Careers
Mission Statement
“At Mill House School, we are dedicated to providing all students with comprehensive and impartial careers guidance that inspires and empowers them to make informed, confident decisions about their future. We focus on personalised support, recognising each student’s unique abilities, strengths, and aspirations.
Through strong partnerships with employers, tailored experiences, and meaningful opportunities, we aim to nurture every student’s potential, develop their skills, and prepare them for sustained success in education, employment, or training. Our mission is to ensure that each student flourishes and makes a positive contribution to the world in a way that is meaningful and personal to them.”
Work Related Learning and Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance
Careers Education and Guidance is an important aspect of the learning experience at Mill House School. Our careers programme enables our pupils to make informed decisions about their education and their future professional life in the world of work.
We provide impartial advice and guidance on further education, training or employment across all key stages.
Careers education and guidance at Mill House School is delivered through PSHE lessons, employability lessons, individual career interviews, assemblies, super learning days and additional activities with partner agencies, local colleges, local organisations and employers. The careers programme in school supports the curriculum for Key Stages 3 to 5.
Our careers programme aims to allow all pupils to:
- have access to a planned and relevant programme
- receive informed and independent careers advice and guidance
- access information about further and higher education, training, apprenticeships and employment routes
- know the opportunities available to them
- learn from employers about work and the skills that are valued in the workplace and to have first-hand experience of the workplace.
The careers programme includes;
- assist Year 9 Option choices
- assist and support Year 11 with their Post 16 options – College, Apprenticeship, 6th Form
- Support with Post 18 options
- Careers events, Workshops, Employability skills programme
- Coordination of Work Experience – Year 11 and Year 13
- Details of our careers platform
- Employability skills, which includes CV’s, application form completion, mock interviews, exploring the ‘hidden job market’ and what the employer wants
- Keeping up with Labour market information
- Volunteering opportunities
- Raising Career aspirations and motivating pupils to achieve their goals.
The government has introduced the following mandatory guidance for schools which are called the Gatsby benchmarks:
The 8 Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Advice
- A stable career 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 updated provider access legislation (PAL) has now been enacted. It specifies schools must provide at least six encounters with approved providers of apprenticeships and technical education for all their students:
- Two encounters for pupils during the ‘first key phase’ (year 8 or 9) that are mandatory for all pupils to attend
- Two encounters for pupils during the ‘second key phase’ (year 10 or 11) that are mandatory for all pupils to attend
- Two encounters for the school to put on but optional for pupils to attend.
This new legislation will become a key mechanism to further help learners understand and take-up apprenticeships and wider technical education options such as T-Levels and Higher technical Qualifications.
At Mill House School, we will engage meaningfully with this updated requirement as part of our wider careers programme.
Please see the link below for further details about PAL.
Key Stage 3
Careers provision in Key Stage 3 is delivered through PSHE lessons in collaboration with external agencies and partners. Pupils will begin to develop a deeper understanding of their individual skills, strengths and interests. Pupils in Year 9 will be given the opportunity to attend a meeting with a qualified, independent and impartial careers advisor.
Key Stages 4 and 5
Support will be provided for Key Stage 4 and 5 pupils choosing their next steps through our careers education programme delivered within our PSHE lessons, employability lessons, super learning days and The King’s Trust Achieve Programme. Pupils will be given the opportunity to produce a curriculum vitae, write a formal application letter, practise interviews and devise a career plan.
The school continues to develop links with external agencies, employers, organisations and colleges and pupils will be given the opportunity to speak to representatives from various sectors of the world of work.
Pupils will also be given the opportunity to speak with a qualified, independent and impartial careers advisor.
External Agencies and Partners
Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance is delivered in collaboration with external agencies and an independent careers advisor from Kerry Low Careers Guidance.
The school has developed links with local colleges and coordinates individual college tours and meetings with the admissions team, SEN team and relevant subject staff to support pupils with decision making and transition. Our staff will take pupils to these meetings and also accompany parents, where required.
Destinations of Leavers
The school will support local authorities by tracking pupils for three years after they leave the school. Generally, this will be done by contacting the pupils new post-16 provider; however, in some cases a member of school staff may contact parents/carers to discuss the destinations of leavers.
Please contact the careers leader should you require any advice, guidance or support.
Key Contacts
Our Careers Lead is Corrine Clarke.
Contact details:
Email: c.clarke@millhouseschool.co.uk
Phone: 01676 478177
Our Careers Advisor is Kerry Lowe.
Year 11-13 Work Experience
At Mill House School, we follow the good practice guidance laid down by the Eight Gatsby Benchmarks which secondary schools and colleges can use to improve their career guidance programme.
Gatsby benchmark 6 states that: Every pupil should have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks.
We will be running Work Experience for Year 11 and 13 on July 7th-9th 2025.
Placements will be a great help with exploring career pathways and gaining workplace skills. All work experience can also be recorded on CVs and personal statements ready for employment, apprenticeship or further education applications.
Pupils will be spoken to about Work Experience during assemblies, The will also be given a Work Experience guide which will contain details such as consent forms and information about Health and Safety and Safeguarding.
In Person Work Experience
Pupils who are able to access In-Person Work Experience, will be assisted with organising their in-person work experience placement with the support from parents, relatives and school staff.
The Work Experience guide will give hints and tips and discuss the Health & Safety, Insurance and safeguarding requirements.
Virtual Work Experience
For pupils who are unable to access In-Person Work Experience, the school will assist pupils in exploring virtual work experience. Virtual work experience is now more widely available and has become another way for students to undertake work experience or occasionally supplement an in-person placement. Virtual placements can have the advantage of a global reach; however, students may not feel that they get the full experience of actually being in the workplace.
At Mill House School, we help pupil look at reputable companies dedicated to free high quality virtual work experience placements. These include:
SpringPod (SpringPod)
- Pupils receive a certificate from the employer at the end of the programme for use in CVs, Personal Statements and future interviews.
- The sessions all feature live interaction, allowing pupils to ask the experts direct questions.
- Tasks will be set during the programme which will be marked upon completion, helping pupils to gain career knowledge and experience.
Speakers for Schools: Virtual and In-Person Work experience with Top Employers (Speakersforschools.org)
- Our aspirational engagements put young people in touch with the very best to spark their ambitions and the belief in what is possible for the future.
Forage (www.theforage.com)
- At Forage, every student has a chance to get ahead by building a resume, experiencing what the real work looks like and learning critical skills, working with employers world-wide. They provide bite-sized 5-6 hour virtual work experience programs that they claim give students a genuine career advantage with the world’s top companies,
Pupils can take part in as many activities as they have time for!