Welcome to the Careers, Higher Education and Work Experience Department.
The core philosophy of the St Helen's Careers Department is to enable students to make the best decisions for their future careers and motivate them to implement these plans successfully.
Each student is helped to develop an understanding of the world of work and knowledge of the careers likely to suit her individual talents and skills. She is encouraged to make subject choices in line with her personal strengths and enthusiasms but within a context of knowledge about specific requirements made by the more prescriptive career paths. The carefully structured careers programme is enhanced by input from external careers agencies and joint initiatives with other schools. The purpose built Careers library holds a wide range of publications, information and computer resources and is open for use during the school day. Members of staff are available for consultation. The process of impartial advice and guidance begins in Year 7. Careers sessions are an integral part of the PSHE programme and are consistent with national curriculum guidelines. At St Helen’s these sessions may take the form of class discussion, personal reflection, structured use of the internet and careers guidance software such as Fast Tomato, Higher Ideas and Prefinio, and, where appropriate, individual guidance and advice. In Year 9 advice is available about the implications of GCSE choices for A level and university admissions whilst encouraging girls to make subject choices in line with personal strengths and enthusiasms. In Year 10, girls are also offered the opportunity to take Morrisby psychometric profiling leading to an interview in Year 11 with a careers advisor from either the Independent Schools Careers Organisation (ISCO) or the local Connexions service. Girls from Year 10 upwards also have the opportunity to attend the joint Abingdon Schools’ Careers Convention. In Year 11 each girl has an individual interview with a member of the careers team, which focuses on AS choices, careers and university research and work experience. Work experience is a compulsory feature of the programme for Year 11 girls and at least one week is arranged for each girl at this stage. More than 170 work experience placements have been arranged over the past academic year in a wide variety of professions, from medical research to working with the editorial staff of a teen magazine. Further work experience is also promoted for Upper School (sixth form) girls as they prepare for university courses.
The higher education team provides a full programme of information, advice and guidance to prepare and support girls once they have left St Helen’s. Individual interviews take place in US1 which focus on the choices available and one to one support and guidance continues throughout the university application process. A Higher Education Information Evening for girls and their parents prepares them for the UCAS procedure and practice interviews are offered in US2. The team includes specialists in applications to American and other universities overseas and in applications to medical schools and veterinary colleges as well as other non A level degree subjects. The school has built up strong links with universities and colleges and keeps abreast of the rapidly changing application procedures through representation on the UCAS Service Advisory Group. We have the resources and expertise to conduct research into application patterns with which we inform our advice. Many parents, SHSK alumni and friends of the school share their expertise through our extensive practice interview programme and careers and HE consultations. Attention to the welfare of the girls extends beyond school and there is a well managed support process in place for those applying post A level. St Helen’s stands out as offering full and expert guidance on all aspects of successful applications to university, built on many years of experience working with our very able pupils.
‘Investors in Careers’ award reflects the excellence in careers education throughout the school from Year 7 upwards. “Evidence for this reassessment was of the highest standard...The school are strongly committed to providing quality CEG and this was evident during the assessment process” Key strengths:
Click here to see the universities and courses chosen by our Upper School leavers