Careers - Our set Vision for Careers 2025-2029 at Lavington School

Vision Statement: To see our learners as leavers of Lavington School who will have high aspirations and the knowledge, skills and behaviours to successfully enter the world of work.

Why are we doing everything we are doing for careers and students' development?

Using careers as a driver for change to achieve our school priorities of better attendance, successful attainment and aspiring students to achieve their best next step in mind.

We are proud to be using the CDI'S Career Development Framework which recognises the importance of high quality, structured careers programmes acknowledging the value of the skills, knowledge and attitudes that individuals need to have a positive career. We are using as our platform to provide progressive and developmental tutor sessions for all year groups from year 7 through to 13 in order to provide our students with the best ability to enter the world

of work seeing our learners as leavers.

Careers Lead - Miss Karen Chapman k.chapman@lavington.wilts.sch.uk

Careers Personal Advisor - Provider through SEETEC to meet our Gatsby Benchmark 8 requirements.

Our impartial Careers Adviser, offers one-to-one personal guidance and advice to our KS4 and KS5 students, ensuring students are aware of all pathways post 14, post 16 and post 18 appropriately. Ensuring our students are fully aware of the Local Market Information (LMI) and providing all information to enable them to make informed choices about their future career.

The Gatsby Benchmarks - We adhere to all Gatsby Benchmarks 1-8 in our full careers provision.

Please see Useful Links for Parents and Students for more detailed information about personal guidance for students.

Measuring Impact

It is a statutory requirement as stated in The School Information (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 that as a school we are continually measuring and assessing the impact of the careers programme on pupils career development.

An annual FSQ (Futures Skills Questionnaire) in years 7 to 13.

Compass + termly reports.

Internal review document.

Evaluations after events for students, staff, parents and providers.

All of which are collected, analysed and reported back to SLT and appropriate bodies.

Our designated Careers Lead oversees the Careers and Work-Related Learning of our students, ensuring that we are meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks and statutory requirements.

The Careers Programme is being adapted in accordance with the above and we are proud to announce our launch of from September 2025 in a planned phased approach, which will be communicated to all parents by the end of term 1 2025.

Our Governing Body is fully supportive of this.

All students will take part in a structured programme of Careers lessons during PSHE time and in their tutor programme. It is aimed for students to reflect upon their career journey by learning about personal skills, qualities and aspirations. Learning about how their subjects are reflected in the work place, through bespoke lessons which enables them to see how our curriculum leads them on to their chosen industry. We are committed to challenging work place stereotypes to ensure that all students can choose their career successfully.

As part of our careers offer, we are forming stronger relationships with the local community, allowing us to host open events, taster days, year 11 mock interviews, whole school career's fair, employer talks and subject relevant trips. Also meaningful work experience and exposure to the world of work days for our students in KS3, KS4 and KS5.

Unifrog Events 2025/26

Please look at these and share/view with your child using their Unifrog login.

Unifrog Events

Year 10 Work Experience

Work experience for year 10 is going to be arranged using the placement tool, which will be fully explained and launched by Karen Chapman in October 2025 in readiness for the actual WEX week in July 2026.

Work Experience List of companies

The spreadsheet of companies has been sent to each student via SMHW rather than publishing on the website.

Please be aware that this is not an exhaustive list, but a list that has been compiled by other schools in Wiltshire that have been running Work Experience for a number of years. We will hopefully be able to add to this through this years experience.
There is no guarantee that these companies will take WEX students this year, particularly given the situation with Covid 19
There will be many other more local placements that you will be able to source with a little research including, Nurseries, Primary Schools and local businesses and shops
All placements are required to complete our paperwork, which will be using the placement tool where you and the employer will be completing and signing various forms and indemnity insurance in order for the placement to be confirmed.

Careers Policy & Action Plan

Our careers action plan is reviewed annually, with the next date of review Autumn 2023. Our careers education and guidance policy’s next date for review is 2026.

Careers Policy - To be updated September 2026

Careers Action Plan 25 - 27

Lavington School Strategic Careers Plan 25 - 27

Employers, Employees, Volunteers and Information

We welcome all alumni, parents, employers, HE and FE providers to get involved with our careers programme. Please contact Miss Chapman for all enquiries k.chapman@lavington.wilts.sch.uk

Useful links for students:

Being able to make meaningful informed choices about your career is an exciting and developmental series of decisions. There is a plethora range of resources available to support this process. Please talk to your parents, family, friends, tutors and Miss Chapman for advice and guidance. You will also receive detailed careers information through your tutorial and subject curriculums alongside events, trips and speakers. In years 11 and 12 you will receive your individual personal guidance interviews and please use your Unifrog platform in your own time to supplement everything that is our Career offer.

For all alumni we are passionate about our past students being able to share their positive career journey and successes with our current students and also contributing to our career events. If this would be of interest to you please contact Miss Chapman k.chapman@lavington.wilts.sch.uk

Some more useful websites:

Job Explorer Database - a great place to start with hundreds of jobs, video articles and a questionnaire to help you decide what jobs may suit you.

iCould - Inspiration for your Career - designed to inspire and encourage. Articles and video articles giving you the inside story on a huge range of careers. This is a great place for discovering and exploring different careers.

Eclips - contains fact files about hundreds of jobs and allows you to browse by subject area too. Password - goesko03

Higher Ideas - a database of pathways through higher education including possible entry requirements, higher education providers and destinations for different subjects areas.

Careers Explorer - If you are trying to decide which career is right for you or thinking about changing career, Careers Explorer is packed full of useful information.

National Careers Service - whether you know where you’re heading or not, knowing about the different routes open to you is a great place to start.

Unifrog - The universal destinations platform.

Application for Provider Access

Provider Access Statement 2026 -2029

At Lavington School we are proud to adhere to The Code of Ethics principles to provide an impartial and respectful careers offer for all of our students.

Customer Code of Ethics

Good morning,

As a teacher, you know that getting into medical or dental school takes more than just good grades. That’s why the UCAT is designed to test more than academics, it looks at decision-making, situational judgment, and reasoning skills too. To help your students nail these areas, encourage them to register for the upcoming 'Get Into' conference.

At the conference, students will see real UCAT questions, hear tips from top 10% scorers, and learn smart strategies to boost their scores. With such a competitive exam, every point matters, and this is a great way to make sure they’re as prepared as possible!

Register for the Get Into Medicine Conference on:
Sunday 22nd March from 9am - 1:30pm
Saturday 28th March from 9am - 1:30pm
https://medicmentor.org/get-into_medicine_conference_signup/

Register for the Get Into Dentistry Conference on Saturday 21st March from 9am - 1:30pm
https://dental-mentor.org/get-into-dentistry-conference-sign-up/

This conference is tailored to support aspiring medical students, offering valuable insights into the UCAT exam. Dr. Scarlett and I, alongside top 10% UCAT scorers, will impart knowledge, tips, and resources to excel in the exam and other vital aspects of the UCAS medical and dental application process, such as:

- Tactically choosing universities
- UCAT Entrance Exam
- Exam techniques and sample questions from each UCAT section
- UCAT shortcuts and timeline
- Best UCAT preparation techniques
- Understanding Medical/Dental Career
- Skills Needed in Medicine/Dentistry
- Extra and Supracurricular Activities
- Accessing Work Experience
- Application Timelines
- Personal Statements
- Medical/Dental School Interviews
- Accessing Scholarships

Our aim is to equip aspiring medical and dental students with the tools to sidestep common mistakes and pitfalls and ace their application to university. Students aged 14 - 18 are invited to attend with a parent or guardian, equipped with a working camera and microphone.

For those who can't make it to the next upcoming conference, don't worry. We host these events nearly every weekend to ensure everyone has access to vital information for their applications.

Register for the Get Into Medicine Conference on:
Sunday 22nd March from 9am - 1:30pm
Saturday 28th March from 9am - 1:30pm
https://medicmentor.org/get-into_medicine_conference_signup/

Register for the Get Into Dentistry Conference on Saturday 21st March from 9am - 1:30pm
https://dental-mentor.org/get-into-dentistry-conference-sign-up/

If you have any questions at all, please feel free to drop me an email education@medicmentorfamily.org. Thank you for working with us to make a difference to your students.

Kind regards,
Dr (Prof) Dhakshana Sivayoganathan
Medical Director of Medic Mentor (part of Mentorverse)
Visiting Professor of Medical Leadership and Innovation at University of Greater Manchester Medical School
British Medical Journal (BMJ) Clinical Champion
Mentorverse is a General Medical Council (GMC) Designated Body for Doctors
Associate Member of the NHS Confederation
NHS Providers Insight Partner
Creating Future Healthcare Leaders for the NHS
Previously successful Medical students: https://medicmentor.org/successful-student-journeys-reviews/

Previously successful Dental students:
https://dental-mentor.org/successful-student-journeys-reviews/

From Secondary School Student to Medical Scholarship Student: a step-by-step guide on getting into medical school successfully: https://medicmentor.org/become-a-medic-mentor-student-2/

Website: medicmentor.org
Enquiry Form: https://medicmentor.org/contact_us/

Useful links for Parents and Students

Amendment to the school information (England) regulations

The Gatsby Benchmarks

Lavington School Careers Programme - This is the Careers provision journey illustrating the specific learning for all students from year 7 through to 13. Careers is one important aspect of our personal development curriculum.

Careers Programme Overview

As our parents/carers it is our aim to ensure that you are able to fully engage with our careers education programme.

In order to do this it is important that you know how to access Unifrog, please use guidance below.

The parent login page to set up their new account (please note: you can only access this link when you are logged out of Unifrog)

Read the help guide to learn more about parent accounts. We hope you find the new accounts as exciting as we do - you can get these up and running as soon as you like!

Parent Unifrog Account Permission Letter

Careers and Unifrog Presentation

In order to support your child to effectively learn about careers in a meaningful way, it is important that you spend time together to fully use the Unifrog platform and engage in the parent accounts, events and also use the useful website links below.

Work Experience

Work Experience is Gatsby Benchmark 6. The new entitlement is for ten days for all students from year 7 through to the end of year 11. Our provision is as follows:

Year 7 = Take your child to work day (1 day) from September 2026

Year 8 = Take your child to work day (1 day) from July 2026

Year 9 = Employer encounter with work experience and skills as the focus (1 day) from September 2026

Year 10 = WEX (5 days) continuing

Year 11 =

Year 12 = WEX ( 5 days) from June 2026

Year 13 =

UCAT

EMS Events

Dear Colleague

We’re delighted to invite you to nominate your Year 10 students for our NEW free, online GCSE Physics Plus+ programme, beginning after Easter.

⭐ Overview
GCSE Physics Plus+ has been developed as a replacement for our GCSE Enhancement programme, based on internal review and feedback received from schools in the region. As well as supporting able students to achieve their potential in GCSE Physics, we hope to encourage curiosity and enthusiasm for the subject, with the aim of inspiring further study. In a group of no more than 30 students, we’ll work through GCSE content, sharing ideas and tips on how to successfully tackle challenging topics, and also dip our toes into some additional exciting areas to provide stretch and challenge.

💻Format
The programme will run primarily online, with a bonus in-person day in the Summer term. At this event, we’ll enjoy getting our hands dirty with some exciting practicals that the students are unlikely to have come across before. We appreciate that not all students on the programme may be able to make the face-to-face day owing to distance.

👥 Who to Nominate
We’re looking for Year 10 students who are able and interested in Physics. They are likely to be taking Single Sciences for GCSE but we are open to nominations from those doing Double Science with a keen interest in Physics. The programme is best suited to students who are hoping to achieve a grade 7 or above. We strongly encourage gender balance in nominations. While we do our best to accommodate everyone, we only have 30 spaces available so please put forward the students who you think will benefit most from this opportunity. If we have more students apply than we have spaces, we will apply our oversubscription criteria.

➡️ How to Nominate
All you have to do is complete a very brief form and then share the enclosed information sheet with students who you think are well-suited to this opportunity. Parents/carers are responsible for registering using the information provided.

⏰ Deadline
Parent applications close at 8am on Monday 13th April, and places will be confirmed by the end of that week. Please therefore distribute the info sheet to your students asap so that families can meet this deadline.

🗓️ Programme Schedule
The online weekly workshops will take place on Tuesday afternoons from 1630-1730, beginning on Tuesday 28th April. The in-person event will take place at EMS in central Exeter on Tuesday 7th July from 1030-1430. The weekly online programme will recommence in the Autumn term as the students move into Year 11 and will conclude at February half-term. The full schedule is available on our website.

If you have any questions, please do get in touch. We look forward to welcoming your students to GCSE Physics Plus+!

Best wishes,

Anna Green (she/her)
Outreach Coordinator

Exeter Maths School
Tel 01392 429020

ERIC

NATIONAL CAREERS WEEK MIGHT BE OVER…

But ERIC’s careers video library isn’t going anywhere!

We have had an ASTONISHING response to ERIC’s free careers talk library. The engagement with the special videos we launched for both National Apprenticeship Week and National Careers Week has blown us away!!

Here’s how many students watched our videos each week:

National Apprenticeship Week - 91,000 students

National Careers Week - 176,000 students

Watch The Videos Here

Want more? Here’s all the other ERIC stuff you can access while you wait for our next big video drop (we’re recording & editing more right now, so watch this space!):

Sign up to our monthly newsletter for schools, colleges & unis
Get the basic info about the 16 different creative industries
Look at our spreadsheet of creative industry contacts
Watch our free library of creative & digital careers talks

Want to promote ERIC to students and staff? Use our marketing pack to promote ERIC during classes, assemblies, on your website, newsletter or any other way you want!

CHECK OUT THE DISCOVER! CREATIVE CAREERS RESOURCE

Have you seen the amazing Discover! Creative Careers resources and content? It’s suitable for students under 14 years old too!

Check Out The Discover! Content

STEM Enrichment Opportunity

Good morning,

The age of artificial intelligence is no longer something we can prepare students for “one day” - One of the most effective ways for students to understand technology is by building something themselves. When students move from learning about technology to creating with it, they often develop a deeper understanding of how digital tools can be used to solve real-world problems.

The Tech Mentor National No-Code Hackathon is a STEM enrichment experience where students work in teams to solve real-world challenges using modern digital tools.

We would be grateful if you could share this opportunity with any students aged 14 - 18 who may be interested.

Event details:
Sunday 12th April
10:00am - 4:00pm (online)
Students aged 14 - 18
£15 per student

Further information and registration:
https://techmentor.org.uk/national-hackathon-competition

About the event

During the hackathon, students work in teams to respond to a real-world challenge revealed on the day. Previous themes have explored areas such as sustainability, education access, and digital wellbeing.

Using beginner-friendly no-code platforms such as Lovable, students design and prototype a digital solution with guidance from experienced mentors.

No previous coding or technical experience is required.

The experience focuses on developing skills that are increasingly valuable across many fields, including:

• Collaborative working and communication
• Creative problem solving
• Analytical thinking and idea development
• Presenting ideas clearly and confidently
• Understanding how technology can be applied across different sectors

Students also gain insight into how technology and innovation are used in modern workplaces. The experience mirrors how many technology teams operate: analysing problems, generating ideas, building solutions, and presenting them clearly.

Participants receive:
• A certificate recognising participation in a national technology competition
• A completed project or prototype suitable for portfolios or applications
• Experience presenting ideas and solutions
• Exposure to potential technology career pathways

Winning teams will also progress to the National Finals on 11th July 2026, where teams compete for the following prizes:

1st place: £1,000 for the team and £100 to each winning team member’s school
2nd place: £750 for the team
3rd place: £500 for the team

Students can register individually using the link below. Spaces are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Registration:
https://techmentor.org.uk/national-hackathon-competition

Please feel free to forward this opportunity to students or parents who may be interested.

Warm regards,
Ms. Joanne Sheldon
Head of Technology and Media
Tech Mentor (Part of Mentorverse)

Website: https://techmentor.org.uk/
Enquiry Form: https://techmentor.org.uk/contact

Employers and Education Providers:

Thank you to all the employers and education providers who already support Lavington School. We really appreciate the time and effort that you give to our school and our students benefit greatly from your contribution.
We always welcome volunteers and opportunities and support from the local business and education community.
If you are interested in getting involved or working with our students there are numerous opportunities for you to do so throughout the year. Please refer to further information on the top of the Career’s Page.

Before a visit to Lavington School to work with our pupils, you will need to read our Safeguarding Policy.

We look forward to hearing from you. Please contact Miss Karen Chapman k.chapman@lavington.wilts.sch.uk - Careers Lead for all opportunities, queries and general information.

Resources For Teachers

Please see the careers programme:

Careers Programme

Unifrog - The universal destinations platform.

Skillsbuilder Hub

My Learning My Future

Amazing Apprenticeships - Teachers

UCAS – Teachers & Advisers

Career Pilot – Advisor Zone

T-Levels Teachers Guide

Eric