Careers
Your career is the pathway you choose to follow through learning and work.
Beyond The Blue
The Careers Department at The Blue School is here to support students through the process of deciding what direction they would like to take when they leave school, and ensure that they develop the skills needed for a successful working life.
Our programme of Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance is progressive. From Year 7 onwards, students are encouraged to reflect on careers choices, have meaningful encounters with employers and experiences of the workplace and research their career path in structured learning time.
In Year 11 and Sixth Form, particularly intensive support is given to students making decisions about their Post-16 and 18 routes, including through meetings with independent careers advisors and workshops on different aspects of life and careers. We support students by hosting events which offer a full picture of opportunities in Higher Education, employment, Apprenticeships and other professional and technical qualifications.
Click here for the 2023/24 Careers Programme - this document is updated regularly.
Our school Careers Programme is designed to link to the Gatsby Benchmarks which have been accepted as best practice by the Government. They are:
1. A stable careers programme
2. Learning from careers and labour market information
3. Addressing the needs of each student
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
5. Encounters with employers and employees
6. Experiences of workplaces
7. Encounters with further and higher education
8. Personal guidance
We assess the school's careers provision against the Gatsby Benchmarks using the Compass+ tool, which enables us to track individual students' career interests and intended destinations, actual destinations, careers activities and keep a record of organisations that can support the school's careers provision.
We use Career Pilot to provide students with expert careers information and tools. Each student is provided with their own individual login and can use the programme to record qualifications, experiences and skills to map out their plan for the future.
We are a member of the Somerset Careers Hub and also work closely with the local Chamber of Commerce and Somerset Education Business Partnership to secure employer engagement and activities designed to encourage young people to find out and know more about local and national opportunities.
Careers Contacts
The school Careers Co-ordinator for our KS3 and KS4 students is Lisa Western. She is based in the Careers Office in Bailey and can be contacted by email at careers@theblueschoolwells.co.uk or by phoning 01749-678799 x228.
For KS5, our Co-ordinator is Sarah Rolfe. She is based in the Sixth Form Centre and can be contacted by email at sixthform@theblueschool.somerset.sch.uk or by phoning 01749-678799 x413.
The Senior Leadership Careers Lead is Adam Bilkey, he can be contacted at abilkey@theblueschool.somerset.sch.uk.
To arrange a one-to-one careers appointment for your child please email careers@theblueschoolwells.co.uk.
Our Careers Link Governor is Mrs Lesley Houlton.
We have a business Enterprise Adviser (EA), Mike Bristowe from Airbus, who is linked to our school and offers support from a business perspective on our careers curriculum.
You can call the National Careers Helpline to talk to an adviser about your career: 0800 100 900
Careers in the Curriculum
As well as facilitating careers activities in the school, teachers add careers information into their lessons to help students understand the variety of jobs on offer. Lesson content may also touch on employability skills, such as presentation, teamwork and leadership.
This co-ordinated approach ensures that key skills and knowledge about career options, progression and success are embedded in our curriculum from Year 7 to Year 13. This allows our pupils to make links in their learning as well as develop the ability to think deeply about what they are learning and how this may impact on their future, whatever they decide to do.
Please click the link below to view our Careers Statement