Careers
This section of our school website is intended for students, parents, teachers and employers wanting to find out more about our Careers Education programme.
Vision Statement
At Croxley Danes School, our Careers Education and Information and Guidance Programme seeks to inspire all students to have the highest expectations about the careers they might enter.
Preparing students for their future lives beyond school is an integral part of everything we do, from achieving the best qualifications possible to developing skills and confidence.
This means that all students, and parents, should be made aware of all their options as they progress through school. While qualifications remain very important, with few exceptions, they are no longer the only consideration. We recognise that employability or work-readiness is becoming more and more important when potential employers’ look for people to fill vacancies.
Whether students progress on to further or higher education, or skilled employment, our ultimate goal is that students make a significant contribution to society and achieve lifelong wellbeing in their careers.
Key Careers Staff
Key Careers Staff
Our designated Careers Leader and SLT member responsible for Careers is David Dwight.
He can be contacted on careers@croxleydanes.herts.sch.uk/ Tel. 01923 284483.
The Governor with responsibility for careers is Carla Watson.
Who we work with
Who we work with
The following organisations support our Careers Education and IAG provision:
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Universities e.g. University of Bedfordshire, University of Hertfordshire |
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Apprenticeship providers e.g. Together Training |
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Support from The Careers and Enterprise Company, Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal
We are signed up to The Careers and Enterprise Company – The Enterprise Adviser Network – programme. This is a free provision managed locally by Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership to support us to achieve all 8 Gatsby Benchmarks – a target set by the Department for Education in their Careers Strategy (Dec 2017). We have been matched with Watford FC to help us to work towards the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks. Meetings take place on a regular basis to discuss progress.
We are using the Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal (www.hopinto.co.uk) and encourage all students, parents and teachers to use this portal to seek current live job or apprenticeship vacancies within Hertfordshire as well as being a one-stop shop for a variety of information about the Hertfordshire Jobs Market providing information and inspiration about a variety of careers.
You can also follow HOP via their Social Media platforms as detailed below:
Gatsby Benchmark Information
In 2014, Lord Sainsbury’s Gatsby Charitable Foundation published a report by Professor Sir John Holman, Adviser in Education at the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, titled “Good Career Guidance.” The report identified eight benchmarks that are the core dimensions of good careers and enterprise provision in schools:
- A stable careers programme
- Learning from career and labour market information
- Addressing the needs of each pupil
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experiences of workplaces
- Encounters with further and higher education
- Personal guidance
The Gatsby Benchmarks have a key role in:
- Raising young people’s aspirations and promoting access to all career pathways
- Enabling all young people to develop the skills and outlook they need to achieve career well-being, including adaptability and resilience
- Underpinning the Department for Education guidance to schools on meeting their statutory responsibility for careers guidance.
- Currently we have fully achieved 3 Benchmarks and partially achieved 5 benchmarks.
- The Careers Strategy at Croxley Danes School is designed to ensure that all 8 Gatsby Benchmarks are met where possible by the end of 2024.
The school measures and assesses the impact of the careers programme on pupils through termly meetings with a designated Enterprise Co-ordinator from Hertfordshire County Council. We use the national Compass software to aid this evaluation. The school provides an updated Careers Strategy as part of its website Careers pages by the end of every autumn term.
National Careers Education Organisations
National Careers Education Organisations
Careers and Enterprise Company
The Government’s Careers Strategy
Careers Activity Plan
We deliver a structured Careers and IAG Activity Plan which is reviewed on an annual basis. The key activities scheduled currently are:
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Year Group |
Activity |
When |
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7 |
Professional Development (PD) lessons in Careers and Finance |
Autumn term |
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STEM focus week to correspond with Science Week |
Spring term |
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Careers and Enterprise Day |
Summer term |
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8 |
PD lessons in Citizen Charities and Finance |
Autumn term |
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Work shadowing |
Summer term |
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9 |
PD lessons in Target setting, budget and finance |
Autumn term |
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GCSE Options process and interviews |
Spring term |
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10 |
PD lessons in STEM, Study skills, CV and covering letters |
Spring term |
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The Brilliant Club: Scholars programme |
Summer term |
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11 |
PD lessons - Changing job markets, employability skills and interviews, University and apprenticeship pathways, Key Stage 5 applications and informed choices |
Autumn term |
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Sixth Form opportunities evening and guidance meetings with senior leaders |
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Unifrog interactions posts for Careers opportunities |
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IAG advisor interviews |
Spring term |
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| 12 |
PD lessons - University and apprenticeship pathways, goal setting, application processes, employer information and local market information, interviews and personal statement writin | All year |
| Guest speakers - Speakers for Schools, universities and employers | All year | |
| Higher Education and Apprenticeships Information Evening | Summer term | |
| UCAS fair visit | Summer term | |
| Work experience | Summer term | |
| Careers Day | Summer term | |
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All years |
Virtual and in-person employer encounters, assemblies, careers display board, PSHE, student participation teams, STEM club, Language leaders, promotion of National Apprenticeships Week |
All year |
| Talking Futures apprenticeships information pilot for Years 10-12 during National Apprenticeships Week | Spring term |
Employer Engagement
Employer Engagement
We recognise the importance in working with local employers in order to support our Careers Education and IAG provision. We are very keen to establish links with employers who will be able to open our students’ eyes to the world of work.
We are building some sustained links with Watford FC through their support as our Enterprise Adviser. Through this relationship some of our staff will have the opportunity to work with industry experts to develop our curriculums.
For this academic year we are seeking employers to support a variety of talks, workshops and careers events. If you are able to support any of these events or would like to work with us in any other way please fill in our volunteer form
Student Entitlement
Student Entitlement
All students in years 8-13 are entitled:
- To find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeship 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 – 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 David Dwight (Acting Deputy Headteacher) Telephone: 01923 284483. Email: careers@croxleydanes.herts.sch.uk
The full Provider Access Policy can be accessed in the Policies section of this website here
Croxley Danes School works with a Hertfordshire Coordinator from the Careers and Enterprise Company. We work together to review our Careers Strategy and Compliance with the Gatsby Benchmarks every term. The date of the next review is 4th December 2023.
Baker Clause
The Baker Clause
Croxley Danes School is fulfilling its statutory requirements in providing students access to University, Technical Colleges, FE colleges and apprenticeship providers through effective whole cohort assemblies and our pilot Year 11 Google Classroom for Careers opportunities.
Careers Feedback
Careers Feedback
We are keen to hear your feedback about how well we have helped you / your child to prepare for their next steps into post 16 and 18 education and training. We would appreciate you investing 5 minutes to complete the following questionnaires. We also have a feedback questionnaire for any external visitors who collaborate on our Careers events such as sessions, events and talks.
Guidance for Parents
Guidance for Parents
Parents play a very significant role in helping students to make informed choices about their study options and decisions about their future careers. Parents should be encouraged to discuss with their child about options and future aspirations. We welcome parents’ input and recommend that you always attend activities at school such as GCSE and A-Level opportunities evenings.
There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach and we recognise that all students must be able to make informed decisions avoiding pre-conceived ideas or stereotypes.
Parents may be interested to view the following: https://parentinfo.org/articles/all
Should you wish to discuss your child’s future options please contact their form tutor in the first instance or our Careers Leader using the contact details above.
Finding out further information - links for students, parents and teachers
Finding out further information - links for students, parents and teachers
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National Apprenticeship Service |
Allows you to search for live apprenticeship vacancies across the country |
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Amazing Apprenticeships |
Find out about apprenticeships as well as live vacancies |
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YC Hertfordshire |
The leading provider of CEIAG provision for young people both inside and outside of school in Hertfordshire |
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UCAS |
All you need to know about applying for university and the courses available for you. |
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Hertfordshire Skills Framework |
https://www.hertfordshirelep.com/media/6451/item-5-annex-a-hertfordshire-employability-skills-framework-2018.pdf |
Produced by Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership this displays the skills most required by employers across the county |
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Hertfordshire Labour Market Information |
An infographic video to explain the types of jobs available and skills required in Hertfordshire |
Talking Futures guidance for parents: post-16 and post-18 routes
On Monday 6th February 2023, Careers Lead David Dwight gave an online talk to parents of students in Years 10 and 11 to highlight the wide range of exciting pathways available to students in Hertfordshire. The talk included guidance for parents on how to support and talk to their children about careers, and lots of resources and videos. The slides are available to download in the page downloads below
