Highworth's SIRIUS Careers Programme 2023-2024 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.
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 2025-26 will be available by Friday 18 July 2025.
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 careers@highworth.kent.sch.uk
Year 7
Intent:
Implementation:
| |
Terms 1 and 2 |
Terms 3 and 4 |
Terms 5 and 6 |
| Activities |
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- Career Talks (Mentor, fortnightly)
- Introduction to SIRIUS Programme (Induction Day)
- Unifrog (Mentor)
- Personality quiz
- Interests quiz
- Skills quiz
- Goal setting and vision
|
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- Careers Fair (Biennial)
- Career Talks (Mentor, fortnightly)
- One - to - one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
- One- to - one guidance appointments with EBP (optional)
- Unifrog (Mentor)
|
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- SIRIUS PSHE lessons
- One - to - one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
- One- to - one guidance appointments with EBP (optional)
- Unifrog (Mentor time)
- Green jobs
- Leadership
- Skills and your future
|
Year 8
Intent:
Implementation:
| |
Terms 1 and 2 |
Terms 3 and 4 |
Terms 5 and 6 |
| Activities |
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- Career Talks (Mentor, fortnightly)
- One-to-one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
- Unifrog (Mentor)
- Personality quiz
- Interests quiz
- Skills quiz
- Goal setting and vision
|
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- Careers Fair (Biennial)
- Career Talks (Mentor, fortnightly)
- FE and Apprenticeship assembly (Biennial)
- SIRIUS PSHE lessons
- One-to-one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
- One- to- one guidance appointments with EBP (optional)
- Unifrog (Mentor)
|
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- Introduction to HE session
- One-to-one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
- One- to- one guidance appointments with EBP (optional)
- Unifrog (Mentor)
- Green jobs
- Networking
- Leadership
- Skills and your future
|
Year 9
Intent:
Implementation:
| |
Terms 1 and 2 |
Terms 3 and 4 |
Terms 5 and 6 |
| Activities |
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- Career Talks (Mentor, fortnightly)
- Ambassadors Programme Assembly
- Unifrog (Mentor)
- Personality quiz
- Interests quiz
- Skills quiz
- Goal setting and vision
|
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- Careers Fair (Biennial)
- Career Talks (Mentor, fortnightly)
- Year 9 Careers Survey
- HGS GCSE Options Evening
- One- to- one guidance appointments with EBP (optional)
- One - to - one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
- SIRIUS PSHE Lessons
- FE and Apprenticeships assembly (Biennial)
- Unifrog (Mentor)
|
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- One - to - one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
- Unifrog (Mentor)
- Green jobs
- Leadership
- Skills and your future
|
Year 10
Intent:
Implementation:
| |
Terms 1 and 2 |
Terms 3 and 4 |
Terms 5 and 6 |
| Activities |
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- Career Talks (Mentor, fortnightly)
- Work Experience Assembly
- One - to - one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
- One- to - one guidance appointments with EBP (optional)
- Unifrog (Mentor)
- Personality quiz
- Interests quiz
- Skills quiz
- Goal setting and vision
|
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- Career Talks (Mentor, fortnightly)
- Careers Fair (Biennial)
- SIRIUS Focus Day
- One - to - one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
- One- to - one guidance appointments with EBP (optional)
- Unifrog (Mentor)
|
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- EBP group guidance appointments (mandatory for all students)
- One - to - one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
- World of Work: Self organised work experience placements
- World of Work: Make It Work workshops
- Unifrog (Mentor)
- Green jobs
- Leadership
- Skills and your future
|
Year 11
Intent:
Implementation:
| |
Terms 1 and 2 |
Terms 3 and 4 |
Terms 5 and 6 |
| Activities |
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- Career Talks (Mentor, fortnightly)
- One - to - one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
- One - to- one guidance appointments with EBP (optional)
- SIRIUS Focus Day
- Next Steps Magazine issued
- Kent Choices assembly
- HE trip to university (all)
- Unifrog (Mentor)
- Personality quiz
- Interests quiz
- Skills quiz
- Goal setting and vision
|
- CiC
- Career Talks (Mentor, fortnightly)
- Careers Fair (Biennial)
- One - to - one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
- One - to- one guidance appointments with EBP (optional)
- Post-PPE meetings with SLT (all)
- Sixth Form Open Evening
- St Hugh's College, Oxford trip (selected students)
- Unifrog (Mentor)
|
- CiC
- Unifrog (Mentor time)
|
* ‘The Next Step’ covers a variety of post 16 choices, work experience information, volunteering opportunities, local Sixth Form options, apprenticeship advice, further and higher education information and tips for job interviews and CV writing.
Year 12 and Year 13
Year 12
Intent: Happy, confident and prepared for their next steps
Implementation:
| |
Terms 1 and 2 |
Terms 3 and 4 |
Terms 5 and 6 |
| Activities |
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- Career Talks (Mentor, fortnightly)
- Co-curricular (lunchtime)
- Enrichment
- One - to - one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
- One - to- one guidance appointments with EBP (optional)
- Higher and degree apprenticeships assembly
- Work experience/Unifrog/Research Year Assembly (Induction Day)
- Coffee morning (New Y12 students)
- Higher Technical Qualifications assembly
- Unifrog (Mentor)
- Personality quiz
- Interests quiz
- Skills quiz
- Goal setting and vision
|
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- Career Talks (Mentor, fortnightly)
- Co-curricular (lunchtime)
- Enrichment
- EBP group guidance appointments (All)
- One - to - one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
- Summer Schools Assembly
- Global Careers- LMI Assembly
- CVs Assembly
- Unions Assembly
- Subject/Community Coaching Assembly
- Prefects Assembly
- Maidstone Apprenticeship Fair (Optional)
- Careers Fair (Biennial)
- SEND University trip
- Unifrog (Mentor)
- Researching work experience
|
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- Co-curricular (lunchtime)
- One - to - one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
- One - to- one guidance appointments with EBP (optional)
- Futures assembly
- Personal Statement assembly
- Year 12 Interview Day
- UCAS Detling Trip (All)
- University Open Days (self-led trips)
- Futures Focus Day
- Year 12 Work Experience (self-organised)
- Unifrog (Mentor time)
|
Year 13
Intent: Happy, confident and prepared for their next steps
Implementation:
| |
Terms 1 and 2 |
Terms 3 and 4 |
Term 5 |
| Activities |
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- Career Talks (Mentor, fortnightly)
- Co-curricular (lunchtime)
- One - to - one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
- One - to- one guidance appointments with EBP (optional)
- University open days (Self-led trips)
- Personal Statement workshops (Optional)
- Unifrog (Mentor)
- Personality quiz
- Interests quiz
- Skills quiz
- Goal setting and vision
|
- CiC
- Subject specific trips
- Career Talks (Mentor, fortnightly)
- Co-curricular (lunchtime)
- One - to - one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
- One - to- one guidance appointments with EBP (optional)
- Maidstone Apprenticeship Fair (Optional)
- Careers Fair (Biennial)
- Unifrog (Mentor)
|
- CiC
- One - to - one guidance appointments with Careers Lead (optional)
|
