Careers At St.Francis

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Zoe Coles, Head of Careers

Mrs Coles has 29 years of teaching experience and has taught a variety of humanities subjects across both the Senior School and the Prep department. She gained her BSc in Geography from Royal Holloway (University of London), her PGCE from the University of Cambridge and her MBA in Educational Management from the University of Leicester. She loves advising students about their possible career paths and their work experience and would like to hear from you if you could help SFC careers provision. She is part of a local pub quiz team who compete monthly where she is the resident geography and music expert.

Careers at St. Francis'

Mission Statement

Our aim at St. Francis’ is to provide high quality careers education and guidance that prepares our students for the workplace. We will support them to achieve the self-development and career management skills they need to find careers that are engaging and rewarding and fulfil their dreams for the future.

How will we achieve this?

  1. Students have half a term of PD lessons on Careers (see careers roadmap of the main topics covered for each year group in these lessons)
  2. All students in the Senior School take the Morrisby Interest questionnaire. This suggests possible careers based on their interests and provides students with a great deal of up to date and impartial information on these careers.
  3. Students have a 1 to 1 careers guidance interview with the Head of Careers (Mrs Coles) during the year. She is also available in a drop in capacity at a lunchtime in the Pastoral Hub.
  4. A Careers Convention is run every year which allows Year 9 students and above to sign up to activities and network with a very wide range of employers and employees. Over 70 Alumni and parents supported the last event of this kind.
  5. The Aspiration Programme is the chance for students to have a professional mentor, self-directed visits and projects, work shadowing, and work experience. This enables students to stand out from the crowd when applying for competitive vocational courses.  It runs through Year 11 to the Christmas of Year 13.
  6. Work experience takes place for Year 12 students during the 5 star days (activity week). Year 11 students are strongly advised to undertake work experience or shadowing after their GCSE’s have finished, many gain an offer of work experience after the careers convention. Year 7 students are involved in a ‘take your daughter to work day’
  7. Useful career websites and opportunities are advertised through the Deputy Head’s Bulletin (students) and the Head’s Bulletin (parents).
  8. Through the curriculum – subject teachers emphasise the relevance of their subject and the skills it provides wherever possible during their lessons. Students are expected to develop their soft skills in leadership positions and through teamwork. Visiting speakers and visits develop the real world applications of the curriculum. 

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