PREPARING STUDENTS FOR A LIFETIME OF EMPLOYABILITY
Careers
Preparing students for a lifetime of employability
Horizon Community College is committed to providing a comprehensive and inclusive careers programme that provides the best opportunities for all students and promotes self-awareness, personal development, engagement with learning and prepares our students for their post 16 pathways. It is about equipping our students to develop and utilise their skills all their working life.
Provider Access Legislation
We work with a variety of local providers, organisations, and business to ensure that our students have the most comprehensive list of post 16 options available to them both locally and nationally. Last year our students moved onto 18 different providers ranging across the post 16 qualifications – to see our full provider access arrangements please see the Provider Access Legislation.
We have a dedicated team of staff to empower our students to make the best choices for their future career paths and to give them the skills to achieve that.
Career Lead – Mrs Malson
Associate Vice Principal – Personal Development
E-mail – cmalson@horizoncc.co.uk
Telephone – 01226 704230
01
Organised Events
We offer organised events and experiences that give students the opportunity to explore different job sectors and develop key work readiness skills.
02
PERSONAL GUIDANCE
professional, impartial guidance and support at key learning and decision points to assist with making those decisions.
03
CAREER ADVICE & INFORMATION
CV writing, interview advice and mock interviews as well as other tips and tricks.
04
Support
Encourage the thirst for learning to provide the best start to the careers journey possible.
MEET THE TEAM
Mrs Malson
Associate Vice Principal – Personal Development and Career Lead
Miss Middleton
Senior Careers Advisor
Mrs Mawer
Careers Advisor
Mrs Daykin
Post 16 Enrichment Coordinator
Destination Figures
| Leaving Year | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive Destinations | 349/353 | 370/373 | 377/379 | 383/386 | 387 |
| NEET Numbers | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| % | 98.9% | 99.2% | 99.5% | 99.5% | 99.2% |
| Sustained (2 Terms on %) | 94% | 95% | 95% | Government Data Not Available | Government Data Not Available |
Careers Programme
Y7 – Engagement with Careers and their ambitions
Prior to joining Horizon, we link with all our primaries to engage students in skill building and linkages to career journeys. In their 1st year at Horizon students are encouraged to start to explore their future career choices and start to explore their own skills and interests.Â
Activities Include:
- Student voice – Survey “My Future” and student feedback on activities.
- Enterprise competitions.
- Introduction to FE and local providers including training providers.
- Dedicated Careers Lesson in Y7 which introduced different work sectors and the range of opportunities and careers in those sectors.
Y8 – Development of Career Paths and Subject Engagement
In their 2nd year at Horizon students start to link subjects to careers and are given many opportunities to help them explore those links.
Activities Include:
- Student voice – Survey “My Future” and student feedback on activities.Â
- Enterprise competitions.
- Introduction to FE and local providers including training providers.
- Dedicated Careers Lesson in Y8 which introduced different work sectors and the range of opportunities and careers in those sectors.
Y9 – Informed Option Choices
Leading up to this key academic crossroad, students are given more detailed access to the worlds of work and post 16 destinations to help them make their choices around their options. Â
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Activities Include:
- Enterprise competitions
- Access to Start careers advice.
- 2 Dedicated Lessons with the Careers Team to introduce Post 16 options and explore them as well as registration and training on the Start careers advice platform.
- Access to individual careers advice leading up to their option decisions.
- Parental Appointments offered on all parent evenings.
- Workplace visits and encounters with employers and employees.
- Work placements and work experience.
- Career fairs
- Visits to HE and FE establishments with taster session.   Â
Y10 – Guidance, Opportunities and Ambition
In order to motivate students for their next 2 years of intense academic study, activities will be specifically targeted towards engendering an ambition to learn and succeed. Students will have a more targeted approach to their advice, guidance, and interventions.
Activities Include:
- Individual career interviews.
- Targeted work-readiness experiences. E.g. Mock interviews.
- A-Level and vocational tasters & HE visits.
- Work placements and work experience.
- Targeted academic programmes.
- Visits to HE and FE establishments.
- Careers fair at parents’ evening.
- Parental Appointments offered on all parent evenings.
Y11 – Support and Advice
In this final year, the Careers programme focuses more on support, maintaining momentum and focus on the students achieving the best possible results for them as individuals. Ensuring they are confident to go into the world beyond Horizon.
Activities Include:
- Careers fair at parents’ evening.
- Parental Appointments offered on all parent evenings.
- Follow up career advice where specific needs have been identified.
- Access to careers advice and guidance as required by the student.
- Work placements and work experience.
- Access to National Citizenship Service (NCS) and other personal development opportunities.
- Pre and post exam support to ensure positive destinations are achieved for all.
- Apprenticeship Workshops and support.
Careers Learning Journey
Post-16 Options
The Careers team make sure that every student is given detailed information on their post 16 choices. There is a full range of options on leaving school including;
A Levels – you would normally choose 3 subjects to do at a sixth form college, these subjects are more ‘academic’ and there are exams at the end of each year.
Vocational – can often be referred to as BTEC, you would choose one subject and usually has a more of a job related interactive approach and involve coursework.
Apprenticeship – on an apprenticeship your training place is usually one day a week at a college or training provider, and you will work for the rest of the week with an employer.
T Levels – Equivalent to A levels, this has been developed with employers and businesses. It prepares you for work, further training or study through academic work and work placements.
Levels
Entry Level – no qualifications or GCSE Grade1
Level 1 – usually require at least 3 grade 2’s
Level 2 – usually require at least 3 grade 3’s
Level 3 (BTEC) – usually require minimum 5 Grade 4’s and above including English Language and maths
Level 3 (A Levels) – usually require an average of Grade 5 or above preferring 5’s in English Language and Maths.
Apprenticeship Information
An apprenticeship is a real job where you learn, gain experience and get paid.
You’re an employee with a contract of employment. By the end of an apprenticeship, you’ll have the right skills and knowledge to embed into your chosen career.
It can take between one and six years to complete an apprenticeship depending on which one you choose, what level it is and your previous experience. It’s funded from contributions made by the government and your employer.
To become an apprentice, you must:
- be 16 or over
- not already be in full time education
As an apprentice you will:
- learn and gain hands-on experience in a real job
- get paid
- get training for a specific job role
- be on a career path with lots of future potential
Work Experience
At Horizon we are proud to offer work experience to our Year 10 students from the 7th to 11th July 2025.Â
This short-term placement is to allow students to spend time in a professional workplace to learn about a specific job or industry. It is designed to help them understand the working world, explore potential career options, and develop practical skills that will be help them to be work ready, life ready. Â
This placement can take place in a variety of industries, including offices, retail shops, healthcare, trades or schools/childcare settings.Â
The principal aims of work experience are to:Â
- Enable students to gain first-hand experience of the world of workÂ
- Enrich the educational experience of students by relating their work within college to the world of work outside the collegeÂ
- Develop personal and social skills through active learning situations outside of the normal educational experienceÂ
- Raise awareness of opportunities available in the careers/jobs marketÂ
- Help with career decision making and the development of post-16 career choicesÂ
In order for students to gain the valuable job-hunting skills which are so important in today’s job market, we ask all students to self-arrange their placement. However, the support of the careers team is aways on standby. Placements should be submitted onto UniFrog by 14th February 2025. (www.unifrog.org) Â
Work Experience Parentmail
If you would like to know more about work experience at Horizon, or if you are considering offering an opportunity to our students, please email Mrs Daykin ndaykin@horizoncc.co.ukÂ
Policies & PAL
Alumni
As a Horizon Alumni you have access to careers advice for the rest of your working life. Please join our growing network to give our students great role models and come back and share your journey with our current students which is so important.
