Severn Vale School is keenly aware of the potential impact on students of being in an 11-16 school. A Year 10 student has summarised this challenge nicely, “The school doesn't have a 6th form and it feels like we are out in the world very soon. We needed to start thinking early, perhaps earlier than other schools."

SVS’s school motto, Empowering All to Achieve, shows a clear commitment to ensuring all students are made aware of and investigate the widest range of options possible for post-16 and that they are empowered to plan with confidence. The aims of the school Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) policy is to enable smooth transition and ensuring student awareness of post-16 choices.

There is a dedicated careers office and careers library, which is open throughout the year, and holds a supply of local college, school sixth form and university prospectuses along with a selection of apprenticeship and industry information. SVS has invested in Unifrog which is available for all year groups and their parents and carers.

 

Overview of Careers Advice at Severn Vale 

Student entitlement to careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG)

CEIAG is about helping students to plan for their future by equipping them with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to make informed decisions about the choices open to them and to make successful transitions through learning and into work.  

Student CEIAG includes a range of:

• Planned programme of career education from Year 7 onwards.

 • Access to a qualified independent impartial Careers Adviser from year 9 including at least one interview by the end of Y11 if requested.

• Work experience in Year 10.

• Access to up to date and impartial careers information from a range of sources including Unifrog.

• Encounters with local employers – students are offered at least one encounter each year from year 7 to year 11. Examples of employer encounters are school assemblies, business breakfasts, mentoring, mock interviews and workplace visits.

• Encounters with post-16 providers - In January 2023, the updated provide access legislation (PAL) came into force. This legislations specifies that SVS school must provide at least four encounters with approved providers of apprenticeships and technical education for all our students.  

• Information about and/or visits to further education colleges, universities and other training providers, so you can understand the full range of courses, apprenticeships and technical education/training routes available.

 

Contact the Careers Office:

Mr Mark Nichols is Severn Vale's career leader, and he is supported by Mrs Val Box (Careers Administrator). Students in all years can come to the Student Support Office during any non-lesson time to ask for a careers appointment to be made, or can ask their tutor to make this arrangement for them. Alternatively, there is a careers request box outside the careers office where students can complete a form and request a careers interview. Contact can also be made by sending an email to Careers@severnvaleschool.com or by phoning 01452 720458 ext 210.

 

Professional Advice:

Independent and unbiased careers guidance is provided by Dawn Salmon, a professional careers advisor, who visits the school twice a week during term time to meet with students individually and to give group talks. We try to arrange at least one appointment during KS4 for every single Severn Vale student. Most will receive two meetings, with many more students also receiving individual advice in Year 9.

We hope that students will take full advantage of the opportunities on offer at Severn Vale School.

 

Assessment of Careers Provision:

Compass+ is a tool from The Careers & Enterprise Company which helps schools benchmark, manage, track and report on their school's careers programme. Compass+ enables SVS to assess the careers provision against the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks.