Welcome to the Student Careers Hub

Careers education and guidance are delivered to all students through the school's careers programme. For students in Years 7–11, this provision is coordinated by the Careers Office, while careers education for Years 12–13 is organised separately by the Head of Sixth Form, Deputy Head of Sixth Form, and Senior Tutor.

The careers programme is delivered primarily through a range of activities, including PSHE lessons, assemblies, newsletters, workshops, employer and university visits, careers events, and one-to-one guidance sessions. Careers education is also embedded throughout the curriculum to ensure that students develop their career-related knowledge and skills alongside their academic studies. Delivery is supported by subject teachers, Heads of Year, tutors, and the Careers Support Manager.

The Careers Office publishes a comprehensive Careers Programme Overview, which can be found below. This document outlines the majority of the school's careers provision, including key stage knowledge organisers, information about the annual Careers Fair, details of the Year 11 Mock Interviews programme, the Year 9 Options Process, and work experience opportunities for students in Years 10 and 12. It also provides an overview of the careers education and guidance available to students throughout their time at the school.

Important links:

• Provider Access Policy Statement 2025
• Notification Of Reassessment of Quality in Careers Standard 
• CEIAG Policy 2025
• Careers Programme Overview
• Post 16 Destinations Data 2025
• Destinations & Retention Data for Sixth Form
• Provider Access Legislation 2026

The QCA Framework for 'Economic well-being 11–19: career, work related learning and enterprise' has been replaced by the CDI Framework. However, Hele's School uses the eight Gatsby Benchmarks to underpin our careers programme. More info can be found here

The programme for Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 serves to enable young people to make informed decisions about their options (and ultimately their futures). To achieve this, the following objectives are set out and the depth of study increases as students’ progress throughout the school:

• Understand themselves and the influences on them
• Investigate opportunities in learning and work
• Make and adjust plans to manage change and transition

Additionally, the programme for Years 10 & 11 can become more specific as the school aims to support students through the transition of Post 16 careers and in doing so the following objectives are set out:

• Raising students’ self-awareness
• Identifying strengths and weaknesses
• Increasing awareness of occupational opportunities
• Facilitating work experience. Preparing for 16+ options
• Investigating 16+ study skills & promoting the notion of lifelong learning

Raising the Participation Age (RPA)

Under Raising the Participation Age (RPA) legislation, young people in England are required to remain in education or training until their 18th birthday.

This does not mean that students must stay in school. After completing Year 11, young people can choose from a range of pathways, including:

• Full-time education, such as sixth form, college, or other approved education providers.
• An apprenticeship or traineeship that combines work with training.
• Employment, self-employment, or volunteering for 20 hours or more per week, alongside part-time accredited education or training.

Students are encouraged to explore the full range of post-16 opportunities available to them and to seek impartial careers guidance to help them make informed decisions about their future.

For more information, please contact the school's careers leader, Miss Miller.

 

The Quality in Careers Standard is the national quality award for careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) in schools, colleges and work-based learning. All state-funded secondary schools are strongly recommended to work towards, achieve, and maintain this Standard.

To gain the national Quality in Careers Standard, learning providers must provide sufficient current evidence to demonstrate that they meet all the national quality assessment criteria in their overall CEIAG provision.

Hele’s School were successfully reassessed for this award in July 2018.  This process judged the school on its commitment to CEIAG shared by the whole school — senior managers, staff and governors. The assessor from CSW Group, Investors in Careers, was provided with extensive evidence from the CEIAG programme at Hele’s which confirmed the impartiality of the guidance given. The school could also show how CEIAG is pivotal to student achievement through the extensive resources and support available to all students and also the broad range of careers events that take place throughout the year. The assessor could identify the school's strong links with local employers, who work closely with the school in many ways, such as attending careers events, providing ‘world of work’ workshops and coming into lessons to give career insights to students.

Noticeboards

Digital displays and noticeboards around the school provide students with up-to-date information about careers events, clubs, meetings, and other opportunities. The Careers Library offers the latest careers news and guidance materials, while ClassCharts and email communications are used to keep students informed about upcoming careers-related activities and events.

Contact

Rebecca Miller — Careers Support Manager

Email — millerr@heles.plymouth.sch.uk

Phone — 01752 337193

This information is updated every September