Careers guidance at the Hospital Education Service - Print version

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Introduction 

Our vision for Careers Guidance at the Hospital Education Service is to provide a comprehensive and progressive programme that provides effective careers information,advice and guidance for all students. We challenge ourselves as a service to go above and beyond for our pupils to find the setting that is suited to them and meets their needs. We believe that giving students the correct careers education and guidance can improve their motivation to learn and help them to achieve.

Careers lead contact information

Asif Takolia
Email: asif.takolia@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:asif.takolia@coventry.gov.uk]
Telephone: 024 76 978796

Note: The contact information is for pupils registered with the Hospital Education Service. 

Gatsby principles

At the Hospital Education Service we use the Gatsby benchmarks and the careers and enterprise company tracker tool kit to assist in providing the best possible outcomes for our students. A stable careers programme.

  1. Learning from career and labour market information
  2. Addressing the needs of each pupil
  3. Linking curriculum learning to careers
  4. Encounters with employers and employees
  5. Experiences of workplaces
  6. Encounters with further and higher education
  7. Personal guidance

Independent careers advice

The school has brought in the Prospects service, to complement other careers education provided through PSHE lessons and tutor times. The Prospects advisers will meet pupils regularly and provide impartial advice and guidance for options post 16. Pupils can also request a meeting with a careers adviser via Mr Takolia if they require additional assistance. 

Our careers adviser from Prospects is Sheree Portus. 

Key Stage 4

A full programme of interviews with our Prospects adviser will be conducted throughout the year and pupils based permanently at Whitmore Park Annexe and on home tuition will have access to an adviser. The data collected from interviews, combined with information about proposed destinations obtained from all students, results in a clear picture about post-16 intentions for Year 11. Any pupils with an EHCP (Education and Health Care Plan) will also receive careers guidance at their annual review. 

PSHE 

All pupils studying at Whitmore Park Annexe will have careers education as part of their PSHE lessons. We follow a tailored curriculum allowing pupils to explore careers alongside finance education to give a realistic view of options after school. This topic is delivered in the Spring term. 

Visits and open days 

Throughout the year we will visit different employers and further education establishments to give pupils a better insight into the world of work and further education.

We regularly visit the following organisations:

Employer visits

  • Belgrade Theatre
  • Coventry Central Library
  • BBC Coventry and Warwickshire
  • Amazon BHX4
  • Coventry City Council 

Further Education

  • Coventry College
  • Warwickshire College Group
  • Coventry Adult Education Service 

On Demand

  • BIMM - British and Irish Modern Music 
  • BOA - Birmingham Ormiston Academy
  • Hereward College Coventry

Career exploration, information, progression and links

Feedback

We value feedback from pupils, parents, employers and other partner agencies on our careers programme. If you are interested please email Mr Takolia using the contact details above. 

Key Documents

Careers advice

At the Hospital Education Service, high quality, impartial careers guidance helps pupils to make informed choices about which courses suit their academic needs and aspirations. We work alongside pupils to see they are prepared for the next stage of their education, employment, self-employment or training. This starts once pupils are referred to us and we work closely with families through to leaving us in Year 11. 

We have commissioned Prospects to offer pupils Careers Advice throughout the Academic year. Appointments will be arranged for pupils termly as part of the school Careers Calendar and are able to request a meeting if needed. Our Careers Advisor Sheree Portus has experience of educational, employment and training settings across the Midlands. 

Application for provider access

This page sets out the school’s arrangements for managing the access of providers to pupils at the school for the purpose of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.

Pupil entitlement

All pupils in years 7-11 are entitled:

  • to find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers programme that provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point;
  • to hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through options events, assemblies and group discussions and taster events;
  • to understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.

Management of provider access requests procedure

A provider wishing to request access should contact Mr Takolia

Telephone: 024 7697 8796

Email: asif.takolia@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:asif.takolia@coventry.gov.uk]

Opportunities for access

The school offers a comprehensive careers education, information, advice and guidance programme.

Please speak to our careers advisor to identify the most suitable opportunity for you.

The school will make a suitable space available for discussions between the provider and students, as appropriate to the activity. The school will also make available ICT and other specialist equipment to support provider presentations. This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the careers advisor or a member of their team.

Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature with the careers advisor so that they can be displayed in schools for pupils and parents to access. 

For further information, please see our Provider Access Policy [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/35198/provider-access-policy]

Destinations data

The pupils at the Hospital Education Service have gone on to a wide range of careers in the past. The majority of our year 11 pupils have progressed to further education, training or apprenticeship.  We are proud to offer a tailored approach to ensure that pupils are accessing a provider that is suited to them. 

All young people are required to stay in some form of education or training until the age of 18.  Whilst A Levels can lead to a broad range of opportunities for both higher education and employment, it may be that some students prefer to embark on more specialised, vocational courses at local colleges or even apprenticeships for their post 16 studies.

Knowing where to find the right course for your child is vital, below are some useful links which may help to point you in the right direction.  So far this academic year 2022-2023 we have had talks from Coventry College, Warwickshire College Group and the Apprenticeship Team. 

Over the last few years pupils from Hospital Education Service have moved to:

We are fortunate that Coventry has an array of options for pupils to choose from and great transport links. We have forged excellent relationships with both colleges in the city and the wider region so there is plenty of choice for those that wish to remain close to home when they leave school.

Every year we arrange personalised visits to different providers to gain a better understanding of the education offers available to them. Parents/guardians will be contacted with further information regarding the visits. 

LMI - Labour Market Information

What is Labour Market Information (LMI)? 

LMI is information about the world of work. It includes information such as descriptions of jobs, the skills and qualifications needed for particular jobs and average salaries. LMI also looks at trends in the labour market in terms of which sectors and industries are in demand, which are in decline and which are expected to grow in future. All students and parents should have access to high-quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. We encourage families to access and use Labour Market information (LMI) to support their children in making choices about their futures.

Labour market information is important as it tells you;

  • What jobs and skills employers are looking for
  • Which industries have vacancies and where they are
  • What education and training you need for a specific job
  • Which job areas are growing in the future, which are in decline and other statistics in their career choices and decisions.

The Infographic below gives an overview of LMI for Coventry and Warwickshire.   There is also a PowerBI dashboard [https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiY2Y5NjhlNGQtOTEzYS00ODcyLTlkYmQtNmU0MjUzMWFjMDI5IiwidCI6ImNhM2RjZDRiLTRiNDUtNGUyMi1iODFhLWQ5NjMzZDVhOGM5ZSJ9] produced by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership. 

Key Information Guides

LMI Information Parent and Student Guide - Coventry and Warwickshire [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/42023/labour-market-information-2023]

LMI Information Poster [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/42024/lmi-information-poster-coventry-updated-2022]

If you require any further information regarding Labour Market Information, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Takolia. 

Employer information

Employers and businesses

Careers Leader information

Mr Asif Takolia - Careers Leader asif.takolia@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:asif.takolia@coventry.gov.uk]

Why support us? 

Engaging with employers helps to inspire our pupils and prepare them for the fast-changing world of work. Research shows that if a pupil has more encounters with employers, they are less likely to become NEET (not in education, employment or training).

We really value the help and support of employers and businesses to help raise our students’ aspirations and ensure they are better prepared for a successful future. It is our aim to provide encounters with employers and employees and experiences of the workplace, as set out below:

Gatsby Benchmark 5: Encounters with Employers and Employees

  • To ensure that students receive at least ONE meaningful encounter with an employer during every year they are at school.
  • Increase the number of activities which are conducted within school with the support of local employers and parents.
  • To ensure that students have the opportunity to improve employability skills and their understanding of and awareness of entrepreneurship
  • To enable learners to gain the confidence to compete in the labour market by providing opportunities to gain the practical know-how and attributes that are relevant to gaining employment.
  • Develop marketing materials for employers which will help them easily understand the impact of their involvement, the breadth of options available to them and the ways in which they can show they meet their corporate social responsibility.
  • Create mechanisms where parents and alumni can express their interest to actively support employer related activity taking place within the school.

Gatsby Benchmark 6: Experiences of the workplace

  • To ensure that students receive at least ONE meaningful experience of the workplace by the end of year 11
  • To increase the number of employer workplace visits which will take place to enable students to gain more of an understanding of the wide range of employment opportunities available within specific industry sectors

Can you support?

  • Work Experience for Year 10
  • Industry Insight visits
  • Talks and presentations to groups of students
  • Support with interview practice and CV writing 

How can you help?

We appreciate that your time is precious and you will have a very busy and hectic work schedule. Please see below a variety of ways you can become involved in our careers programme. Any way you can engage is extremely valuable to us.

Please note that we are always on the lookout for new ideas and are open to suggestions.

  • Careers talks
  • Employability Skills Workshops.
  • CV Workshops and Interview Preparation.
  • Careers Fair – Autumn Term (around October).
  • Site visits – provide the opportunity for pupils to experience the workplace.
  • Workshops/Challenges/Projects – careers related.
  • Financial advice workshops.
  • Numeracy week (May) – guest speakers in assembly or delivering a workshop around the topic of numeracy in the workplace.
  • Mentoring - Supporting pupils going into your industry with visits/talks on being a successful employee

We look forward to hearing from you. 

Provider Access

Provider Access Legislation (PAL) Policy Statement

Access for colleges, training providers, university technical colleges, universities and all other post 16 providers, including technical, vocational, academic routes and apprenticeships as well as traineeships and supported internships

Here at the Hospital Education Service we are proud of the professional relationships that we have with employers, training providers, colleges, sixth forms and universities. 

We recognise the importance of students across all year groups having full access to these providers throughout their time at school in to have enough information to make a well informed and realistic decision about their future. We welcome external providers coming into school to impart this information to our students and operate under the guidance principles of true impartiality.  We also fully recognise and are committed to the student entitlement updated Provider Access Legislation applying to Year 8 and onwards. This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.

Student Entitlement – All students in Year 8 to 13 are entitled…

  • to find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point;
  • to hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships as well as academic and other vocational routes – through options events, assemblies and enrichment events.
  • to understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.

In line with the updated Provider Access Legislation, from January 2023, all schools must provide a minimum of six encounters for all students with post 16 providers, as above. This is broken down into key phases:

  • 1st key phase: Year 8 or 9 - Two encounters for students that are mandatory for all to attend
  • 2nd key phase: Year 10 or 11 - Two encounters for students that are mandatory for all to attend

These provider encounters will be scheduled during the main school hours and the provider will be given a reasonable amount of time to, as a minimum:

  • share information about both the provider and the approved technical education qualification and apprenticeships that the provider offers
  • explain what career routes those options could lead to
  • provide insights into what it might be like to learn or train with that provider (including the opportunity to meet staff and students from the provider)
  • answer questions from all students, including our most able, our most vulnerable and those with additional learning needs

Partnership Working

As part of our careers programme, we will consider requests from approved training, apprenticeship, technical and vocational education providers, including University Technical Colleges to speak to our students. We will also approach these providers directly when planning and organising key career related events throughout the school year such as school assemblies, curriculum lessons, enrichment events and post 16/18 options fayres.

The quality and impact of careers provision at the Hospital Education Service is monitored by our Senior Leadership Team. Access and opportunity to engage with technical, vocational and training providers will form part of this process.

Management of Provider Access Requests

In the first instance, requests by providers should be sent to the following email address: asif.takolia@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:asif.takolia@coventry.gov.uk]

The request should include:

  • The proposal format, timings and duration of the request;
  • The number of staff from your organisation who propose to visit;
  • Any support requirements of the school.

All requests will be considered on the basis of:

  • Clashes with other planned activity, trips or visits to the School;
  • Interruption to preparation for examinations;
  • Availability of School staff, space and resources to host the activity.

The Hospital Education Services at its discretion, may refuse a request if it would be likely to be detrimental to the safety or wellbeing of children or staff, or if granting the request would be likely to bring the school into disrepute.

If a request is granted, the provider will have access to:

  • A room within the school
  • Audio-visual equipment, including a laptop, projector or interactive whiteboard;
  • Stationary as required;
  • At least one member of school staff.

Alumni

If you’re a former student of the Hospital Education Service, we want to hear from you!

Your experiences since leaving could help to motivate and inspire our students to feel more confident in making decisions about their future. We’d love you to join our alumni network and stay connected with the school.

We are looking to run a series of events throughout the academic year to improve students’ knowledge of the world of work. Perhaps you could help? You could act as a career and education role model, help us secure interesting work experience placements for our students, help with donations, fundraising or even come into school to talk to the students about your journey.

It doesn’t matter when you left us, we are interested in sharing your success story. Whether you’re in further education or employment, you still live nearby or have moved further away, we would love to feature you in our HES Alumni.

If you are interested in contributing to the school community such as through mentoring of individuals or groups of students, providing career talks, establishing work experience links, supporting students in developing their presentational skills and interview skills please contact Mr Takolia (asif.takolia@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:asif.takolia@coventry.gov.uk]) 

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