Careers

At John Kyrle High School we are proud of our students and do everything we can to help them prepare for the future. All staff do their very best to ensure every one of our students is happy, healthy and successful. We are committed to providing all our students in Years 7 to 13 with a programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance. All students are encouraged to make informed decisions whilst investigating possible career choices. We aim to inspire our young people through their experience of the whole curriculum whilst raising aspiration and providing quality and diversity.

Careers education is delivered by tutors in all year groups, in conjunction with the school’s dedicated careers programme.

The careers programme also incorporates Unifrog, a single, impartial, user-friendly platform that helps students to make the best choices, and submit the strongest applications.

Unifrog is a one-stop-shop for students across all year groups regardless of academic ability.

There are many strengths to Unifrog, including great layout, intuitive design and ease of use. Staff are an integral part of the process and they can track and encourage students to search for and compare opportunities available to them.

Year 7 students reflect on the skills they already have and learn to develop new skills required by future employers in the wider world.
Year 8 students continue this process, moving on to STEM and inspirational role models in the world of work.
Year 9 is options year, when students choose which subjects to study at GCSE. Option choices are looked at in depth alongside careers and the world of work.
In Year 10, Hereford and Ludlow College and Gloucestershire College visit JKHS to deliver informative assemblies. Students are able to access further information from a variety of visiting colleges, employers and members of the armed forces during drop-in sessions which take place every half-term at lunchtimes. Post-16 qualifications are explored further.
Year 11 students have dedicated one-to-one interviews with our careers advisor, Mrs Knapper, who is able to discuss options and provide information on A levels, college courses and apprenticeships.
In addition, Year 11s receive information from local training providers and colleges via assemblies. Furthermore, they too have access to drop-in sessions which are held at lunchtimes every half-term, enabling them to receive first hand information from visiting training providers, colleges, employers and the armed forces.

Personal guidance Personal guidance describes the one-to-one interactions which take place between Mrs Knapper as the careers advisor and the student. Mrs Knapper is trained to help young people know themselves, and engage with their career, hopes and aspirations. She supports them in assessing realistic options for a meaningful future in the world of education, training and work.

What is the impact of the careers programme on students at John Kyrle High School? NEET figures show that 2.8% of the Year 11 cohort (2023) are Neither in Education, Employment or Training. This demonstrates the high quality impartial advice and guidance being given to every student when selecting subjects, courses and other relevant pathways beyond school.

Over 400 students and parents/carers attend the annual careers convention, where approximately 45 further education, higher education and employers are present. Impact can be seen in the quality of conversation held by students when investigating possible career choices as well as discussion surrounding their personal development, education and training.
John Kyrle Sixth Form was graded top 2% nationally by the ALPS organisation for its 2019 results. Careers provision plays a key role in motivating students and helping them realise their ambitions. Impact is seen in university entrance which stands at over 85% of the year group with 30% of applicants ultimately attending Russell Group institutes including Oxbridge. Our students also access higher apprenticeships with national and international firms, undertake charitable work globally on gap years and some go to Higher Education college particularly for Art Foundation. Careers provisions is essential in fostering and realising these ambitions and parents / carers play an invaluable part in this process. Should any parent / carer wish to meet with Mrs Knapper, please contact her at John Kyrle.

Curriculum links at John Kyrle High School All staff link curriculum with careers, and at John Kyrle High School we are committed to bringing subjects to life. We do this by promoting transferable skills such as teamwork and good communication. Careers aspirations are discussed in class as to how a particular subject might be linked to a career. Real life scenarios are also set to expand students' familiarity with different jobs and careers.

Careers convention At John Kyrle we hold an annual careers convention. This is our flagship careers event and attracts a host of universities from all over the country, as well as colleges from Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. We also have many local and national employers in attendance, plus local training providers to discuss apprenticeship opportunities.

Post-16 providers Our careers department works very closely with a number of providers throughout Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to enhance the opportunities available to John Kyrle students. During Year 11 students are given one-to-one support to discuss college courses and to ensure they are fully aware of the choices available to them.

Mrs Knapper, our careers advisor, would like you to be aware that, if after your interview/s you are offered more than one place, you should accept them both and wait until you receive your results in August before making any final decision as to which route you wish to take.

Apprenticeships Our careers department works very closely with a number of training providers throughout Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, to assist our students towards the next step on their chosen career programme.

During Year 11, students are given one-to-one support to discuss training providers who support apprenticeships in their chosen career path and apprenticeship vacancies that are available to them locally.

Mrs Knapper, our careers advisor, advises that apprenticeship applications are ongoing with more vacancies being advertised from Easter onwards. Furthermore, national companies have earlier closing dates and, therefore, students need to search specific company websites for more information.

Work experience At John Kyrle High School we value work experience and we are able to assist students with a bespoke package appropriate to their future career plans.

Any potential work placement should be discussed with Mrs Knapper at least 14 days in advance of the potential start date. Paperwork relevant to the placement has to be completed and returned to Mrs Knapper, for approval by senior staff who will look at each request on an individual basis.

Previous placements include: Hereford Hospital, Royal National college for the Blind, Gloucestershire County Council, Ross Gazette, Harrison Clarke Rickerbys, PGL and Ross Court. Students who have undertaken work experience speak highly of it.

The Gatsby Benchmark At John Kyrle we use the Gatsby Benchmark as a framework of eight guidelines to ensure the best careers provision. Our careers strategy is built around them and we use them to plan and improve our programme.

To contact Mrs Knapper, please email hayleyknapper@jkhs.org.uk

If you wish to view further information on apprenticeships or careers, please click on the links below: