Careers Education
Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance
As part of the careers programme, our Careers Leader, who are undertaking training in Level 6 Career Development Professional provides career guidance interview for Y11 and Y12/13 students by appointment and drop-in sessions.
Copthall School aims to offer all students Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) so they are positive, ambitious, skilled and well-informed for future jobs. We are committed to help every student develop high aspirations, consider a broad and ambitious range of careers and prepare for transition into the next stage of careers, whether that be in education, training or employment.
- Copthall School Careers Policy can be found here: Policy Statement for Provider Access and Careers Guidance Information
Our CEIAG programme promotes the skills, knowledge and understanding that are necessary for our students to make informed decisions about the choices that they face at each stage of their career development.
As part of the careers programme, our Careers Leader, qualified to a Level 6 in Careers Guidance provides interviews for all students by appointment and drop in sessions. Parents are also welcome to attend their daughter’s careers guidance interview. Please contact the Careers Leader if you would like to join.
The Careers Leader at Copthall School is:
| Ms K. Yim (Career Coordinator) | m.yim@copthall.barnet.sch.uk |
| Ms J. Harris ( Assistant Headteacher / Director of Sixth Form) | j.harris@copthall.barnet.sch.uk |
Upcoming Careers Event
Please see below documents to view the Careers Programme
If you are a parent / employer who would like to support our students with work experience/shadowing, volunteering opportunities or offer educational/academic/employability/life skills workshops, please email m.yim@copthall.barnet.sch.uk. Thank you
Careers Programme
Parents / Carers
Parents / Carers
At Copthall School, we work closely with parents and carers to support their child in their education and future career plans. The Careers Leader also holds careers workshops during Transition and Parents evenings to inform parents of the careers programme and share useful information for you to support your child’s post-16 and post-18 options.
We offer work experience for all Year 12 students for a week in June. If you / your employer are able to support us with a work experience placement, please contact the Careers Leader at the school.
Parents and carers are always welcome to contact the school Careers Co-ordinator, m.yim@copthall.barnet.sch.uk – Telephone: 0208 959 1937 with any queries regarding Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance offered at Copthall School.
Work Experience
At Copthall School, we tailor careers support to each student’s needs, including those with SEND or additional barriers. Extra support includes help accessing careers fairs, small-group visits to local colleges, college application workshops, and an initial careers guidance meeting with follow-up sessions to clarify options and next steps. We also provide additional help with securing work experience and tailored careers trips that take students’ accessibility, sensory and support needs into account.
Career Guidance Meeting
All Y11 and Y12/13 students receive 1:1 career guidance meeting before key transition point. Parents and carers are welcome to attend their child's careers guidance interview. Please get in touch with the career leader if you wish to take part.
Parents and carers are sent a termly Careers family newsletter which features information and activities held by employers, universities, colleges and partners for Year 7-13 students and parent/carer. A copy can be found below.
Support for every children
At Copthall School, we tailor careers support to each student’s needs, including those with SEND or additional barriers. Extra support includes help accessing careers fairs, small-group visits to local colleges, college application workshops, and an initial careers guidance meeting with follow-up sessions to clarify options and next steps. We also provide additional help with securing work experience and tailored careers trips that take students’ accessibility, sensory and support needs into account.
Careers Termly Newsletter
Parents and carers are sent a termly Careers family newsletter which features information and activities held by employers, universities, colleges and partners for Year 7-13 students and parent/carer. A copy can be found below.
Unifrog - for all students
Unifrog: Copthall school offer Unifrog- A universal career platform to all our students from Y7-Y13.Parents and carers are encouraged to explore Unifrog with their child to support conversations about future choices. Together, you can research careers, compare university, college and apprenticeship pathways and discuss how your child’s interest and strengths relate to different opportunities. For help accessing Unifrog, please contact the Career Leader.
Gatsby Benchmarks
We use the Gatsby Benchmarks to create a strong careers guidance programme for each and every student. The eight benchmarks listed below are a framework for good career guidance developed to support schools in providing students with the best possible careers education. The eight benchmarks now form part of the government’s careers strategy.
- Stable Careers Programme
- Learning from Career and Labour Market Information
- Addressing the Needs of Each Pupil
- Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers
- Encounters with Employers and Employees
- Experiences of Workplaces
- Encounters with Further and Higher Education
- Personal Guidance
Year 7 - Self-awareness and Introduction to Careers
Through various activities such as careers fairs (higher, further education and apprenticeships) assemblies, employer workshops/presentations and the Wider World PSHE topic, students are helped to start thinking about their future including what skills and qualifications are needed for which careers and thinking about post 16 and 18 pathways. All Year 7 students are encouraged to become more self-aware of their skills, qualities and interests and how they relate to future careers through the use of Unifrog (link to Unifrog.org) One to one Careers Guidance is also available for all students by appointment.
Year 8 – Employability Skills and Making GCSE Option Choices
Students in Year 8 take part in the school careers fair (higher, further education and apprenticeships) where they meet various universities, apprenticeship providers and also charities offering volunteering opportunities. Through the fair and assemblies, they also meet local and regional employers to hear about diverse careers and numerous pathways. Students have weekly tutorial where all students are introduced to varied jobs through BBC Bitesize Careers which helps to explore careers linked to their GCSE subjects. Students are also supported through many activities such as STEM scholars and employer run workshops such as the ‘Carbon Challenge’ and ‘Not Just for Boys’. They continue to think more about their strengths, employability skills using Unifrog (link to website). One to one Careers Guidance is also available for all students to by appointment. All SEND students receive one to one guidance by appointment.
Year 9 – Careers Exploration and Aspirations
Students are encouraged to explore various careers related to their GCSE subject choices. Through assemblies, insight lessons and careers fair (higher, further education and apprenticeships), students explore various options post 16 and 18 available to them. These activities, run by employers, colleges, universities and charity organisations help student to understand the local, regional and national job market, future job trends, motivate and raise aspirations. Students also take part in STEM Scholar programme. They continue to explore their strengths and employability skills using Unifrog. One to one Careers Guidance is also available for all students by appointment.
Year 10 – Employability and Transferable skills
Students in Year 10 focus more on continuing to build their employability skills and finding out more about careers that interest them. Students take part in Oxbridge, higher education, apprenticeship and STEM careers sessions run by higher education institutions, employers and professionals. Students are taught employability skills by employers including how to build an effective CV. Assemblies, employer presentations, careers fair (higher, further education and apprenticeships) inform students of various post 16-18 pathways and options available. One to one Careers Guidance is also available for all students by appointment.
Year 11 – Post 16 option choices and decision making
All students receive one to one Careers Guidance interviews and a typed action plan which includes a summary of the meeting with Mrs P Manuelpillai. Parent / Carer is then sent an electronic copy of the Action plan through SIMs In-touch. Year 11 students are encouraged to explore various Post 16 – 18 options. Employers run interview skills workshop highlighting employability skills. Assemblies attended by universities, apprenticeship employers, STEM related employer visits, Mock Trial programme (related to History and Law), Oxbridge talks, STEM scholars programme and careers fair (higher, further education and apprenticeships) support our students with their career plans.
Sixth Form – Developing skills for post 18 pathways and decision making
Focus is on continuing to build employability skills and aware of post 18 options through education, work experience, volunteering opportunities, insight days, taster sessions, employer workshops, visits to universities, STEM Scholars programme and enrichment lessons. Every Year 12 student takes part in a week work experience in the Summer term. In addition, students are also offered work experience opportunities throughout the year during school holidays. Year 12 students can apply to take part in the Career Ready Plus and Ort Jump mentoring programmes. These programmes provide an opportunity for students to be mentored by an employer / professional pursuing a career related to the career interest of the student. Students develop their knowledge about what they might like to do after Sixth Form and make informed choices about the full range of options open to them such as Higher, Degree Level apprenticeships, Higher / Further Education courses, gap year activities, volunteering and employment. Click here for more information.
Useful Websites
Research is an important step in your career journey. Start your career journey now by visiting websites here. Consider the following factors - skills required, training and qualification, job role, pay, progression routes and related jobs.
- Unifrog ( Universal career education platform)
https://www.unifrog.org/
- National Careers Service ( Career exploration with local market information)
Careers advice - job profiles, information and resources | National Careers Service
- UCAS website (University and apprenticeship application)
https://www.ucas.com/
- Apprenticeships website
https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship
- College websites
https://www.barnetsouthgate.ac.uk/
- Springpod (virtual work experience)
https://www.springpod.com/
-Future for all (virtual and in person work experience)
https://www.futuresforall.org/
- Oak national Academy (GCSE curriculum revision support)
https://www.thenational.academy/
Careerometer
Interested in a few different career areas and want to see how they compare side by side?
This tool from the LMI for All websites let you compare up to three jobs and look at how much they pay, what your day-to-day duties might be and whether there will be many job opportunities available in this career area in the future!
Measuring and Assessing the Impact of the Careers Programme
The following steps are taken to assess and measure impact of the careers programme:
The school is using the ‘Compass evaluation tool’ to assess ongoing progress in relation to the eight Gatsby Benchmarks.
The school has a careers plan in place to track progress in relation to the school key priorities and the Gatsby Benchmarks.
Copthall school worked closely with the Careers and Enterprise Company and has recently joined the West London Careers Hub who will continue to provide support to us to ensure high quality careers, information, advice and guidance to students.
Evidence such as destination data, attainment, progress, options pathways and feedback is also used to measure and assess impact of the careers programme. For more information on our Year 13 destinations please click here.
Feedback to evaluate the careers programme includes:
- Workshops: Verbal feedback from the students involved, verbal / written feedback from teachers and workshop presenters.
- Work Experience week for Year 12: Parents, students and employers are encouraged to give written feedback on the work experience booklets.
- One to one careers interviews – Students are asked for verbal feedback by SLT, Directors of Learning, Teachers and Careers staff. Google forms are also used.
- Verbal and written feedback from partnerships
Feedback is used to continuously adapt and improve the careers programme.
Work with us: Employers and Education Partners
At Copthall School, we work with external partners to help students in Years 7–13 explore their options, develop skills and make informed decisions about their futures. Our careers programme includes careers fairs, regular careers talks, enterprise days, mock interviews and work experience opportunities.
We welcome employers, alumni, universities, colleges, apprenticeship and training providers from all sectors and pathways. Whether you can share your career journey, deliver a workshop, conduct mock interviews or offer a workplace experience, your contribution can broaden students’ horizons and build their confidence. We particularly welcome partners who can help challenge gender stereotypes and introduce students to opportunities they may not have considered.
To get involved or discuss how you can support our students, please contact Kitty Yim, Careers Coordinator, at m.yim@copthall.barnet.sch.uk
Current Opportunities to work with us
3rd December 2026
Copthall School Future Festival – Career and Progression Fair
Y9, Y11-13 students (450 students)
Please join us if you would like to run a stand on the day and fill in below short form.
Join us: Copthall School Future Festival ( Career & Progression Fair) – Fill in form
