My Career, Aspiration and Employment

At The Abbey School students follow a careers curriculum that is broad, inclusive and tailored to the needs of every student. Its aim is to inspire and enable all students to make informed decisions about their future.

Careers is delivered through a range of form time activities, assemblies, workshops and external visits. Subject-specific careers information and activities will be delivered through the appropriate curriculum areas throughout the year and in our “Careers Week”. Students also experience support from one of our ‘business mentors’ and receive an interview with a CXK advisor. Opportunities for students to participate in activities by external providers have been built into the careers programme. This will ensure that opportunities available for students suit their personal and academic needs.

At The Abbey School, our Careers Leader works with a team of dedicated professions within the school, the community and an Enterprise Network advisor to provide students with the information, advice and guidance that is key to them making informed choices about their future. This journey begins in Year 7 and is an integral part of their learning throughout their time at the Abbey School.

We have great careers resources available to all of our students. These include;

• A dedicated Careers Hub, displaying information on careers and college/university prospectuses.
• Upper school students all receive an interview with our CXK Adviser who provides impartial advice to our students.
• The ‘Business Mentors’ (parents and local employers) provide bespoke opportunities and advice to our Year 9 –Year 13 students.
• Our dedicated Business and Work Experience Co-ordinator supports and organises bespoke opportunities for our students.
• The universities of Kent and Christ Church support careers curriculum delivery through a published programme of Aim Higher activities

Careers Roadmap

Students start their careers journey in Year 7 and will experience a rich and varied programme that involves encounters with employers, higher education and apprenticeship providers. They will also have a meeting with a qualified independent careers advisor in Years 10 and 12 and complete work experience in Years 10 and 11. There are two industry-specific career events each year that give students the opportunity to find out more about the type of employment that they are interested in. In addition to this, within the curriculum students experience employers giving subject-specific talks in the classroom and go on subject-specific visits to workplaces.

My Post 14 Choices

During Year 8 students make their option choices for GCSE and BTEC courses.

Mrs Lucas oversees the Options process for all students in the year to ensure students choose and follow the most appropriate courses. During our Options Evening, students have the opportunity to ask questions to subject specialist staff about the qualification and potential career routes. This is a lengthy operation and it is helpful if parents discuss their child’s options prior to choices being made (including a range of skills and interests that perhaps link to future employment or study) so that every student’s choice along their career path are as broad as possible.

My Post 16 Choices

During Year 11 students are supported in making their choices for future study. 

With the change in law and the raising of the Participation Age to 18, all students must remain in some form of education or training up to the age of 18. As a school we would encourage as many students as possible to remain and study in our Sixth form as well as accessing courses from The Queen Elizabeth Grammar School. This is dependent on the grades they achieve. Moving on to Sixth form or College means you are at the start of Further Education.  

Students will need to consider their post-16 choices very carefully. They need to be aware that the subjects they choose at this time could have an effect on the courses they can choose to study at 18. UCAS (the Universities Clearing and Admissions Service) offers students an advice portal to support them in their post-16 decision-making.

For information on Post-16 courses please refer to the Sixth Form courses page.

My Post 18 Choices

Higher Education (18+) is for students who have an interest in attending University or college to follow an undergraduate degree course or diploma.