Last week, many of our pupils in the sixth form underwent careers profiling with SPW Careers. This involved a profiling test for our new Year 12 pupils as well as an interview with an external careers guidance professional.
Preparation for the future is a key part of our education. At the start of Year 12, we offer our new pupils the chance to undertake careers profiling with SPW Careers, an international careers company with whom we have worked for several years and who also work with schools such as Harrow, Marlborough, Radley, Millfield and Malvern, both in the UK and internationally.
SPW Careers provides careers and university education, information, advice and guidance which supports students to explore their career and university aspirations. For our pupils, it provides a brilliant opportunity for them to have a chance to have a one-on-one conversation with someone outside of the College about their future plans.
Our pupils undergo an in-depth profiling session which is followed up with a 45-minute in-person interview, looking at their results and talking through options for the future. They then have another, shorter interview at the start of Year 13, and access to the SPW helpline and e-mail address for support for the next few years of their lives.
Pupils who have been with us since before the sixth form were offered this programme at the end of Year 10, with the follow-up interview at the start of Year 12. This programme complements the robust careers programme that we offer in school, where all sixth-form pupils have weekly careers sessions with our Head of Careers, Mrs Rapple Moore, which cover every aspect of their lives after Shiplake and offer detailed help with applications to university, apprenticeships, and jobs.