Careers & Futures Programme
Research shows that young women nationally do not always feel well prepared for their careers and futures.
We are absolutely committed to ensuring that this is not the case for our girls. Central to our purpose at Sydenham High School is our Careers & Futures Programme, 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 Power Skills Programme 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 also dedicate lessons to relate their subject to the world of work, and we regularly invite former students, working parents and local employers into the classroom.
There are first hand opportunities to investigate the world of work during the Workplace Visit 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, and full Morrisby
psychometric profiling in Year 10. This is followed by individual careers interviews carried out by an independent careers advisor. In Year 12, students will have another individual Morrisby careers interview, alongside access to the Morrisby 24 hours careers advice service, and Unifrog from Years 7-13.
Careers Events
The school hosts an annual Careers Fair/Event 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.
Students in Years 9-13 are also invited to focussed breakfast and twilight careers talks with external professional speakers, and lunchtime subject-related careers talks are hosted by departments. 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.