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St Swithun's is committed to providing all students with a world-class careers and guidance programme that motivates them to raise ambition, is tailored to the individual, and inspires them to consider careers that reflect recent developments in the labour market and higher education. |
Our programme is fully aligned with the Gatsby Benchmarks for ‘Good Career Guidance’ and complies with the DfE's statutory guidance and the CDI Career Development Framework. These are delivered through the school curriculum Thrive, our tutor programme, and by linking our subject curriculum learning to careers.
We continually evaluate the effectiveness of the support and programme, getting feedback from teachers, students, parents, and employers. careers and guidance programme complements other school programmes, including HPL, Positive Education, and Girls on Board.
We are committed to working towards accreditation of the Quality in Careers standard. The Quality in Careers standard is one of the highest accolades an educational provider can receive for excellence in this area of work, and we will be very proud to obtain such an award. We aim to deliver high-quality career education, information, advice, and guidance (CEIAG) from L4 to U6.
We provide outstanding, impartial advice for young people and strive to give our students access to information that can give them stepping stones to their future. Every student can access many interactive tools and invaluable resources, including our Futures SharePoint and the Morrisby Careers Platform. The students can use the Morrisby platform to access career and labour market information and create individual achievement records.
Our Higher Education and Student Guidance Department offers personalised support to each student. We believe in students designing their lives with the power of personal development through experiential learning and self-reflection. This empowers them to take control of their career journey and make informed decisions. In addition to meetings when making decisions about their GCSE and A-level curriculum, any student can organise a one-to-one meeting to assist them in developing their plan and exploring future education or career options.
We actively promote that all paths are open to our students — especially sectors where women are still underrepresented including STEM and finance. We have developed valuable links with industry groups and employers to provide students with opportunities to explore these areas, including the GAIN investment challenge and the CREST award.
During the year, pupils have several first-hand experiences of becoming entrepreneurs. All students can access support and gain experience through a weekly Enterprise Club and Enterprise days, where they can get guidance with developing their ideas, how to source their materials, manage finances, prepare sales pitches, and plan and run selling events. Each year, several student groups will complete the Tycoon Challenge.
A central part of our careers programme is the students' multiple meaningful encounters with employers. These can range from trips, lectures, workshops, career networking events, career fairs and work experience. We currently organise work experience placements for U5 students after they have completed their GCSEs. The placements are in a range of settings, from dynamic small businesses and hospitals to world-renowned companies. In 2025, we are extending the opportunities available to the students through a Take Your Daughter to Work scheme for our L5 students, and all L6 should undertake at least one work placement to gain valuable skills and to inform their decision-making. A number of the students will further develop their personal skills and gain experience through volunteering in the local community.
Placements span diverse sectors, including:
- Accountancy
- Architecture
- Computer science
- Engineering
- Finance and banking
- HR
- Law
- Marketing and PR
- Media
- Medicine and healthcare sciences
- Scientific research
- Technology
The Development and Alumnae Office support students and will match their career aspirations with relevant Old Girls and parents across all sectors who can offer valuable advice, support and work experience. If you're curious about the potential outcomes of your career journey, please explore the success stories of our alumni on our Hub.
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Admissions
Our friendly admissions team is here to guide you through each step from your initial enquiry to final enrolment. For more information on the admissions pathway visit our admissions page.