Careers
The aim of Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance at Harris Academy Chobham is to ensure that students who study here are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment.
Click HERE to view our Careers Delivery Plan 2024-25. If pupils, parents, teachers and employers would like to find out more about our work experience programme, please visit the Inspire website here: https://www.inspire-ebp.org.uk/secondary/.
Our Careers Policy and Provider Access Policy can be downloaded from our Teaching & Learning page.
We focus on the following benchmarks to ensure that students receive good career guidance:
1. A stable careers programme
2. Learning from career and labour market information
3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
5. Encounters with employers and employees
6. Experiences of workplaces
7. Encounters with further and higher education
8. Personal guidance
The Careers Leader at the Academy is Ms Jen Stephens. Ms Stephens can be contacted via email J.stephens@chobhamacademy.org.uk or via the main academy reception on 0203 747 6060.
Preparation for the future
Careers Advisor
Students at Chobham Academy can work with a highly experienced Careers Advisor, Ann Evans.
Ann is part of the Harris Federation Careers Advisor team and works across the Federation's Academies. She offers bespoke and personalised careers guidance and advice. Students across year groups have access to her advice, either through 1:1 interview, group interviews, assemblies, our tutor programme or a lunch-time drop in clinic.
UNIFROG
All our students and parents have access to UNIFROG.
Unifrog provides students with all the information they need to make important decisions about future careers and the subjects, courses and training available to help them attain their career destination. For those unsure of what careers to pursue, Unifrog provides suggestions based on an individual’s interests. Students can also discover what careers their chosen subjects can lead to.
Microsoft (MS) Teams Careers Channel
To keep students up-to-date with all career opportunities on offer, we have a dedicated careers channel attached to their year group on MS Teams. We share weekly updates about labour market information, work experience opportunities, webinars and all things careers.
Work experience – Year 10 and Year 12
We invest heavily in ensuring our year 10 and year 12 students have a useful and enriching work experience opportunity. We partner with an external organisation,Inspire,to facilitate work experience for all of our students.
Chobham students are given the choice to select from a range of industries on an online portal linked to their personal interests and ambitions. We also cater for 'self-find' choice where students have the option to source their own work experience using personal networks.
We run a careers networking event where industry experts speak to our students about their own workforce experiences and make links to help with the work experience process. We find that exposure to different types of jobs allows Chobham students to explore potential career interests and gain insights into various industries. This helps them make more informed decisions about their future education and career pathways.
Careers room
Our school’s careers room is a dedicated space where students can explore their future pathways and receive expert advice. With resident careers advisor Ann Evans available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, students have access to personalised guidance on a range of career and education opportunities.
Drop-in sessions are also held every Thursday lunchtime, allowing students to seek advice in a more informal setting. The room is equipped with computers for accessing Unifrog, a comprehensive platform for exploring universities, apprenticeships, and careers. Students can also find up-to-date labour market information and tailored support, ensuring they are well-informed and prepared for their next steps.
Career Networking Event
The Career Networking Event involves a range of employees from various industries volunteering their time to discuss their own careers and employment pathways. Students can talk to them about their experiences and gain insider tips and insights into pathways they may or may not have considered previously. Feedback from both students and professionals indicated that this was an enjoyable and informative day for all involved. The next event will take place in July 2025.
Aleandro Year 12:
“This event has really inspired me as it has given me a better and more focused idea of what I want to do in future. I spoke with ITV about how important it is to make decisions now and it has really got me thinking about alternative pathways such as apprenticeships. We also spoke about how important it is to pursue a career that makes you happy and that’s what I want to do”.
Sarah Whitaker – Global Events
“I wish that there had been events like this when I was their age. I am so impressed by how focused they all are. The students are so passionate and they have really made me think today about what more my company can offer young people and the skills that we can help them to develop”.
Community Careers Event
Each year, we host a Community Careers Fair at the academy, where we connect with local businesses, employers, and educational providers. This event offers valuable insights into career pathways, future employment opportunities, and training resources for our community.
How can parents and carers help?
We are always looking to generate opportunities for our students, so they are better equipped to enter their chosen future pathways. Can you, or do you know someone, who could support with our work-related learning programme of events this coming year? This could be help with work experience, career talks, networking events, mock interviews or any other support that would be of value to students. If so, please contact us either via email at info@chobhamacademy.org.uk or call the Academy reception on 02037476060.
Building Opportunities and Skills – Year 10 World of Work Day
This is an annual event with emphasis on employer encounters, first impressions workshops, interview technique, Unifrog investigations, including next steps, and completing a CV for upcoming work experience.
External Partnerships
We are fortunate to have many industries that volunteer their time and resources for our students. These include:
We are fortunate to have many industries that volunteer their time and resources for our students. These include:
- The London School of Fashion - Enrichment programs focusing on branding, consumers and design.
- MACE – Enrichment program focusing on the breadth of the construction industry with the opportunity to undertake a week’s work experience.
- Inspire – Facilitate a range of mentoring, mock interview, and enterprise days throughout the year with companies such as Universal, Deutsche Bank and KPMG.
- Boston Consulting Group - Annual interactive sessions focusing on skills development, such as resume writing, interview techniques, networking strategies, and career planning.
- University College London - including a Printmaking project ran by The Slade, Poetry project for Year 10 linked to the Gaia Globe and Architecture taster sessions and visits.
- The Grimshaw Foundation - Supports our students by providing professional opportunities in architecture and creative projects, featuring masterclasses, keynote speakers, and networking events.
PSHE Curriculum/Values Days
Students from Years 7 to 13 have access to a bespoke year group career focused PSHE curriculum. This includes a range of guidance from UCAS and higher education institutions to GCSE options and money management. The Values Day Curriculum also provides an opportunity for students to develop their soft work skills in a range of settings.
Nationals Apprenticeship Week 2025 – 10th-16th February 2025
National Apprenticeship Week aims to shine a light on the amazing work being done by employers and apprentices across the country.
As a parent or carer, it is important for you to know about all the different options available to your children as they navigate further education and employment pathways.
Please find the information about apprenticeships, traineeships and the new T Level qualifications that were implemented last year.
- Apprenticeships - www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship and https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/apprentices/browse-apprenticeships
- Amazing apprenticeships - www.amazingapprenticeships.com
- T Levels - www.tlevels.gov.uk
Nationals Careers Week 2025 – 3rd-8th March 2025
“NCW is run as a not-for-profit company to promote the importance of good careers education in schools and colleges, founded and backed by a number of volunteers with a wealth of experience from education, business and careers guidance.”
Find more information about National Careers Week at the link below:
https://nationalcareersweek.com
Labour Market Information and useful links:
Provider Access Policy/Baker clause
Our policy statement sets out our arrangements for managing the access of providers to students at the Academy from year 8 through to year 13, for the purpose of giving them information on a wide range of education and training provider’s education both academic and vocational. This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.
In line with the Baker clause, our academy gives students access to other FE colleges and training providers from years 8- 13 to discuss non-academic routes that are available; this includes main federation events like Next Steps, where colleges and training providers are encouraged to attend, as well as academy initiatives guided by the careers link and the careers adviser.
In addition to this, the dedicated Harris Careers Website outlines all of the Post 16 options. Students also have individual and guided access to Unifrog from Year 7 which offers additional impartial information on an ad hoc basis. This outlines all educational routes that they may wish to consider.
Countdown to Careers You Tube Channel
The careers team have created videos to help you discover a range of pathways from experts in their field. You can view these on our Harris Academy Chobham YouTube channel.
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