summer Valued by students

Student Feedback Higher Education choices “got lots of inside information about investment banking, which firms recruit from which universities and preferences for degree courses” Career realism “it made me realise it is tough to progress as barrister and that school is actually not as tough and you really have to want it” Personal Development “I got fed up with looking for placements and wanted more leads from the school but in the end I am proud to say I set up my placement myself and appreciate now it can take a while”

Challenges Perception that scheme would be better in the summer term Ensuring every student has a personal motivation to do a placement i.e. 100% participation Placements more difficult to set up in current economic situation What more can we do to assist students to find placements?

Contact details Anthony Fitzgerald Director of Careers Guidance afitzgerald@newsteadwood.bromley.sch.uk Ian Matheson Parents Assocation ian@heavyliftpfi.com