Careers Information for Students
Careers & Work Related Learning at Madeley
As a student at Madeley you have the right to access Careers Education, Information, Advice & Guidance (CEIAG) as well as the opportunity to gain experience of the world of work in personal development lessons, subject lessons and through work experience in Year 10.
Who can I get careers information and guidance from?
Mr R Mcmeeken- Leader of CIAG and Work Related Learning at Madeley School Mr Mcmeeken is the Director for Careers Information and Guidance and Work Related Learning. He is responsible for designing the Careers curriculum for all students at Madeley School.
Tel: 01782 987800
Email: robert.mcmeeken@madeley.set.org
Mr J Knight - Careers Adviser
Mr Knight is our Careers Adviser from Changing Education. He is in school one each week to offer careers advice and guidance to students. You will have one or more career interviews with him during your time at school.
Miss E Leese – Designated CIAG Support Staff
Miss Leese supports all the staff above. If you have any questions during the day and you can’t find the staff above speak to Miss Leese who can arrange an appointment for you to see Mr Knight or can help you with other questions.
Form Tutors
Your form tutor will help you in making career choices for the future.
Subject Teachers
Your subject teachers will help you in making careers choices. A lot of your lesson will focus on careers and work related learning skills in their subject.
Parents
Ask your parents/carers for support with making career choices.
Year 10 Work Experience Placement
In Year 10 you will complete a week long work experience placement in July. There is a lead up programme prior to the placement to help you develop the key employability skills required to be successful at your chosen workplace.
What are my options for Post-16 Education and career choices?
There are a range of options available for continuing to study, Post 16. You will need to apply for either A Levels, or a Level 3 course of study. Most post-16 education establishments will require you to achieve a minimum of 5 GCSEs at Band 4 (some courses of study will have further requirements).
What do the different levels of study mean?
Confused about study options and levels?
Level 1 – GCSEs at grade D and below/band 4 and below
Level 2 – 5 or more GCSEs at grade C and above/band 5 and above
Level 3 – A Levels, AS Levels, BTEC Level 3
For more information of the full range of qualifications and their levels visit the National Careers Service.
Choosing what to study
This takes careful consideration and research. You will need to consider the subjects you are strong in, that keep your interest and that they enjoy. There is more information about subject related careers on the Our Curriculum section of the school website.
There are plenty of helpful websites to help you decide your future career options. There are links to these websites below. A lot of the websites will ask you to complete a career profile to best match you to careers that you might be successful at/enjoy.
Success At School
All About Careers
National Careers Service
Barclays Life Skills
Plotr
Kudos
U-explore
Careersbox
icould
How2Become
UCAS
Post-16 Schools and Colleges
There are a number of local schools and colleges which will offer a wide range of courses and provision such as A Levels, Apprenticeships and work-related (vocational) studies. You can find prospectuses for many of the schools/colleges online. You can look at these websites for further details on what they offer, and for details of their open days and application process. Some of these can be found below.
Haberdashers' Adams Grammar School
Newcastle-under-Lyme College
Reaseheath College
Cheshire College
St Joseph's College
Stoke 6th Form College
Traineeships and Apprenticeships - click here
A Traineeship is an introduction-level programme that combines a work placement with training. Information about Apprenticeships can be found below.
View the Introduction to Apprenticeships - Assembly Video for Madeley School at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VZdkVdlws4
What is an Apprenticeship?
National Apprenticeships Website
The Apprenticeship Guide
Interserve Learning and Employment
Employment
You can enter employment, however because of the changes in Raising the Participation Age (RPA) you cannot take a job that does not have recognised accredited training as you need to continue in learning until the age of 18.
What are my Post Year 13 options?
University
Many students will consider University as a natural progression from their level 3 studies. The following websites are an excellent source of information.
Complete University Guide
UCAS
Whatun
Which? University
Higher/Degree Apprenticeship
An alternative to University, these Higher Level Apprenticeships are advertised on the National Apprenticeships Website.
Employment
You can enter employment.
How do I write a CV?
Advice and guidance on writing a CV can be found below.
Example CVs (Target Jobs)
How to write a CV (Prospects)
How to write a CV (Reed)
Interview Techniques and Tips
Advice and guidance on interview techniques and tips can be found below.
Interview Techniques (Target Jobs)
Interview Techniques (Reed)
Interview Tips (Prospects)
Strengths & Weaknesses Question - https://novoresume.com/career-blog/what-are-your-strengths-and-weaknesses-interview-questions
Why Do You Want to Work Here? - https://novoresume.com/career-blog/why-do-you-want-to-work-here
Thank You Email After Interview - https://novoresume.com/career-blog/thank-you-email-after-interview
Information guides for students in dealing with psychometric tests during job interviews and internships:
https://practicereasoningtests.com/psychometric-tests
The school has an ongoing commitment to CEIAG development. The careers framework below highlights the planned career activities for the pupils of Madeley School for 2022-23. The CEIAG programme is delivered in distinct blocks as part of the Personal Development programme and as an ongoing commitment from all staff to embed careers across the curriculum with time appropriate employer engagement activities in lessons and as stand alone events. The link below shows the PD programme for the year 2022-23.
CEIAG/WRL Information - Written and updated by R. McMeeken (February 2024)