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Careers Programme

Highworth's SIRIUS Careers Programme 2026-2027 is mapped to the Career Development Institute (CDI)'s framework. It incorporates all eight of the Gatsby Benchmarks. For a specific overview of what this involves for each year group, please use the pages below.

SIRIUS CAREERS PROGRAMME; (1)

The Careers Policy can be found under Policies on the website. This is reviewed and updated annually, in Term 6 of the academic year. The programme for 2026-27 will be available by Friday 17 July 2026.

The Careers Programme is evaluated three times a year using Compass +, a self-evaluation tool available via the Careers and Enterprise Company. We use these evaluations to assess the impact of our programme against the Gatsby Benchmarks.

Career activities within school are evaluated via Google Forms, these are sent out after an activity ends, and gather feedback from stakeholders including: students, teachers, parents and employers. We use these evaluations to ensure activties have met the desired aims and objectives.

For enquries about ways to engage with our programme, including any training providers offering technical education qualifications or apprenticeships; please see the Employer Engagement Opportunities page, or email our Careers Lead, Miss Hodges at a.hodges@highworth.kent.sch.uk

Year 7

	Grow throughout life	Explore possibilities	Manage career	Create opportunities	Balance life and work	See the big picture	Activities
1. A stable careers programme	Aim: Research different career ideas and Elevate your skillset Learning outcomes: Students have a broad knowledge of a range of jobs and pathways into them, including technical and vocational pathways Students are aware of employability skills and can relate their learning in school to developing their skill sets Students have had at least one meaningful encounter with an employer
2. Learning from career and labour market information	Provide examples of the value of learning and qualifications and their connection to career	Encourage exploration and analysis of information about the labour market	Illustrate common career challenges and examine how they can be overcome	Encourage exploration of entrepreneurship and self-employment as a career route	Raise awareness of rights and responsibilities and provide examples of different work-life balances	Provide labour market date, policies and issues for analysis and discussion	Careers lessons which introduce skills and how skills differ between different roles - PSHE Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme Introduction to Unifrog and tools to explore LMI - Induction Day
3. Addressing the needs of each student	Shows how recording achievements can support lifelong learning and reflection	Use destinations data to provide institutionally specific labour market information, career stories and alumni contacts Differentiate delivery to meet the needs of Pupil Premium and SEND students			Challenge stereotypes and their relationship to life roles, work-life balance and career destinations		Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme Introduction to Unifrog Interactions (and feedback) - Induction Day
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers	Curriculum highlights career learning content and identifies opportunities to address career						See CiC outline
5. Encounters with employers and employees	Visiting speakers talk about their experience in education, their qualifications and professional development	Visiting speakers talk about the roles available in their workplace and sector	Visiting speakers discuss the ways in which they have managed their own career	Entrepreneurs and other speakers who have changed careers to speak about their pathways and decisions behind change	Visiting speakers talk about what they do when they are not at work and how they balance the demands on their time	Politicians, campaigners, trade unionists and other experts talk about the politics of careers	Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme Computer Science/STEM Careers Fair Creative Writing Talk Step into the NHS Competition - Festive Day
6. Experience of the workplaces	Prepare students for experiences of work by helping them to develop questions to find out about the roles available in the workplaces, what qualifications people need to get those roles and how you progress within the organisation			Offer enterprise competitions and other experiences of entrepreneurship	Encourage students to use their experience of work to find out how others balance work with life	Students consider how the organisations they visit operate and what they contribute to society and the economy and why they might be lauded or criticised	Creative Writing Talk Step into the NHS Competition - Festive Day
7. Encounters with further and higher education	Use encounters to help support students to think about the relationship between learning, work and career	Create opportunities for pupils to find out more about the full range of educational and training pathways	Discuss the ways in which a commitment to lifelong learning can open up new opportunities and support progression		Recognise learning as part of life which people need to make time for	Discuss the politics and economics of the education system including who pays and why	Introduction to HE Assembly
8. Personal guidance	Use personal guidance as an opportunity to reflect on activities students have participated in, what career learning they have done, how this contributes to their longer term goals and what further support they need to put their plans into action.						Year 7 offered 1-to-1 meetings throughout the year. All meetings are logged as interactions on Unifrog

Year 8

	Grow throughout life	Explore possibilities	Manage career	Create opportunities	Balance life and work	See the big picture	Activities
1. A stable careers programme	Aim: Research different career ideas and Elevate your skillset Learning outcomes: Students have a broad knowledge of a range of jobs and pathways into them, including technical and vocational pathways Students are aware of employability skills and can relate their learning in school to developing their skill sets Students have had at least one meaningful encounter with an employer
2. Learning from career and labour market information	Provide examples of the value of learning and qualifications and their connection to career	Encourage exploration and analysis of information about the labour market	Illustrate common career challenges and examine how they can be overcome	Encourage exploration of entrepreneurship and self-employment as a career route	Raise awareness of rights and responsibilities and provide examples of different work-life balances	Provide labour market date, policies and issues for analysis and discussion	Careers lessons introduce the concept of LMI by talking about South East Industries - PSHE Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme
3. Addressing the needs of each student	Shows how recording achievements can support lifelong learning and reflection	Use destinations data to provide institutionally specific labour market information, career stories and alumni contacts Differentiate delivery to meet the needs of Pupil Premium and SEND students			Challenge stereotypes and their relationship to life roles, work-life balance and career destinations		Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme FE and Technical Education - Assembly
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers	Curriculum highlights career learning content and identifies opportunities to address career						See CiC outline
5. Encounters with employers and employees	Visiting speakers talk about their experience in education, their qualifications and professional development	Visiting speakers talk about the roles available in their workplace and sector	Visiting speakers discuss the ways in which they have managed their own career	Entrepreneurs and other speakers who have changed careers to speak about their pathways and decisions behind change	Visiting speakers talk about what they do when they are not at work and how they balance the demands on their time	Politicians, campaigners, trade unionists and other experts talk about the politics of careers	Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme Computer Science/STEM Careers Fair
6. Experience of the workplaces	Prepare students for experiences of work by helping them to develop questions to find out about the roles available in the workplaces, what qualifications people need to get those roles and how you progress within the organisation			Offer enterprise competitions and other experiences of entrepreneurship	Encourage students to use their experience of work to find out how others balance work with life	Students consider how the organisations they visit operate and what they contribute to society and the economy and why they might be lauded or criticised	Year 8 Harry Potter Trip
7. Encounters with further and higher education	Use encounters to help support students to think about the relationship between learning, work and career	Create opportunities for pupils to find out more about the full range of educational and training pathways	Discuss the ways in which a commitment to lifelong learning can open up new opportunities and support progression		Recognise learning as part of life which people need to make time for	Discuss the politics and economics of the education system including who pays and why	FE and Technical Education Assembly What is a university? - Talk
8. Personal guidance	Use personal guidance as an opportunity to reflect on activities students have participated in, what career learning they have done, how this contributes to their longer term goals and what further support they need to put their plans into action.						Year 8 offered 1-to-1 meetings throughout the year. All meetings are logged as interactions on Unifrog

Year 9

	Grow throughout life	Explore possibilities	Manage career	Create opportunities	Balance life and work	See the big picture	Activities
1. A stable careers programme	Aim: Actively network with employers Learning outcomes: Students have broad knowledge of a range of jobs and the pathways into them, including technical and vocational. Students have started to understand how recruitment processes work and how to succeed in them Students have experienced more than working environment and reflected on the skills, knowledge and behaviours they have learnt about
2. Learning from career and labour market information	Provide examples of the value of learning and qualifications and their connection to career	Encourage exploration and analysis of information about the labour market	Illustrate common career challenges and examine how they can be overcome	Encourage exploration of entrepreneurship and self-employment as a career route	Raise awareness of rights and responsibilities and provide examples of different work-life balances	Provide labour market date, policies and issues for analysis and discussion	Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme Computer Science/STEM Careers Fair Enterprise lessons - PSHE Year 9 Construct Your Future
3. Addressing the needs of each student	Shows how recording achievements can support lifelong learning and reflection	Use destinations data to provide institutionally specific labour market information, career stories and alumni contacts Differentiate delivery to meet the needs of Pupil Premium and SEND students			Challenge stereotypes and their relationship to life roles, work-life balance and career destinations		Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme FE and Technical Education - Assembly Year 9 Construct Your Future
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers	Curriculum highlights career learning content and identifies opportunities to address career						See CiC outline
5. Encounters with employers and employees	Visiting speakers talk about their experience in education, their qualifications and professional development	Visiting speakers talk about the roles available in their workplace and sector	Visiting speakers discuss the ways in which they have managed their own career	Entrepreneurs and other speakers who have changed careers to speak about their pathways and decisions behind change	Visiting speakers talk about what they do when they are not at work and how they balance the demands on their time	Politicians, campaigners, trade unionists and other experts talk about the politics of careers	Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme Computer Science/STEM Careers Fair Year 9 Construct Your Future
6. Experience of the workplaces	Prepare students for experiences of work by helping them to develop questions to find out about the roles available in the workplaces, what qualifications people need to get those roles and how you progress within the organisation			Offer enterprise competitions and other experiences of entrepreneurship	Encourage students to use their experience of work to find out how others balance work with life	Students consider how the organisations they visit operate and what they contribute to society and the economy and why they might be lauded or criticised	EBP Career workshops Enterprise lessons - PSHE Year 9 Construct Your Future
7. Encounters with further and higher education	Use encounters to help support students to think about the relationship between learning, work and career	Create opportunities for pupils to find out more about the full range of educational and training pathways	Discuss the ways in which a commitment to lifelong learning can open up new opportunities and support progression		Recognise learning as part of life which people need to make time for	Discuss the politics and economics of the education system including who pays and why	Computer Science/STEM Careers Fair FE and Technical Education - Assembly
8. Personal guidance	Use personal guidance as an opportunity to reflect on activities students have participated in, what career learning they have done, how this contributes to their longer term goals and what further support they need to put their plans into action.						Year 9 offered optional meetings with EBP to discuss GCSE options before deadline AMH present at GCSE Options Evening Year 9 offered 1-to-1 meetings throughout the year. All meetings are logged as interactions on Unifrog

Year 10

	Grow throughout life	Explore possibilities	Manage career	Create opportunities	Balance life and work	See the big picture	Activities
1. A stable careers programme	Aim: Actively network with employers, Cultivate a growth mindset Learning outcomes: Students have developed essential skills which will support them to transition into the workplace. Students have a deeper level of knowledge and understanding about pathways of careers in areas of interest Students understand how the local and national labour market is changing and how this might impact their career choices.
2. Learning from career and labour market information	Provide examples of the value of learning and qualifications and their connection to career	Encourage exploration and analysis of information about the labour market	Illustrate common career challenges and examine how they can be overcome	Encourage exploration of entrepreneurship and self-employment as a career route	Raise awareness of rights and responsibilities and provide examples of different work-life balances	Provide labour market date, policies and issues for analysis and discussion	Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme Computer Science/STEM Careers Fair SIRIUS Focus Day Y10 WEx
3. Addressing the needs of each student	Shows how recording achievements can support lifelong learning and reflection	Use destinations data to provide institutionally specific labour market information, career stories and alumni contacts Differentiate delivery to meet the needs of Pupil Premium and SEND students			Challenge stereotypes and their relationship to life roles, work-life balance and career destinations		Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme SIRIUS Focus Day
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers	Curriculum highlights career learning content and identifies opportunities to address career						See CiC outline
5. Encounters with employers and employees	Visiting speakers talk about their experience in education, their qualifications and professional development	Visiting speakers talk about the roles available in their workplace and sector	Visiting speakers discuss the ways in which they have managed their own career	Entrepreneurs and other speakers who have changed careers to speak about their pathways and decisions behind change	Visiting speakers talk about what they do when they are not at work and how they balance the demands on their time	Politicians, campaigners, trade unionists and other experts talk about the politics of careers	Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Computer Science/STEM Careers Fair
6. Experience of the workplaces	Prepare students for experiences of work by helping them to develop questions to find out about the roles available in the workplaces, what qualifications people need to get those roles and how you progress within the organisation			Offer enterprise competitions and other experiences of entrepreneurship	Encourage students to use their experience of work to find out how others balance work with life	Students consider how the organisations they visit operate and what they contribute to society and the economy and why they might be lauded or criticised	Interview Day SIRIUS Focus Day WEx assembly Y10 WEx
7. Encounters with further and higher education	Use encounters to help support students to think about the relationship between learning, work and career	Create opportunities for pupils to find out more about the full range of educational and training pathways	Discuss the ways in which a commitment to lifelong learning can open up new opportunities and support progression		Recognise learning as part of life which people need to make time for	Discuss the politics and economics of the education system including who pays and why	HE Visit SIRIUS Focus Day
8. Personal guidance	Use personal guidance as an opportunity to reflect on activities students have participated in, what career learning they have done, how this contributes to their longer term goals and what further support they need to put their plans into action.						Year 10 mandatory group guidance meetings. Year 10 offered 1-to-1 meetings throughout the year. All meetings are logged as interactions on Unifrog

Year 11

	Grow throughout life	Explore possibilities	Manage career	Create opportunities	Balance life and work	See the big picture	Activities
1. A stable careers programme	Aim: Cultivate a growth mindset. Hone your personal brand Learning outcomes: Students have developed essential skills which will support them to transition into the workplace. Students have a deeper level of knowledge and understanding about pathways of careers in areas of interest Students understand how the local and national labour market is changing and how this might impact their career choices. Students can evidence where they have applied knowledge and skills within the world of work and use these experiences to make informed career choices.
2. Learning from career and labour market information	Provide examples of the value of learning and qualifications and their connection to career	Encourage exploration and analysis of information about the labour market	Illustrate common career challenges and examine how they can be overcome	Encourage exploration of entrepreneurship and self-employment as a career route	Raise awareness of rights and responsibilities and provide examples of different work-life balances	Provide labour market date, policies and issues for analysis and discussion	Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme Computer Science/STEM Careers Fair
3. Addressing the needs of each student	Shows how recording achievements can support lifelong learning and reflection	Use destinations data to provide institutionally specific labour market information, career stories and alumni contacts Differentiate delivery to meet the needs of Pupil Premium and SEND students			Challenge stereotypes and their relationship to life roles, work-life balance and career destinations		Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme SIRIUS Focus Day
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers	Curriculum highlights career learning content and identifies opportunities to address career						See CiC outline
5. Encounters with employers and employees	Visiting speakers talk about their experience in education, their qualifications and professional development	Visiting speakers talk about the roles available in their workplace and sector	Visiting speakers discuss the ways in which they have managed their own career	Entrepreneurs and other speakers who have changed careers to speak about their pathways and decisions behind change	Visiting speakers talk about what they do when they are not at work and how they balance the demands on their time	Politicians, campaigners, trade unionists and other experts talk about the politics of careers	Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme Computer Science/STEM Careers Fair
6. Experience of the workplaces	Prepare students for experiences of work by helping them to develop questions to find out about the roles available in the workplaces, what qualifications people need to get those roles and how you progress within the organisation			Offer enterprise competitions and other experiences of entrepreneurship	Encourage students to use their experience of work to find out how others balance work with life	Students consider how the organisations they visit operate and what they contribute to society and the economy and why they might be lauded or criticised	Covered Y7 - Y10
7. Encounters with further and higher education	Use encounters to help support students to think about the relationship between learning, work and career	Create opportunities for pupils to find out more about the full range of educational and training pathways	Discuss the ways in which a commitment to lifelong learning can open up new opportunities and support progression		Recognise learning as part of life which people need to make time for	Discuss the politics and economics of the education system including who pays and why	SIRIUS Focus Day
8. Personal guidance	Use personal guidance as an opportunity to reflect on activities students have participated in, what career learning they have done, how this contributes to their longer term goals and what further support they need to put their plans into action.						Year 11 offered 1-to-1 meetings throughout the year. All meetings are logged as interactions on Unifrog

Year 12 and Year 13

YEAR 12

	Grow throughout life	Explore possibilities	Manage career	Create opportunities	Balance life and work	See the big picture	Activities
1. A stable careers programme	Aim: Actively network with employers. Cultivate a growth mindset. Hone your personal brand Learning outcomes: Students have a well developed understanding of local and national labour markets and use this knowledge to make informed Post 18 choices. Students have completed multiple experiences within the world of work and have reflected on how these experiences have shaped their Post 18 decision making. Students feel fully prepared for their next steps
2. Learning from career and labour market information	Provide examples of the value of learning and qualifications and their connection to career	Encourage exploration and analysis of information about the labour market	Illustrate common career challenges and examine how they can be overcome	Encourage exploration of entrepreneurship and self-employment as a career route	Raise awareness of rights and responsibilities and provide examples of different work-life balances	Provide labour market date, policies and issues for analysis and discussion	Applying to Competitive Universities Assembly Higher and Degree Apprenticeships Assembly Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme Computer Science/STEM Careers Fair Create Your Future trip Futures Focus Day Higher Technical Qualifications Assembly LMI Assembly Maidstone Apprenticeship Fair trip Summer Schools Assembly UCAS Detling Trip Unions Assembly
3. Addressing the needs of each student	Shows how recording achievements can support lifelong learning and reflection	Use destinations data to provide institutionally specific labour market information, career stories and alumni contacts Differentiate delivery to meet the needs of Pupil Premium and SEND students			Challenge stereotypes and their relationship to life roles, work-life balance and career destinations		Alumni apprenticeship talks Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme Futures Focus Day LMI Assembly Mini HE Fair Personal statement workshops
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers	Curriculum highlights career learning content and identifies opportunities to address career						See CiC outline
5. Encounters with employers and employees	Visiting speakers talk about their experience in education, their qualifications and professional development	Visiting speakers talk about the roles available in their workplace and sector	Visiting speakers discuss the ways in which they have managed their own career	Entrepreneurs and other speakers who have changed careers to speak about their pathways and decisions behind change	Visiting speakers talk about what they do when they are not at work and how they balance the demands on their time	Politicians, campaigners, trade unionists and other experts talk about the politics of careers	Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme
6. Experience of the workplaces	Prepare students for experiences of work by helping them to develop questions to find out about the roles available in the workplaces, what qualifications people need to get those roles and how you progress within the organisation			Offer enterprise competitions and other experiences of entrepreneurship	Encourage students to use their experience of work to find out how others balance work with life	Students consider how the organisations they visit operate and what they contribute to society and the economy and why they might be lauded or criticised	Futures Focus Day Preparing for Interview Assembly WEx Assembly Y12 Interview Day Y12 WEx
7. Encounters with further and higher education	Use encounters to help support students to think about the relationship between learning, work and career	Create opportunities for pupils to find out more about the full range of educational and training pathways	Discuss the ways in which a commitment to lifelong learning can open up new opportunities and support progression		Recognise learning as part of life which people need to make time for	Discuss the politics and economics of the education system including who pays and why	Alumni apprenticeship talks Futures Focus Day Induction Day - Unifrog Mini HE Fair
8. Personal guidance	Use personal guidance as an opportunity to reflect on activities students have participated in, what career learning they have done, how this contributes to their longer term goals and what further support they need to put their plans into action.						Mandatory group guidance appointments Year 12 offered 1-to-1 meetings throughout the year. All meetings are logged as interactions on Unifrog

YEAR 13

	Grow throughout life	Explore possibilities	Manage career	Create opportunities	Balance life and work	See the big picture	Activities
1. A stable careers programme	Aim: Actively network with employers. Cultivate a growth mindset. Hone your personal brand Learning outcomes: Students have reflected on their knowledge regarding Post-18 options and are pursuing the one best suited to their aspirations Students have acquired knowledge of recruitment processes and possess the confidence to succeed in these.
2. Learning from career and labour market information	Provide examples of the value of learning and qualifications and their connection to career	Encourage exploration and analysis of information about the labour market	Illustrate common career challenges and examine how they can be overcome	Encourage exploration of entrepreneurship and self-employment as a career route	Raise awareness of rights and responsibilities and provide examples of different work-life balances	Provide labour market date, policies and issues for analysis and discussion	Computer Science/STEM Careers Fair
3. Addressing the needs of each student	Shows how recording achievements can support lifelong learning and reflection	Use destinations data to provide institutionally specific labour market information, career stories and alumni contacts Differentiate delivery to meet the needs of Pupil Premium and SEND students			Challenge stereotypes and their relationship to life roles, work-life balance and career destinations		Alumni apprenticeship talks Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers	Curriculum highlights career learning content and identifies opportunities to address career						See CiC outline
5. Encounters with employers and employees	Visiting speakers talk about their experience in education, their qualifications and professional development	Visiting speakers talk about the roles available in their workplace and sector	Visiting speakers discuss the ways in which they have managed their own career	Entrepreneurs and other speakers who have changed careers to speak about their pathways and decisions behind change	Visiting speakers talk about what they do when they are not at work and how they balance the demands on their time	Politicians, campaigners, trade unionists and other experts talk about the politics of careers	Career Talks (recorded for those who miss the live talk) - Mentor Programme Computer Science/STEM Careers Fair
6. Experience of the workplaces	Prepare students for experiences of work by helping them to develop questions to find out about the roles available in the workplaces, what qualifications people need to get those roles and how you progress within the organisation			Offer enterprise competitions and other experiences of entrepreneurship	Encourage students to use their experience of work to find out how others balance work with life	Students consider how the organisations they visit operate and what they contribute to society and the economy and why they might be lauded or criticised	Covered in Y12
7. Encounters with further and higher education	Use encounters to help support students to think about the relationship between learning, work and career	Create opportunities for pupils to find out more about the full range of educational and training pathways	Discuss the ways in which a commitment to lifelong learning can open up new opportunities and support progression		Recognise learning as part of life which people need to make time for	Discuss the politics and economics of the education system including who pays and why	Alumni apprenticeship talks Enrichment
8. Personal guidance	Use personal guidance as an opportunity to reflect on activities students have participated in, what career learning they have done, how this contributes to their longer term goals and what further support they need to put their plans into action.						Year 13 offered 1-to-1 meetings throughout the year. All meetings are logged as interactions on Unifrog

Reach for the Stars

Our school motto is what we encourage our students to do and at Highworth we promote a community where all members are:

Reflectivecreative and innovative
Eagerfor life-long learning
Aimingto achieve their full potential
Considerateconfident, independent individuals
Happyin a caring, respectful community

Contact Us

Headteacher: Duncan Beer

Maidstone Road, Ashford, Kent, TN24 8UD

01233 624910
office@highworth.kent.sch.uk

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