A huge thank you to everyone involved in the range of activities that took place during Careers Week including all Sutton High School staff, Trust staff, Sutton High School alumnae, parents and everyone else who kindly gave up their time to support our students. Below is just a snapshot of some of the things our students got up to!
Monday to Friday
Careers in the Curriculum (CIC) – students in Years 7-10 heard from subject teachers in lessons about careers, pathways and transferable skills. When asked what they learned, students in Year 7 and 9 reported that,
- “there is such thing as a music lawyer who can sue people for copyright!” & “there is a job called volcano vlogger, and they go into lava lakes” & “there are many jobs that doing history can help with other than being a historian” & “subjects can help you in different careers, even if it’s not directly integrated in the career you’re looking at.”
- As part of their CIC sessions, Year 9 students in Art explored careers in Art, Design and Technology and, to encourage them to act and think like a designer, were then tasked with creating a clay bench.
During PSR lessons, Year 7 interviewed Sutton High School staff from various departments across our school to find out more about different career paths and job roles. This year, each group was also joined by virtual guest – from Trust office or a Sutton High Alumna – Jo Gardiner, Head of Primary at the British International School of Chicago joined us from the US and Kathy King, founder and director of social enterprise, Wild Wonder and Wisdom CIC joined us from Cornwall.
Tuesday
Sutton High Alumna Kiyara, in her second year of a Degree Apprenticeship in Software Engineering with Jaguar Land Rover (studying part-time at the University of Warwick), joined us virtually to deliver an assembly to students in Years 9 and 10, all about Apprenticeships.
Sutton High Alumna, Annie, employed by Lidl and joining their Graduate Buying Programme in September, delivered a lunchtime talk about her time at university studying languages (and working) abroad alongside her experience of applying for graduate schemes and why she now loves the food retail industry.
Wednesday
Year 8 participated in Take Our Daughter to Work day, accompanying a parent or close family member or friend to their place of work and these covered many sectors including creative arts and design, education, finance, healthcare, law, media, property and construction and sport. Students attended a wide range of organisations from Avenue Primary Academy to Surrey council and from CBS Sports Television Studios to UNICEF; one student spent her time on a short haul flight! Students are sharing their experiences in the form of a short speech to the class. Melia in Year 8 travelled to the Royal Courts of Justice and “saw the clothing the barristers would dress in” and “managed to identify false information said from either the witness or accusing barrister, this was then immediately spotted by the judge who corrected the information…using a forceful voice when interrupting and correcting.” Melia reports that she thoroughly enjoyed the experience and is keeping it open as a possible future pathway.
Year 8 students remaining in school took part in a Step into the NHS activity, producing some excellent job adverts which Mrs Lenaghan will enter into the Step into the NHS competition if students wish.
In the afternoon students explored workplaces in Springville, using Springpod.
Young Enterprise delivered a Learn to Earn session to our Year 9 students, accompanied by volunteers from the world of work who shared their pathway to and experience of working in Engineering, IT, Law and Music. The session is designed to encourage students to think about life beyond Sutton High and consider their personal hopes and dreams, financial plans alongside exploring a range of job and career options using the job sector booklet they were given to keep. When asked what they learned from the session, students reported,
“everything is so expensive” & “about national insurance” & “there’s so many more jobs than I expected” & “you don’t have to stay in the same career your whole life.”
Mrs Lenaghan, Head of Careers, delivered an assembly to Year 7 and Year 8 students in school exploring the changing world of work, skills and the idea of career as a journey through life, learning and work, during which you can change direction.
Thursday
Sutton High Alumna, Sara Kapasi, Brand Proposition’s Manager for Sainsbury’s joined students for a form time virtual careers conversation. After hearing about Sara’s career journey, sixth form students Olivia and Abbey put questions our students had come up with, to Sara.
Gaby Lawrence, a trained Journalist and freelance TV Reporter and Producer, delivered a highly engaging lunchtime talk to students about her pathway into the industry and shared advice alongside showing students a visual sample of her documentary work.
Friday
Sutton High Alumna Paige, an Advanced Practitioner (Social Worker) in Children’s Social Care at Merton Council came into school to deliver an assembly to students in Years 11-13 about her journey into social care, the transferable skills it requires and why she loves her job.