CGS Careers Team is growing!
Student Career Ambassadors - This month our newly appointed student career leaders, Rose, Joe and James have been working with me to recruit students in Years 7-10 to become career ambassadors for their year group. We were delighted with the response and after interviewing selected students, we now have two ambassadors for each year group.
Our new team from September 2024 is;
Year 8 – Holly & Lauren
Year 9 – Emily & Jensen
Year 10 – Megan & Tali
Year 11 – Janu & Rudy
We look forward to working as a team to improve our programme and raise the profile of careers within the school.You can read more about this and about the other activities that have been taking place this term further down in this newsletter. Thank you to the students for their contribution to this newsletter.
This summer we have Y11 and Y12 students taking part in work experience opportunities and we are very much looking forward to coming back in September, with a jam-packed programme (including the Careers Fair in March).
As always, we welcome companies, parents and Old Cheshamians to come in and talk in assemblies, lectures or a lunchtime drop in. If this is something you can help with, we would love to hear from you. Thank you for your continued support and wishing everyone a wonderful summer.
Mrs Lovelace
Careers & Enterprise Leader
NEXT STEPS | CAREERS NEWSLETTER
Students have kindly put together their view of events this term
Y12 UCAS FAIR
In April, Year 12 attended the UCAS Fair in Farnborough. The event had stalls from over 100 universities and conservatories and even had speakers talk on a small stage about degree apprenticeships, personal statements, student finance and student life in general.
I thoroughly enjoyed the event and whilst some members of other schools went around trying to get souvenirs from all the stalls giving out free tote bags, pens, and even salt and pepper shakers, I managed to get my hands on two tote bags which I used to carry my seemingly record-breaking volume of 18 prospectuses, of course only to be rivalled by the likes of Mrs Lovelace.
We were given two or three hours to roam around the converted airplane hangar, to be able to converse with students and representatives of universities, asking questions about anything from the best personal statements, entry requirements, courses offered and foundation years to what life is like as a student, their housing or campus arrangements and whatever else you would like to know.
I would recommend that if you get the opportunity to attend, you prepare questions you would like to ask, the stalls you would like to go up to, which can be found online nearer the time, and I suggest you go to your favourites first as there was a queue to be able to speak to some representatives from well know universities.
I strongly recommend this school trip as it gave me a great insight into the UCAS application process and helped me figure out what and where I want to study.
Rose, Year 12
THE PROCESS OF SELECTING KS3 & KS4 CAREER AMBASSADORS
Recently, 1 or 2 students from each year were selected by us, the SSLT Careers Team, to represent their year group’s ideas and opinions about career related events taking place in school. This is a new role we have implemented this year, as we believe it will be greatly beneficial in improving the quality and engagement of these opportunities for all students.
We received multiple applications for each year group and were greatly impressed by many, so making a final choice was challenging. First, we read through and compared the applications, picking a few that stood out. Subsequently we split the year groups up between us and interviewed the candidates that had been selected with assistance from a teacher each. The questions asked allowed us to understand how the candidates would approach their role and showed us an insight into their thought process. Having completed interviewing the students, all of whom provided exceptional answers in response to the questions asked, we made a tough decision as to who would fill the roles.
Overall, it was a great experience where we, and I’m sure the applicants, learned a lot. Being on the other side of the interview was definitely a new feeling, and proved to create a new outlook for me, which I believe will be exceedingly helpful in the future, where I’m sure to partake in many more interviews as a candidate myself.
James, Y12
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Y8 STEM MORNING
In June, Year 8 students took part in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Careers Workshop where they had the opportunity to work with volunteers from Bucks Healthcare Trust (BHT), EKFB and Martin Baker.
Our visitors from BHT delivered a presentation giving students an insight into the wide variety of careers within the NHS. EKFB gave an insight into civil engineering and ran an activity where students were asked in groups to construct the tallest tower using spaghetti and marshmallows. And finally, Martin Baker Aircraft Company brought in their £1million ejector seat and gave students an insight into STEM opportunities.
"I really enjoyed the STEM morning, it was interactive and fun (though I am biased as I got to sit in the ejector seat)." Susanah
"I have learnt that there are a lot more jobs in Healthcare, Engineering and Civil Engineering than what I thought." Oscar
"I have learnt about the many different careers and opportunities after both university and degree apprenticeships." Aadya
“I’ve learnt that there is loads of teamwork involved in STEM and that it’s very challenging so you will need to find ways around things which will test your resilience ” Shaan
“I have learnt that there are a number of different opportunities and jobs out there, and you don't need to be good at everything to succeed.” Mimi
We were impressed with how our students embraced the sessions and followed up with engaging questions. We are very grateful to the all of the volunteers for taking time out of their working day to support this event.
NATIONAL CAREERS CHALLENGE FINALS IN DONCASTER (Y7 & Y10)
Congratulations to our two teams ‘Drive 4 Good’ (Y7) & ‘Neptune School of the Future’ (Y10) for their great presentations at the National Careers Challenge Final which took place early July It was an early start for the teams as the finals were held in Doncaster this year. Within 40 mins of arriving the teams were ushered up to the judging rooms. They presented their ideas to a panel of judges and received fantastic feedback Their pitches involved enterprise team work including marketing their product, budgeting, developing the sales pitch, working to deadlines and managing their time. They were up against nearly 200 schools and we are very proud of how they performed and represented CGS. They all worked really hard this term and listened to feedback to make sure they could present to their best ability and all within 3.5 minutes!
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Y12 APPRENTICESHIP WORKSHOP
Degree apprenticeships are becoming an increasingly popular post A Level option. As such, a degree apprenticeship workshop was hosted at school for Year 12s interested in learning more about them. During the session, students were talked through what they are, how they differ from going to university, what advantages and disadvantages they have, and more. In summary, it is an alternative way of receiving a degree without attending university. In doing so, you work a real full-time job in the field you wish to study in, receiving a salary while also being guided through the job, studying a few days a week. The employer pays the tuition fee for you, meaning you take on no student debt and still get a degree at the end of it. As well as this, by the time you are finished you have already had several years of experience in the world of work, giving you a head start to your career. It also allows you to network and make meaningful connections with people more experienced than yourself who can help you along your journey. There are however some drawbacks. It often takes longer to complete a degree apprenticeship than to study at university. As well as this some people still believe going to university is more respectable, and you miss out on the student life aspect which many believe to be very important.
Whether this option is for you, we concluded, is down to a case-by-case basis, very dependent on the individuals’ goals and circumstances. After learning about what they are, the students taking part in the workshop went through some key skills required for applying to a degree apprenticeship. This included obvious things such as CV and cover letter writing, as well as soft skills that are often overlooked when preparing, for example how to present yourself in an interview, remembering a firm handshake and eye contact. If you make it into further rounds of the application process, it is likely you will have to participate in an assessment centre, taking part in activities where you’ll be asked to come up with a solution to a problem. For this you will need to be able to work effectively in a team while having the ability to confidently express your own opinions in front of others. All these skills were discussed at the workshop, allowing students to gain a better understanding of things to keep in mind when applying. In conclusion, the degree apprenticeship workshop was a great way to give Year 12 students an idea of what other options they have, how it could benefit them, and what they need to work on in order to be successful in their future applications.
James, Y12
PARENTS GUIDE TO STUDENT FINANCE
With the majority of CGS students progressing on to university, we felt it was important for parents to understand more about the financial support available.
Lee from WizeUp Education simplified the two types of support – loans or bursaries/grants/scholarships. He explained the application process through to fees, support, cost of living and the financial support on offer, resulting in a better awareness of all aspects of student finance. A recording of this talk can be found on our website https://www.cheshamgrammar.org/3007/information-for-parents
NEXT STEPS | CAREERS NEWSLETTER
Y12 CRIMINOLOGY WORKSHOP
Last week, the school provided a criminology day for Year 12s. Run by Simon Smith, it was a chance for students to learn more about criminology, and the various careers relevant to it. As criminology isn’t something I’d heard much about previously, I decided to take part with an open mind to explore my future options. The overall aim of the session was to solve a murder, while learning about the various roles and jobs involved.
It was split up into sections or “days” of the investigation. On day 1, we watched videos and listened to 911 calls where the murder was reported, then began thinking about what the next steps in the investigation would be. On day 2 we were introduced to the crime scene, where we analysed it, paying attention to the dead body, footprints, two phones, a broken wine bottle, a crowbar and other clues. We then sent the evidence to DNA. On day 3 we learned about what work is done in forensics in order to aid the case. We looked at and learned about DNA matches, fingerprint identification and identifying potential suspects. After deciding on the main suspect, it was time to take them to court, where we acted out the trial, with all of us playing suspects, the judge, attorneys and the jury.
The whole criminology day was planned extremely well, providing us with an extraordinary breadth of information and a variety of careers paths to investigate. It was an exciting insight into the world of criminology, something which I found to be incredibly engaging and enjoyable. For me personally it has sparked a particular interest in the field, so I aim to further research the roles such as: police officer, forensics, medical and tech. I am especially intrigued by the work done by police officers, as I love seeing the real-life application of the work done behind the scenes and how it all links together. Some of the main things I’ve taken away from this experience are that you must make tough decisions, stay resilient and strong minded, be serious as there can be dangerous consequences, and be a good team player but also manage to work independently. Overall, I think it was an inspiring look at the world of criminology and gave me an idea of a career which I may pursue later in life.
Daisy, Year 12
BUCKS STUDENT CAREER LEADERS
On Thursday,11th July the SSLT Career's leaders, Joe, James and I, attended the Buckinghamshire Student Careers Meeting. This online meeting lead by Dr Challoner’s High helps CGS and other schools' careers departments to gain and improve ideas. The session started with introductions, what schools we are from and a catch-up of our current situation from the last term. The Student Careers Network then gave the opportunity to learn more about what UCAS is and how the application process works via a talk from the Warwick Admissions Tutor who informed us about personal statements so we can do our best to help relay this information and advice to students who ask questions about such topics.
Overall, this opportunity enabled CGS to meet new people and share ideas to help to improve all careers departments in the area. We hope we can use these meetings to make a bigger impact of careers at school and we look forward to hosting one in December.
Rose, Year 12
NEXT STEPS | CAREERS NEWSLETTER
WHAT HAPPENS IN SIXTH FORM LECTURES
In the Sixth Form, we have lectures from a variety of different speakers every week. Some of the most notable speakers we have had come in were Jane MacBean from the local council, who spoke about the Buckinghamshire Council, Heather Freckleton from Jaguar Land Rover talking about careers in Engineering, Lt David Nally, who spoke about his journey from school to becoming an officer in the army, and many more interesting speakers with a variety of different careers and pathways. These people come in to give Sixth Formers a talk on their careers, how they got there and life after CGS.
Not only did we have speakers who had already been through school but also Year 13 students speaking about their journey through the university applications process and how they made their decisions, as well as their own advice on work experiences and apprenticeships. These talks are aimed at enhancing the prospects of all Year 12 and 13 students. Multiple universities have sent someone in to speak about their university, the application process to give everyone the advice they need to get into university (if that is their choice). Furthermore, we have also had people talk about degree apprenticeships, and the benefits of these. Apprenticeships are a relatively new thing for most people, and these sixth form lectures have been very beneficial in giving students the opportunity to learn about these and where they are available. Not only have we had external speakers, but we have also had presentations from Mr Wescomb informing everyone about UCAS and writing personal statements.
Year 12
Y9 WORLD OF WORK DAY
The whole year group was split into 7 groups for interactive workshops run by Inside Knowledge trainers which focused on the skills and knowledge employers value such as effective communication, leadership, and teamwork.
The goal is to help our students further develop confidence and skills needed to successfully navigate their future lives and careers. It was great to see the groups working together throughout the day and presenting in teams at the end of the day showcasing what they had learnt.
WORK EXPERIENCE Y11 & Y12
Please can we remind students that once they have completed any work experience it needs to be logged on Unifrog as an activity.
For any students in Y11 who have set up work experience this summer, please can parents confirm what has been arranged by completing this form before students go on study leave. Thank you to those who have already completed the form.
https://forms.office.com/e/b7tTKu8MXh
PART-TIME OPPORTUNITY
A Year 13 student currently working at Brian Suttie Opticians in Chesham as a receptionist on a Saturday (8:15-15:30) is leaving for university so they are looking for someone to replace who is aged 16 or above.
Katie has worked there since October 2021 and loved it. If you are interested and would like to apply, please contact Divia (Practice Manager) on diviagudka@briansuttie.co.uk
Joe,
NEXT STEPS | CAREERS NEWSLETTER
Upcoming Opportunities
Please note all opportunities are shared with students via email along with any attachments linked to opportunities.
Virtual Routes into STEM Course
Students – Years 9 & 10/ S3-S4
• This course is running up until 2nd August and will take students approximately 20 hours to fully complete.
• A fantastic way to explore the different routes into a STEM career, including College Courses, University Courses, Apprenticeships and learning from industry what is involved in a STEM Career as well as enhancing your skills!
• This course is open to all abilities and will include live interactive sessions, allowing students to listen and ask questions to STEM students and professionals.
• Once completed students will receive an Industrial Cadets Bronze Award theseawardsare
PatronedbytheKing.
Virtual Insight into University Course
Students – Years 11,12 & 13/S5-S6
• This course is running up until 23rd August and will take students approximately 30 hours to fully complete.
• This course is a comprehensive virtual experience that allows students to explore STEM studies at University and the Career opportunities that these subjects lead to. It will also provide access to information on University and Student Life, STEM Projects and Activities set by leading UK Universities and Global STEM Companies. Also, First year Undergrad lectures and Live Interactive Lectures with Academics, Admissions Tutors, Employers and current Students!
• Once completed students will receive an Industrial Cadets Silver Award theseawardsare highlyrespectedintheSTEMindustryandaretheindustryequivalentofDofEPatronedbytheKing.
Applying for NHS work experience in Buckinghamshire 2024 – 25
The application dates to apply for work experience at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust for the new academic year have now been published. This is for Years 12 and 13 students (16+), usually based at Stoke Mandeville and Wycombe hospitals. The link will be posted on the Trust’s website when it goes live:
• See ‘apply for work experience’ at BrigHT Futures @BHT
• This summer is now fully booked, but students can apply for autumn term between Friday 24 August 2024 – Sunday 8 September 2024.
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust Open Day – Saturday 14 September
See behind the scenes at your local NHS at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust’s Open Day:
• Saturday 14 September 2024 from 9.15am – 2pm at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury
• Join hospital tours: National Spinal Injuries Centre, Ophthalmology, Pathology, Radiology, Theatres, Simulation Suite, Mortuary and more (tours bookable in advance)
• A chance to meet clinical teams and partner care organisations and join in activities – from a Makaton taster session to lung function testing
• Plus careers fair and talks for students interested in careers in healthcare: meet local universities and colleges and chat to the BrigHT futures @BHT team for advice and information on careers, work experience and volunteering
• Find out more and book tours
• View the Open Day flyer