Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy is fully committed to achieving a highly successful Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance programme (CEIAG), across all year groups (Year 7 – Year 13). SCWA aims to support students to make informed choices about their future, enabling them to achieve positive destination pathways and to ultimately be successful in their chosen career field.
Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy works closely with multiple organisations, agencies, universities, employers and apprenticeship/traineeship providers to coordinate a robust careers programme that offers students up to date information alongside direct experience. We host and attend a wide variety of key career related events and have integrated careers education into the tutorial programme and curriculum to ensure students are continually exposed to the wide variety of options available. We also ensure that students receive current, up to date information / experiences of work and labour market information.
Careers In Focus NewsletterCareers Team
Careers Leader
Ms Sadie Green
Telephone: 02088507678
Email: sadie.green@scwa.org.uk
Careers Advisor and Work Experience Lead
Ms Anna Taylor-Carmody
Telephone: 02088507678
Email: anna.taylor-carmody@scwa.org.uk
Careers Education Guidelines
The Gatsby Benchmarks offer 8 guidelines that define the best careers provision in secondary schools. They act as a framework to ensure that schools provide students with the best possible careers education, information, advice and guidance. All careers education planning at Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy centres around the recommendations. The eight Gatsby benchmarks are:
- A stable careers programme
- Learning from career and labour market information
- Addressing the needs of each student
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experiences of the workplace
- Encounters with further and higher education
- Personal guidance
Raising of Participation Age
Students must continue with some form of accredited studying or learning while in education, training or employment until they are 18 years old.
Careers Provision at SCWA
During their time at Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy students are entitled to:
- A careers education programme: lessons, workshops, external speakers, work-related learning or taster days.
- Regular feedback on academic progress and how to improve so that goals can be achieved.
- Support to develop better self-awareness to help students recognise their own strengths, areas for development, skills, motivations, and abilities.
- Assistance when accessing and understanding information on open days, jobs, colleges, universities and apprenticeships.
- Information, advice and guidance on future career pathways
- An understanding of the opportunities that are available and how to access them, so they can make positive decisions for their future.
- Access to comprehensive, user-friendly web-based information to help decision making.
- Support with letters of application, filling in forms etc.
- Help with choices in years 8, 11 and 13.
The Academy’s provisional careers plan, per year group for the 2021-2022 academic year can be found below This is by no means an exhaustive list of all career related opportunities, but aims to provide an overview of some of the key activities and events that students will be involved in.
YEARS
Autumn Term
Careers in the curriculum drive and career champion appointment
MYP: Approaches to learning focus
Tutor programme: Careers google classroom launch
Parental communcation re: careers 2021-2022, google classroom, careers in the curriculum and unifrog
Google classroom weekly activities including job of the week
Eurpoean Languages Day Assembly with a careers focus
Tomorrow’s Engineers week
Careers in the curriculum audit
Spring Term
Tutor Programme: Unifrog launch and activities
Tutor Programme: Unifrog
Google classroom weekly activities including job of the week
7th- 13th Feb: National Apprenticeship Week activities
Apprenticeship assembly
7th- 12th March: National Careers Week activities
Careers in the Curriculum virtual experience
MYP: Service as action programme
Summer Term
Tutor Programme: Unifrog activities
Google classroom weekly activities including job of the week
Career Champions Project
Autumn Term
Careers in the curriculum drive and career champion appointment
MYP: Approaches to learning focus
Tutor programme: Careers google classroom launch
Parental communcation re: careers 2021-2022, google classroom, careers in the curriculum and unifrog
Google classroom weekly activities including job of the week
Eurpoean Languages Day Assembly with a careers focus
Tomorrow’s Engineers week
Careers in the curriculum audit
Spring Term
Tutor Programme: Unifrog launch and activities
Google classroom weekly activities including job of the week
7th- 13th Feb: National Apprenticeship Week activities
7th- 12th March: National Careers Week activities
Careers in the Curriculum virtual experience
STEM trip
MYP: Service as action programme
Summer Term
Tutor Programme: Unifrog activities
Google classroom weekly activities including job of the week
Assemblies – Local Providers: NKC, Hadlow College, Capal Manor College and LSEC.
Career Champions Project
Raising aspiration programme – AKA
Autumn Term
Careers in the curriculum drive and career champion appointment
MYP: Approaches to learning focus
Tutor programme: Careers google classroom launch
Parental communcation re: careers 2021-2022, google classroom, careers in the curriculum and unifrog
Google classroom weekly activities including job of the week
Eurpoean Languages Day Assembly with a careers focus
Tomorrow’s Engineers week
STEM experience
STEM club
Duke of Edinburgh launch
CCF launch
Careers in the curriculum audit
Spring Term
Tutor Programme: Unifrog launch and activities
Google classroom weekly activities including job of the week
7th- 13th Feb: National Apprenticeship Week activities
7th- 12th March: National Careers Week activities
Careers in the Curriculum virtual experience
Virtual work experience – 3 days
Assemblies – Local Providers (colleges and apprenticeships)
Duke of Edinburgh
MYP: Service as action programme
Summer Term
Tutor Programme: Unifrog activities
Google classroom weekly activities including job of the week
Post 14 Option Process
Career Champions Project
Apprentice Futures event
Raising aspiration programme – AKA
Globalbridge CV development sessions
Autumn Term
Careers in the curriculum drive and career champion appointment
Parental communcation re: careers 2021-2022, google classroom, careers in the curriculum and unifrog
Tutor programme: Careers google classroom launch
Google classroom weekly activities including job of the week
Tutor programme: unifrog launch and tutor sessions
Eurpoean Languages Day Assembly with a careers focus
Tomorrow’s Engineers week
STEM day – Thursday 18th November
Duke of Edinburgh launch
CCF launch
Streetwise Law sessions
Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge
Careers in the curriculum audit
Spring Term
Tutor Programme: Unifrog activities
Careers google classroom: Job of the week, careers newsletter and advertising of virtual WEX and insight opportunities
7th- 13th Feb: National Apprenticeship Week activities
Apprenticeship fair at SCWA
7th- 12th March: National Careers Week activities
Careers in the Curriculum virtual experience
Assemblies – Local Providers (colleges and apprenticeships)
Duke of Edinburgh
CCF
Skills 30:30 event
STEM experience
Streetwise Law sessions
Summer Term
Tutor Programme: Unifrog activities
Careers google classroom: Job of the week, careers newsletter and advertising of virtual WEX and insight opportunities
Life Skills Programme
Career Champions Project
Apprentice Futures event
Work Experience
Raising aspiration programme – AKA
Globalbridge CV development sessions
Autumn Term
Careers in the curriculum drive and career champion appointment
Tutor Programme: Post 16 option advice and guidance, open event promotion and google classroom launch.
Tutor Programme: Unifrog launch and tutor sessions
Arden Sixth Form marketing events
Local providers assemblies including NKC, Hadlow College and Shooters Hill
ASK apprenticeship assembly
Independent advice and guidance interviews with impartial level 6 trained careers advisor
Parental advice on Post 16 pathways and application processes.
Promotion of local providers open events
Google classroom activities
Student Leadership programme
Tomorrow’s Engineers week
Careers in the curriculum audit
Spring Term
Tutor Programme: Unifrog activities
Careers google classroom: Job of the week, careers newsletter and advertising of virtual WEX and insight opportunities
7th- 13th Feb: National Apprenticeship Week activities
Apprenticeship fair at SCWA
7th- 12th March: National Careers Week activities
Careers in the Curriculum virtual experience
Student Leadership opportunities
STEM experience
Summer Term
Tutor Programme: Unifrog activities
Careers google classroom: Job of the week, careers newsletter and advertising of virtual WEX and insight opportunities
Future’s Day including sessions from local apprenticeship providers, HE providers and universities
Raising aspiration programme – AKA
Stationers’ Freeman opportunity assembly and application form
Autumn Term
Careers in the curriculum drive and career champion appointment
Tutor Programme: Including Unifrog activities, Job of the Week and Careers Newsletter.
MyBank workshops
Key speaker: Entrepreniual session
Meet the Mentor – Stationers’ Mentoring Scheme Launch, Who are the Stationers’? session and Meet the Mentor event
Duke of Edinburgh launch
STEM: Chemistry and Biology Olympian
CCF Launch
Student Leadership programme
Globalbridge – CV development
Careers in the curriculum audit
Spring Term
Tutor Programme: Unifrog activities
Careers google classroom: Job of the week, careers newsletter and advertising of virtual WEX and insight opportunities
7th- 13th Feb: National Apprenticeship Week activities
Apprenticeship fair at SCWA
7th- 12th March: National Careers Week activities
Careers in the Curriculum virtual experience
UCAS and Apprenticeship Fair
Student Leadership opportunities
Duke of Edinburgh
CCF
STEM: Crest Award
Summer Term
Tutor Programme: Unifrog activities
Careers google classroom: Job of the week, careers newsletter and advertising of virtual WEX and insight opportunities
Future’s Day including sessions from local appreticeship providers, HE providers and universities
University Visit
Apprentice Futures event
Virtual work experience – 3 days
Open Events
Career Champions Project
Autumn Term
Careers in the curriculum drive and career champion appointment
Tutor Programme: Including Unifrog activities, Job of the Week and Careers Newsletter.
UCAS application support (including early applications, assessment support with UCAT, BMAT, LMAT, etc and interview support).
Post 18 information evening for parents (UCAS, Student FInance and Apprenticeship advice and guidance)
Independent advice and guidance interviews with impartial level 6 trained careers advisor
Personal statement support from Univeristy of Greenwich
Pre-UCAS Intevriew workshops with Ravensbourne University
Russell Group Promotion and Personal Statement support
Student Leadership programme
Skills sessions delivered by University of Greenwich
Globalbridge – CV development
Careers in the curriculum audit
Spring Term
Tutor Programme: Unifrog activities
Careers google classroom: Job of the week, careers newsletter and advertising of virtual WEX and insight opportunities
7th- 13th Feb: National Apprenticeship Week activities
Apprenticeship fair at SCWA
7th- 12th March: National Careers Week activities
Careers in the Curriculum virtual experience
UCAS application support (including interview support and student finance)
Student Leadership opportunities
Summer Term
Tutor Programme: Unifrog activities
Careers google classroom: Job of the week, careers newsletter and advertising of virtual WEX and insight opportunities
Stationers’ Freeman opportunity assembly and application form
How can you support the careers programme at SCWA?
There are a number of ways in which you or your company can support current students in developing their careers knowledge and understanding:
- Deliver a talk to our current students about your profession and company.
- Take part in a workshop, helping students with employability skills.
- Attend our careers fair to showcase your company.
Further information can be found in our provider access policy.
Measuring Impact: Destination Information
2021 Leavers Destination Information
The majority of our Year 11 leavers from 2021 went on to study at SIxth Form (62.5%), with Arden SIxth form at SCWA being the most popular choice. Other SIxth Form providers that students attended included:
- Shooters HIll SIxth Form College
- Beths Grammar School
- Chislhurst and Sidcup Grammar School
- Townley Grammar School
Many of our Year 11 leavers (23%) went on to study at colleges such as:
- North Kent College
- LSEC
- Capel Manor
The remaining students went on to secure roles as apprentices, gained scholarships or started traineeship programmes including:
- GEM Plumbing & Heating Company
- Oxford United Football Club
- Greenwich Council
- Welling Football Club
- Go Ahead Buses
- Street Vibes
The majority of our Year 13 leavers from 2021 went on to study at University or a HE college (67%). Students attend a wide variety of courses at a variety of HE providers including:
- King’s College, London – Accounting and Finance
- University College London – History
- University of Durham – Law
- University of Nottingham – Law
- Pearson Business School – Business and Marketing
- London School of Economics – Sociology
- Bristol University – Radiology and Oncology
- University Fashion Retail Academy – Marketing and Communication for Fashion
- Ravensbourne University – Digital Film Production
- North West Kent College – Level 4 – Drama
- University of Southampton – Psychology
- Birkbeck University – Foundation Year – Computing
- University of Southampton – History with a year abroad
- University of Southampton – History with a year abroad
- University of Nottingham – Finance, Accounting and Management
- UCFB University – Football Business and Media
- University of Greenwich – Primary Education with QTS
- University of Greenwich – Film Studies
- University of Kent – Business with a year abroad
- Southbank University – Diagnostic Radiography
- St George’s University – Clinical Pharmacology
- Coventry University – Adult Nursing
- Goldsmith University – Law
- University of Leicester – Criminology with Forensic Psychology
- Aston University – Engineering with Applied Science – Foundation Year
- University of Plymouth – Geology
Students also went on to secure employment, training and apprenticeships including:
- Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy Online Training CCPT
- Police Training
- Apprenticeship at Croft Nursery – Childcare
- Apprenticeship at Group M Digital Marketing – Commerce and Accounting
- Apprenticeship at Omnicom Media Group – Digital Marketing
- Apprenticeship at Eltham Podiatry – Podiatry
- Employment – Well Hall Pharmacy
- Employment – Queen Mary’s Hospital – Healthcare Assistant
Careers Events
SCWA is in a unique position to benefit from an extensive range of opportunities offered by our Trustees, The Worshipful Company of Stationers’ and Newspaper makers. One such opportunity is the Stationers’ Mentoring Programme. The scheme involves business leaders who volunteer their time to offer support and guidance on a wide range of education and career focused areas. The programme is targeted at Year 12 students and launches with a speed networking meeting to enable students to be matched with mentors which would be most beneficial to them. Students keep in regular contact with the mentors over the course of their time at Arden Sixth Form.
“The Stationers’ Mentoring Programme has helped me massively with narrowing down career choices, CV writing, interview techniques and many more assets which paints the picture of the future ahead of me. Each Stationer specialises in a wide range of careers, which allows you to match the mentor you bond with the most during the quick interview process. The interview has a ‘speed dating’ type style and allows you to highlight the mentor that you have an immediate connection with. Having that strong bond with your mentor, will allow you to progress to your maximum ability. There is a lot of discussion of what YOU as a student would like to do for a career, and there should be no pressure in making decisions, the Stationers’ are all warming people to talk to, and have amazing experiences which could make you stand out from the rest. My mentor and I have a great bond talking about current affairs, both of our interests and things we like to do for fun which makes the overall experience extremely worthwhile. It’s an outstanding opportunity and could possibly make a huge impact on your future, and you will certainly learn something new”
Alfie – Year 12
In 2019-2020 we ran our first Skills Event jointly hosted by the Stationers’ Livery Company, Leigh Academies Trust and Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy, Sixth Form and Year 10 students benefited from two targeted skills events. Year 12 and 13 students attended a ‘Brushing Up Your Skills’ event which involved a carousel of three interactive labs – Linkedin, interview skills and CV preparation. Each lab was hosted by an industry expert. Students were able to build up a useful portfolio of information for the future. Year 10 students participated in a ‘30:30 Skills’ event which involved training on how to effectively present yourself to potential employers followed by a practical task, where they applied what they had learnt when meeting a variety of different business leaders. Feedback from this event was so positive that we are looking to repeat the event this academic year, extending the event so that more year groups can benefit.
Our year 12 Film Studies students had the opportunity to join a live Zoom call with Documentary filmmaker Asif Kapadia. This event was organised through the British Film Institute, Kapadia gave students an insight into his career pathway and the process he goes through when making his films. He gave a detailed account of his film Amy which is one of our A Level Film set texts.
Students were given the opportunity to pose questions to Kapadia. We were very pleased that a question posed by one of our students was read out and answered by Kapadia.
A number of English Literature students attend the Stationers’ Company Virtual Literary Evening with Angela Clarke. Angela Clarke is a best-selling author of crime thrillers including On My Life (Hachette, 2019), Trust Me (HarperCollins, 2017), Watch Me (HarperCollins, 2016), and Follow Me (HarperCollins, 2015). Anglea has also written the humorous memoir Confessions Of A Fashionista (Penguin Random House, 2013). Angela is also a screenwriter who was one of five writers commissioned for BBC Three’s series five of The Break (BBC Studios, 2021). She wrote and performed the comedy short The Masseuse Who Pulled My Arm Out, for BBC Ouch’s Tales Of The Misunderstood (BBC Edinburgh Festival Stage / BBC iPlayer, 2017). For stage, she contributed a sketch to the Big Bite-Size Breakfast Show (The Pleasance, Edinburgh Festival 2016) and she wrote a one-hour dramedy The Legacy which was a sell-out at The Hope Theatre, London, 2015. Angela gave students an insight into the highs and lows of a being a writer and writing tips; including how to research when writing a book, how to write a page turner, how to write dialogue and synopsis and how to get your book published.
Year 10-13 students of Media and Film were invited to attend an online industry panel and careers talk with ILM (Industrial Light and Magic). ILM is an American motion picture visual effects company. ILM was founded by director George Lucas and is a division of the film production company Lucasfilm, it was created when Lucas began production of the film Star Wars. Our students had the opportunity to hear from different creative staff from Lucasfilm about the jobs they do with visual examples of the amazing projects and films they have worked on, such as Mandalorian. This session was met with really positive feedback, one of our year 13s said “the webinar today really inspired me and I have taken a huge interest in apprenticeships to do with media and film”.
18 providers, offering a wide range of apprenticeship and traineeship programmes, attended our in-house Apprenticeship Fair. Students from Year 10, 11 , 12 and 13 were invited to attend the fair and speak to the different providers. This enabled our students to gain a better understanding of the opportunities available and how to apply. This Apprenticeship Fair is a well established annual event at SCWA which receives excellent feedback from the students who attend.
The Progression Fair is a recurring annual event on the school calendar. All year 11 students attend the event which is held at Ravensbourne University in Greenwich. The aim of this trip is to ensure that students are well-informed of the different post 16 pathways available to them via presentations and access to a wide range of sixth form providers and colleges. Prior to the event students are briefed on what to expect and given guidance on what questions they might ask when talking to different sixth form providers and colleges. Representatives from every Post 16 sixth form and college in the borough of Greenwich attend, allowing students to talk to a wide range of providers to get bespoke advice and guidance on potential pathways.
SCWA were pleased to take part in this year’s Apprentice Future’s virtual event. Students signed up to take part in a wide variety of sessions covering a range of industry sectors including: Natwest: developing an entrepreneurial mindset, pathways to law, careers and skills in creative industries, a career in engineering, Evening Standard: a career in media, starting a small business and BT apprenticeships. The session offered a wealth of information regarding each sector including insights into the apprenticeship pathways available within the industry and offered advice and guidance on how to ensure success in a very competitive market.
The Academy has developed an excellent Alumni programme where former students offer current students a wide variety of support in areas such as: portfolio development for creative art course applications, key speaker advice on entrepreneurship and guidance on the application process for Medicine and Biomedical degree programmes.
The academy continually strives to improve it’s careers programme so that our students are well placed to compete in a global market beyond life at SCWA. To this end, we will be working on a new venture with globalbridge, a pioneering EdTech platform that specialises in connecting young people and education with employers, apprenticeships and universities. This will be launched across all year groups and will allow students to record and showcase themselves by creating a student profile that includes a student biography, current education/work status, experiences and education (similar to the National Record of Achievement). It will also provide students with connections to applicable career related opportunities, information and providers. A selection of students will also be invited to attend events, such as the FutureStar event hosted by globalbridge.
We have also recently subscribed to Unifrog. Unifrog is the complete destinations platform – a one-stop-shop for students across KS3, KS4 and KS5 regardless of their interests or academic ability. It is the only place where students can compare every university, apprenticeship and FE courses in the UK, as well as universities in 30 other countries across the world. Unifrog allows students to access up-to-date labour market information alongside advice and guidance on both subject choices and careers for all routes.
More information to follow!
Investors in Careers Statement
Investor in Careers is a nationally recognised organisation that issues the Quality of Careers Standards Award to schools that demonstrate high quality standards when it comes to the CEIAG programme that it provides. Investor in Careers Award holders must demonstrate a commitment to provide impartial, independent careers education, information, advice and guidance to all young people. Achievement of the Award is deemed to be one of the highest accolades an organisation can receive for excellence in this area of work. The Investor in Careers standard focuses on improving students’ awareness of opportunities, raising their aspirations and working with them to ensure they achieve their full potential. In July 2020, Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy began its journey towards attaining the Investors In Careers Quality of Careers Standards Award. To achieve this status, we will be working through the four stage process, demonstrating to the awarding body that we have a robust and stable careers programme which addresses the career learning needs of each student and prepares all students for choices, decisions and transitions.
For any enquiries, please contact the Careers Line Manager, Sadie Green via sadie.green@scwa.org.uk