Careers
Kennet School is proud to have been awarded Investors in Careers and Quality in Careers Standard for our commitment to high-quality careers education. Every year, pupils engage in career-focused activities as part of their tutorial programme, supported by a wide range of co-curricular activities to prepare them for life beyond Kennet.
Kennet School's comprehensive careers programme is designed to equip pupils with the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary for future success in their chosen paths. We seek to adhere to the core dimensions of good careers and enterprise provision by following the eight Gatsby Benchmarks:
- To provide a stable careers programme in each of its establishments
- To support learning from career and labour market information
- To address the needs of each pupil
- To link curriculum learning to careers where possible
- To provide encounters with employers and employees
- To provide opportunities for and guidance on workplace experiences
- To provide encounters with further and higher education
- To offer personalised, impartial guidance.
View our whole school overview against these benchmarks >>>
Key Stage 3
Year 7
- Unifrog personalised account profile within a specialised career and destinations platform, to build employability, knowledge, and research skills for life
- On demand support for pathway, career route, and job role exploration
- Rising Stars Programme builds independence, ownership, personal value
- PSHE Tutor-led lessons designed to drive early career engagement
- Assemblies launching career platform, career engagement and exploration
- ‘My Future Careers’ Fair is for pupils to meaningfully engage with a variety of local employers, providers and public sector services, to meet with visiting career professionals and to ask what their jobs involve
- Varied guest speakers throughout the year to share information and experience in specific industry sectors, employer groups and job roles
Year 8
- Unifrog personalised account profile within a specialised career and destinations platform, to build employability, knowledge, and research skills for life
- On demand support for pathway, career route, and job role exploration
- Kennet Stars Programme builds independence, ownership, personal value
- PSHE Tutor-led lessons designed to drive early career engagement
- Assemblies with University of Reading and ASK Apprenticeships
- ‘My Future Careers’ Fair for pupils to meaningfully engage with a variety of local employers, providers and public sector services, to meet with visiting career professionals and to ask what their jobs involve
- Varied guest speakers throughout the year to share information and experience in specific industry sectors, employer groups and job roles
Year 9
- Unifrog personalised account profile within a specialised career and destinations platform, to build employability, knowledge, and research skills for life
- On demand support for pathway, career route, and job role exploration
- Kennet Honours Programme builds independence, ownership and esteem
- PSHE Tutor-led lessons designed to drive early career engagement
- Assemblies with University of Reading and ASK Apprenticeships
- Careers Fair prior to options choices with range of external guests
- Year 9 Options Evening opportunity to meet with Level 6 qualified Careers Advisor to support options decision-making
- Varied guest speakers throughout the year to share information and experience in specific industry sectors, employer groups and job roles
Key Stage 4
Year 10
- Personal 1:1 career guidance meeting with Level 6 qualified Careers Advisor
- On demand support for pathway, career route, and job role exploration
- Unifrog personalised account profile within a specialised career and destinations platform, to build employability, knowledge, and research skills for life
- ‘Alternative Pathways’ Careers Fair with external attendees
- Dedicated ‘Work Shadowing Day’ for experiencing a workplace first-hand
- STEM experiences at AWE, Thatcham Research, Xtrac, other local employers
- PSHE Tutor-led lessons designed to drive early career engagement
- Assemblies with external education, apprenticeship and employment providers such as Reading University, Newbury College and ASK programme
- ‘Choices Day’ to experience a day in the life of a Kennet Sixth Former, or to explore key skills, knowledge and opportunities for alternative pathways
- Participation in cross-sector, national, career knowledge and skills initiatives
- Varied guest speakers throughout the year to share information and experience in specific industry sectors, employer groups and job roles
Year 11
- Personal 1:1 career guidance meeting with Level 6 qualified Careers Advisor
- On demand support for pathway, career route, and job role exploration
- Unifrog personalised account profile within a specialised career and destinations platform, to build employability, knowledge, and research skills for life
- ‘Alternative Pathways’ Careers Fair with external attendees
- Dedicated ‘Mock Interview Day’ to rehearse job interview with a local employer following a mock application process with external partners
- Apprenticeship assembly from National Apprenticeship Service
- NCS Challenge offered to all Year 11 pupils to promote positive workplace behaviours and employability skills development
- Sixth Form Team Meeting to help decide appropriate next steps
- Sixth Form Open Evening
- Participation in cross-sector, national, career knowledge and skills initiatives
- Varied guest speakers throughout the year to share information and experience in specific industry sectors, employer groups and job roles
Key Stage 5
Years 12 & 13
- Personal 1:1 career guidance meeting with Level 6 qualified Careers Advisor
- Drop-in sessions for career, employability, and university support on demand
- Unifrog personalised account profile within a specialised career and destinations platform, to build employability, knowledge, and research skills for life
- ‘Alternative Pathways’ Careers Fair with external attendees
- Dedicated external work experience week with all pupils ‘off timetable’
- Focused Apprenticeships workshops via the ASK programme
- PSHE Tutor-led UCAS application sessions via PAL programme
- Targeted Apprenticeship/Alternative Pathways support via PAL programme
- Tailored CV, Cover Letter and Employability Skills workshops with employers, apprentices and external employers and partners
- Personal finance workshops exploring budgeting and money skills for life
- Trip to Bradfield College ‘University, Apprenticeships, Gap Year Careers Fair
- Trip to Oxford University
- Trip to ‘Destinations EXPO’ event at Newbury College
- University Open Day visits with each pupil allocated three days to use for visits
- ‘Higher Education & Alternative Pathways’ Day with internal Careers Fair
- NCS Challenge offered to all Year 12 students to promote positive workplace behaviours and employability skills development
- Participation in cross-sector, national, career knowledge and skills initiatives
- Varied guest speakers throughout the year to share information and experience in specific industry sectors, employer groups and job roles.
Links with Industry
Great emphasis is placed on links with the workplace. While education for its own sake is of considerable importance, it is important that all pupils are prepared to take their place in the modern world, particularly with the current challenges this holds. To this end, Kennet seeks to continually strengthen links with those in industry and commerce in the locality; where possible, work in the classroom should have reference to the real world and we value help in this area.
Several courses in the Sixth Form involve periods of work placement and every Sixth Former is expected to undertake some work experience beyond the classroom to help them formulate realistic career plans.
Provider Access Policy Statement
At Kennet School, all pupils in Years 7-13 are entitled to find out about technical education, vocational qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities. Pupils are entitled to hear from a range of local education and employer providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical and vocational education and apprenticeship pathways. This can be via options events, assemblies, group discussions, taster events and targeted workshops, to help our pupils to understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses open to them.
Kennet School will make the main hall, gym, library, Sixth Form common room, classrooms, computer rooms and interview rooms available, together with any AV and, or, other specialist equipment required to support such provider presentations, as appropriate to the activities being offered between training organisations and pupils. Kennet School reserves the right (via Careers Lead) to liaise with all organisations to discuss and agree requirements in advance of any such visits, and to ensure all activities align appropriately with the careers programme. Every effort shall be made to avoid refusal, but should an issue arise, the Careers Lead will provide a justified reason to explain why and seek to offer alternatives wherever possible.
Appropriate safeguarding checks will be completed in advance of any visits, and visitors are required to comply with any and all safeguarding measures as directed by Kennet School, and in compliance with Equinox Learning Trust's wider Safeguarding Policy. Providers will be met upon arrival, supervised at all times whilst on site, and visits facilitated by the Careers Lead, or another appropriate member of Kennet School staff, as directed by the Careers Lead.
Kennet School will consider live online encounters with providers where requested, and these may be broadcast into relevant teaching spaces by prior arrangement only. Technical checks will be required in advance to ensure pupil safety and system compatibility.
Please contact our Careers Lead if you would like access to Kennet School pupils.
Revised July 2024
Careers Contacts
Do you have an inspiring career?
We are always on the lookout for professionals to volunteer to visit our school and share their experiences and career routes with our pupils. As a volunteer, you will be providing a valuable insight into the breadth of opportunities beyond school. You will bring an authentic voice – as someone who really understands your industry and can give real-life examples of how you’ve made a success of your career. By sharing your story, you are contributing directly to the future success of our pupils, and it goes without saying that we would love to hear from our past pupils too! So please get in touch with us if you can help.
Information to be reviewed July 2025