CAREERS

Careers Team

Welcome to the Towers School and Sixth Form Centre Careers page.  

We take careers, employability and enterprise seriously to ensure that every student has all the information required to help them access their chosen future path.

Our Careers Programme is led by Mr Kevin Murray who is the school Careers Leader. 

Mr Murray can be contacted on  k.murray@towers.school or on 01233 634171 ext 243. 

Our Careers Policy can be read here 

Here at Towers School,  we are committed to implementing a careers programme that:

• Raises students’ aspirations and broadens their horizons.
• Inspires and empowers students to make informed, realistic decisions at key transition points in learning and work.
• Provides good quality independent and impartial careers advice to students which inspires and motivates them to fulfil their potential.
• Provides impartial advice and guidance which is in the best interests of the students.
• Develops enterprise and employability skills including skills for self-employment.
• Supports inclusion, challenges stereotyping and promotes equality of opportunity.
• Provides opportunities to work in partnership with employers, training providers, local colleges, universities and others.
• Inspires students through real-life contact with the world of work.
• Ensures that students are equipped with the skills and knowledge to investigate, research and enter their chosen professions.
• Supports students in making well-informed decisions by providing access to differentiated, impartial and independent information and guidance about the range of options (including academic, vocational, apprenticeships) that is most likely to help them achieve their ambitions.
• Helps students with decisions at crucial stages, informing them of all their options and introducing and preparing them to the world of work, whichever pathway they choose.

Who can support you with Careers advice at the Towers School? 

Alongside Mr Murray, there are a number of staff who support the Careers process.  

If you would like any more information please get in contact using the details listed below. 

Towers School Careers Programme

Information and options for students 

Towers students will have access to a range of careers support delivered through a variety of ways such as interactive workshops, drama productions, careers fairs, employer talks, guest speakers, business mentoring and trips to colleges and Universities. 

We work with the Careers and Enterprise Company who have assigned Towers School, two Enterprise advisors.  Details of these advisors can be found in our contacts list above. 

All students will have a one to one guidance appointment delivered by our careers adviser in Years 11 and 13.  Students and parents can request a guidance appointment at any time throughout their academic life and students will be offered support at key transition points such as Year 9 KS4/GCSE options, post 16 career planning, Employment, Apprenticeships and University.

For further information, please contact Kevin Murray by email k.murray@towers.school. 

Kevin Murray is the Registered Professional with the CDI (Careers Development Institute) and as such abides by their code of ethics ensuring that the guidance they give is impartial.

Options for students

All young people are required to continue in education or training until their 18th birthday. This does not have to mean staying in school.  Students can choose to study or train in any of the following ways:

• Stay on full-time in a school, college or with a training provider (many young people also do a part-time job alongside this).
• Work or volunteer full-time, together with part-time education or training.
• Take up an apprenticeship or traineeship.

What are Apprenticeships?

Apprenticeships combine practical training in a job with study. As an apprentice you’ll:

• work alongside experienced staff
• gain job-specific skills
• earn a wage and get holiday pay
• get time for study related to your role (usually one day a week)

Levels of apprenticeship

Apprenticeships have equivalent educational levels.

For more information on apprenticeships see here - http://www.apprenticeshipguide.co.uk/ 

Information for Employers

If you are an Employer and would like to support our Careers programme please contact us on

careers@towers.school

Employers can support us by;

• offering talks to students interested in a particular sector or area of industry
• delivering an assembly to students in a particular sector or area of industry to inform students about the world of work
• offering interview experience to sixth form students and younger year groups
• offering work experience
• linking with a relevant department in school and allowing visits to the workplace for a class, where it links with a topic being studied or coming in to speak to a class to bring real-world context to a particular topic and many more ways

More information can be found for employers in our Provider Access Policy - click here

Information for Parents

One of the best ways to support your child is to have regular conversations with them and discuss their aspirations for the future. Sometimes the choices and options available can feel bewildering and overwhelming, but a conversation allows you to work together to identify some options.

Useful websites to help support students and parents

General Careers advice 

https://www.allaboutcareers.com/ 

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/

http://www.thestudentroom.com

University Advice

http://www.ucas.com

http://university.which.co.uk/search/course (what to study, where to go and how to get there)

Advice on apprenticeships 

http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk

https://amazingapprenticeships.com/resources/

http://www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/ (the essential springboard into the job market for school and college leavers, plus information on apprenticeships and school leaver programme)

Sector Specific websites

NHS Careers - https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/, https://www.stepintothenhs.nhs.uk/ 

Civil Engineering - https://www.ice.org.uk/what-is-civil-engineering 

Sport - https://careers-in-sport.co.uk/

University and Employers that we work with

Careers Plan Summary 

Year 7 & 8 - The focus is about introducing careers and thinking about the vast number of careers and jobs available. This is achieved during daily reflection time, lead lessons, university visits, employers visiting the school and the use of the Unifrog software

Year 9 - The focus is self-assessment, identifying skills and future career paths. This is achieved during tutor time, lead lessons, university visits, employers visiting the school, the use of the Unifrog software and parent workshops for year 9 KS4 options. 

Year 10 – The main focus is to prepare for a weeks work placement in the summer term. Support is given during tutor time, lead lessons, the use of the Unifrog software, parent meetings and CV and mock interview workshops.

Year 11 - The focus is to investigate the knowledge and skills that people need at work and to find out about post-16 choices of education, training and apprenticeships. Support is via daily reflection time, lead lessons, the Unifrog software, parent meetings, producing a careers action plan, one to one/group sessions with a Careers Advisor and applying for post-16 options via the Kent Choices website.  

Sixth Form - The focus is on ensuring students are aware of the facilities and resources available within the school. Students produce a Careers Action Plan. Support is provided in daily reflection time, timetabled enrichment lessons, university and employer visits. CV and mock interview workshops. Work experience. 

The focus is post-18 options, UCAS Application process, School Leaver Programmes, Apprenticeships and Employment. Support is provided in daily reflection time, timetabled enrichment lessons, university and employer visits. CV and mock interview workshops. 

More information on our careers programme can be gathered from our Careers team from the contact list above. 

How do we measure and assess the impact of the careers programme?

The Careers program is evaluated using Compass+ - a Careers Benchmark Tool endorsed by the Career and Enterprise Company, which allows us to evaluate the careers activities offered against the eight Gatsby Benchmarks of best practice. In April 2023 we scored above the national average in all eight areas. The impact of the Careers programme on students will be measured via student surveys and forums. 

The next full review of published Careers information will take place in July 2024.