Year 10 Work Experience
Options
Pupils choose their KS4 options at the end of Year 8. This is not an unlimited choice as we still expect the majority of pupils to follow the EBacc suite of qualifications - Mathematics, English Language and Literature, Science, a Humanities subject and a Modern Foreign Language to GCSE accreditation. Pupils can choose from a range of GCSE subjects, such as Sociology, Photography or Drama, for example, as well as more vocational BTECs and OCR Nationals such as Health and Social Care or Travel and Tourism.
Mr Wharton, Deputy Headteacher
Careers at Springfield
Careers Vision Statement
At Springfield, our vision is for every pupil to find the right next step and to have developed the skills and sense of responsibility needed to forge a career in an increasingly globalised, technological and evolving world.
Key Contacts for Careers Guidance
Our Careers Education and Provider Access Policy can be found here
View our learning journey here
At Springfield School, we support pupils as they navigate the increasingly diverse options available to them. Through giving pupils the impartial information and opportunities they need to understand academic and vocational pathways, we empower them to make informed decisions.
Springfield School is a strong, aspirational community and staff work to broaden pupils’ horizons and inspire them to achieve their goals and ambitions. Our careers policy and practice is underpinned by our core values and our intent to help our pupils become independent, environmentally aware and global citizens.
Springfield School is committed to providing all students in Years 7-11 with a stable Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) programme, which includes supporting activities to provide them with information about career opportunities and employment. The programme is designed to be progressive: each year, students will build and develop on the knowledge and skills that they have previously acquired. The programme is guided by the Gatsby Benchmarks, thus ensuring best practice.
The Gatsby Benchmarks are designed to ensure students:
- Receive a stable careers programme from Years 7 to 11
- Learn from career and labour market information
- Have their career education needs addressed
- Can link curriculum learning to careers
- Have meaningful encounters with employers and employees
- Have experiences of workplaces
- Have meaningful encounters with further and higher education
- Receive personal guidance
- The PDL programme
- The curriculum
- Assemblies
- Employer visits to school (at least one employer visit for every year a pupil is at the school)
- Apprenticeship provider visits to school (we plan for this to take place every year a pupil is at the school)
- Further and Higher Education visits to school (we have positive relationships with local colleges, a service level agreement with the University of Portsmouth and are part of Oxford University’s “Universify” programme, as well as Southampton University’s Brilliant Club)
- Work Experience (Year 10)
- Careers 1:1 sessions with a qualified and independent Careers Adviser in Year 11
- Group careers sessions with a qualified and independent Careers Adviser
- Careers/higher and further education workshops and trips
We regularly organise encounters with local colleges, universities, apprenticeship/training providers and employers, both for whole cohorts and for smaller target groups.
Please see the provider access policy for details about the current school year.
Parents and carers are always welcome to provide feedback to Ms Burden via the main school email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We regularly review the careers programme through the PDL pupil and parent questionnaires and focus groups, and through feedback gathered after key events and from local providers.
The school would be delighted to hear from any parents/carers who can offer assistance with talks, work experience or mock interviews.
Our Careers policy and curriculum is due for its next review in February 2027.
Overall, at Springfield, our careers policy and practice is guided by the principle that:
The future depends on what you do today.
Useful Information for Pupils in Years 7 and 8
Useful Information for Pupils in Years 9, 10 and 11
Information for Parents/Carers
Resources
The current careers programme is delivered through:
Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND)
Springfield is an inclusive school that recognises the needs of all individuals and endeavours to make pupils as independent as possible, whilst preparing them for adult life post 16.
All students are valued and encouraged to achieve to the best of their ability. Learning Support at Springfield strives to support all those who need it, which includes:
- Students with an Education Health Care Plan.
- Students with special educational needs who do not have an EHCP but who need support in some of their lessons, especially with their literacy.
- Students with special educational needs who do not have an EHCP but who need support with social, emotional and mental health needs which can act as a barrier to learning.
- Students with disabilities that impact on their ability to access the curriculum.
The SENDCO coordinates Learning Support via close liaison with Year Teams and Heads of Department. This is done on an individual basis, where the targeted support is provided on a needs-led basis.
Provision to meet the variety of special needs in the school is made through:
- Adapted approaches by the class teacher of tasks and outcomes within the classroom.
- In-class support provided by the Learning Support Team.
- Individual and small group withdrawal of some students for intensive literacy support.
- ELSA providing emotional literacy support to those who require it.
- Small group work with students who have social, emotional and mental health difficulties which impacts on their readiness for some mainstream lessons
SEND provision at Springfield is responsive to the presenting needs of our students and is under constant internal review to ensure our offer remains appropriate.
Prospective students and their parents/carers are welcome to contact the SENDCO (Mr Peter Dennett) to arrange a visit to discuss any aspect of access arrangements.
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