Careers Programme Information
School and Careers Staff
Heather Jones – SLT Link h.jones@holmfirthhigh.co.uk
Jon Battye – Careers Leader j.battye@holmfirthhigh.co.uk
John Paley – Independent Careers Advisor j.paley@holmfirthhigh.co.uk
Careers Programme
Holmfirth High School will deliver a comprehensive careers programme in order to raise expectations and aspirations; increasing the percentage of pupils that progress onto level 3 qualifications at post 16 each academic year, regardless of route. The programme will promote equality of opportunity, inclusion and diversity and challenge stereotypes and prepare young people for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of adult life.
For all pupils there is a clear progression framework.
- In year 7 pupils will understand their own skills, characteristics, and goals. Pupils will challenge stereotypes and be ambitious. Pupils will have employer encounters that support these aims.
- In year 8 pupils will increase their knowledge of labour market information. Pupils will have opportunities to discover more about the local and national economy. Pupils will take part in careers panels with representatives from industry to learn more about current job roles and how jobs will be evolving in the future. Pupils will take part in an Enterprise Day to make sense of their employability skills and characteristics.
- In year 9 pupils will become effective decision makers. Pupils will understand future progression pathways including GCSE Options, Further Education, Apprenticeships and Higher Education.
- To inspire pupils in year 10 to pursue sustainable and rewarding careers will use software to explore local labour market information and potential career interests. All pupils will have a mock job interview, an experience of at least one Post 16 Further Education or Training provider, attend at least one university, and will have an experience of working with employers (work experience week). Apprenticeship providers will deliver sessions to raise awareness of work based training and local opportunities.
- In year 11 we will prepare all pupils to transition to post 16 destinations. All pupils will have a careers guidance interview to explore their longer-term ambitions and possible routes to attain their goals. The Post 16 Fair will allow pupils, parents and carers to meet with Sixth Forms, Colleges, Training and Apprenticeship providers. All pupils will have completed a post 16 application by January 31st. Pupils will be offered the opportunity to join the National Citizens Service activities to help develop employability skills during the summer holidays.
Delivery of the taught careers programme is supported by external speakers and wider opportunities are offered as part of careers in the curriculum.
Through our programme, our pupils will be able to:
- Describe their strengths, goals and aspirations
- Recognise and challenge stereotypes
- Give examples of and discuss the skills required in different careers
- Show initiative and be enterprising
- Explain how they are benefitting as a learner of careers, employability and enterprise experiences
- Find relevant labour market information and know how/why it is useful
- Build personal networks of support
- Recognise the qualities and skills that they have demonstrated both in and out of school that will help to make them employable
- Demonstrate financial management of their own budgets
- Identify and systematically explore options open to them at a decision points
- Research and understand the range of further education and training opportunities available to them at post-16
- Prepare and present themselves well when going through a selection process
- Review and reflect on transition points to improve their change management
Year 11 Next Steps Booklet
Careers Snapshots
Please see below links to our Careers Snapshot booklets, this explains how subjects in school can boost your career, what skills you will develop, what jobs you can do with the subjects along with the sectors and companies you could work for. They also include what qualifications that are related to a subject with links to finding more information.
Parents
As part of national Careers Week 2025, please find the parent guide to post 16 education and careers. You can also ask your child to invite you to view their Morrisby profile where pupils log their career encounters and career aspirations.
If you would like to contribute to any of the events in our Careers programme please contact Jon Battye and Heather Jones.
How the school measures and assesses the impact of the careers programme on pupils
The school uses the below methods to track it’s effectiveness of its careers services:-
- Post-16 destination data
- Using the Morrisby platform to track pupil involvement in careers events in line with the Gatsby benchmarks
- Self-evaluation through the school’s development plan
- Pupil voice
Compass+ Evaluations:
Pupils
Please find the link to our pupils area below:
Careers Subjects
Please find the link to our careers subjects area below:
Year 11 Destinations
Information on where Year 11 leavers from individual secondary schools have progressed onto.
Finding Apprenticeships
The website to the right will direct you to the national apprenticeship vacancy service where you can search and apply for both local and national apprenticeship vacancies
The website to the right will allow you to view local apprenticeships across Calderdale and Kirklees
Wider Team
HELEN MAHONEY
Enterprise Coordinator
The Enterprise Coordinator (EC) will sit at the heart of a local cluster system to help schools and colleges improve their careers and enterprise activities and to engage with the world of work.
Working closely with the Skills Lead, the EC will ensure the Enterprise Adviser Network (EAN) is embedded into the Local Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP) skills strategy and make it easier for employers and the self-employed to engage with schools and colleges. Through establishing the local and national contexts the EC will focus everyone’s efforts on programmes and activities that are most effective in motivating young people, supporting independent choice, and supporting positive outcomes for young people.
RICHARD PAXMAN
Enterprise Adviser
Supported by an Enterprise Coordinator(EC), the Enterprise Adviser(EA) will work closely with the senior leadership team of a specific school or college to:
• Support the development of a whole school strategy for careers, enterprise and employer engagement
• Provide access to their local business networks
• Help schools and colleges to focus efforts on programmes and activities that are most effective in motivating young people, supporting independent choice, and supporting positive outcomes for young people
SCHOOL GOVERNOR OVERSEEING CAREERS
Anthony Short