Sydenham High School aims to ensure that all its pupils realise their career aspirations. Our dedicated Careers area in our library and Sixth Form Centre have a wealth of careers and university-related reference material.
Subject Choices
The Deputy Head Academic overseas the options process for both GCSE and A Level choices. Girls receive one-to-one interviews with key teaching staff and all subject staff are available at all times to discuss preferences and combinations. The Careers Leader, Mrs Sam Pett, is also available, whilst our Head of Sixth Form and Head of Futures & Transition are on hand to give advice on A Level and Higher Education choices.
Careers Education and Guidance
Our comprehensive Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance programme from year 7 to 13 is designed to ensure that every girl is supported in developing the skills and knowledge she needs to make successful educational and career choices.
The programme is delivered through timetabled Personal Social Health and Economic Education (PSHE) lessons for years 7 to 11, and as part of the Personal Skills Programme (PSP) for sixth form students. These sessions aim to ensure that girls understand the range of options available and are fully supported to make the decisions that are right for them. Individual subject departments are also keen to relate their subject to the world of work and regularly invite former students, working parents and local employers into the classroom.
There are first hand opportunities to investigate the world of work during Take Your Daughter to Work Day in year 9, and Work Experience in year 11.
We make use of specialist software at different stages of the girls’ development including Morrisby Aspirations in year 9, full Morrisby psychometric profiling in year 10 followed by individual careers interviews carried out by an independent careers advisor, another individual Morrisby careers interview in year 12 in addition to the Morrisby 24 hours careers advice service, and Unifrog from years 7-13.
Careers Focus Events
The school hosts two carousel-style Careers Focus Events a year for year 9 and above, with specially invited parent and alumnae professionals along with universities and other training providers, affording students the invaluable opportunity to talk informally one-to-one with a range of experts in their fields.
Most recently the focusses of these events have been: Creative Careers; Financial, Legal and Public Services; STEAM; Medical and Allied Health Professionals.
Alumnae
Our alumnae offer careers education guidance and support in a variety of ways, such as Alumnae lunches, hosting girls on university visits, attending Career Events. These events are open to years 9-13. Sydenham High is part of the GDST network of over 70,000 former students and staff. It is the biggest network of its kind in the country. GDST girls and alumnae are additionally able to connect through an exclusive new app called Rungway, which allows students to ask questions and forge connections direct from their mobile phones.
Post 16
In addition to the above we also offer advice and guidance on higher education courses and institutions and information on gap year opportunities. Post 16 support includes help with UCAS applications, CVs and mock interviews, as well as more specific guidance for application procedures and entrance tests and aptitude tests for potential doctors, dentists, vets, and lawyers (UCAT/ BMAT /LNAT), as well as the HAT and TSA aptitude tests. Oxbridge candidates are given additional specific guidance and those pupils who are considering Oxbridge or the aforementioned degree course are identified and supported as early as possible.