Skip to content ↓

Careers Guidance / Work Experience

It is a statutory right of all students to be provided with clear, unbiased careers education,  information, advice and guidance (CEIAG). 

Careers guidance begins in Year 7 through the PSHE, Enterprise programmes, and group work  We aim to provide all students with the skills which will enable them to succeed at school and post De La Salle. 

Every member of staff in the school has a valuable contribution to the careers guidance to their   students. This is reflected in the diversity of the staff and the discussions that students have. CEIAG has a cross-curriculum approach within the school with particular emphasis in  Business in KS4 but all curriculum areas are expected to promote how their subject area will be useful for students seeking employment in later years.

Students from all years participate in a range of extra-curricular events ( subject to current government guidelines). These range from enterprise, citizenship, financial capability, and employability activities that give students the  opportunity to develop their teamwork, collaboration, and communication skills. Local business guests take part in some of these days and provide commercial input that will stimulate our  student’s enterprise skills. These range from mock job interviews, job scenario tasks,  presentations and workshops. 

All students in KS4 are closely monitored to ensure that they have their destinations mapped out, and  have the opportunity to engage in individual sessions with our external careers advisor Catherine Andrews from Southend Connexions. Students start their IAG with class and small group sessions in KS3. Connexions provide students with the opportunity to research possible routes post De La Salle signposting them to literature and appropriate websites.

Students are continually signposted to opportunities that are held each year in the surrounding area and online which helps further their aspirations post 16. These include college and school presentations, open evenings, and motivational and skill webinars.

Students log their IAG participation and progress through the Unifrog platform. Through Unifrog students are able to research different areas of interest and future possible destinations. Unifrog enables us to evaluate students' experiences and subsequently to tailor the programme to the needs of students.

Students are encouraged to seek work experience placements during their holidays and the  school seeks to support them with national providers such as ‘Investin’ and ‘Speakers for Schools’ and making initial introductions where possible.

The school's careers leader is Mrs H Butler who can be contacted through the school office or by email: hbutler@dlsbasildon.org