Careers Education

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Careers Education at HBS aims to ensure each individual student develops their own understanding, self-awareness and knowledge to enable them to make informed decisions about their future education and career path. On this page there is key information for students, parents and carers, staff and other key stakeholders to understand the aims, the approach to delivery and the detail of the School’s Careers Education programme.

Aims and Delivery of the Programme

Aims

The School’s Careers Education programme aims to ensure that each student:

develops an understanding of themselves, their abilities and interests
has access to accurate, up-to-date careers information and guidance that
- is presented in an impartial manner
- enables them to make informed choices about a broad range of career options
- helps them to fulfil their potential
gains a greater knowledge of the range of education, training and careers opportunities open to them, including technical education qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities
is fully informed and supported to make career-related decisions at key transition stages
takes part in work-related activities in and out of school.

The programme conforms with the statutory guidance for schools on providing careers guidance provided by the Department for Education (DfE), which was updated in January 2023 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-guidance-provision-for-young-people-in-schools).

This careers education programme has also been developed to meet the eight Gatsby Career benchmarks (http://www.gatsby.org.uk/education/focus-areas/good-career-guidance) for ensuring best practice, which have been adopted by the DfE and were recently updated for implementation in September 2025. The eight benchmarks comprise:

Addressing the needs of each pupil
Learning from career and labour market information
A stable careers programme
Experiences of workplaces
Encounters with employers and employees
Linking curriculum learning to careers
Personal guidance
Encounters with further and higher education

Full details of the updated benchmarks can be found here: updated Gatsby Career benchmarks.

Context

The School’s careers programme fits within the ethos and context of the school as a whole. As such, it is a highly aspirational programme, informed by its cohort of students and selective status and its history of leavers’ destinations and achievements. The percentage of students staying in education/employment after Key Stage 4 and continuing to education/training after Key Stage 5 each year is generally 100% (or close to that), with almost all currently choosing to go on to university and some taking up degree apprenticeships. See further information regarding leavers’ destinations below.

Delivery of the programme

Careers education at HBS is delivered in a variety of ways: students learn about career-related topics in their PSHCE lessons, through talks from internal and external speakers, various trips, work experience, one to one sessions with careers advisers and members of staff and also within individual departments and through the assembly and tutorial programme.

There are also specific career-related events, including the Higher Education and Medicine and Dentistry Evenings and UCAS Day held annually for sixth form students. The annual Careers Fair – at which around 50 volunteers from a wide range of different sectors and industries attend – is open to all students in Years 10 to 13.

All students in Years 7-13 have their own account with Unifrog which is a destinations platform providing impartial research on careers, subjects and courses. It is also the vehicle used in Sixth Form for processing UCAS applications within school. Students have allocated lesson time to access the platform and develop their profiles and can also browse the site in their own time using a laptop, phone or tablet.

Further details of the careers education for each year group are provided below (and further information regarding the School’s PSHCE curriculum can be found on the website here: https://www.hbschool.org.uk/our-pshce-programme/

The Careers Education Policy, summarising these points, can be found below:

Careers Education Policy

Careers Leader

The School has a designated Careers Leader, in accordance with the statutory guidance. The Careers Leader at HBS is Claire Leek (Assistant Head (Pastoral and Personal Development)) and she works very closely with other members of staff, in particular the other Heads of Year/Key Stages, in order to facilitate the delivery of the careers programme to students.

If students, parents, teachers or employers would like any further information about any aspects of the programme, please contact Mrs Leek by email (at [email protected]) or via the school’s address (Central Square, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London NW11 7BN) or phone (020 8458 8999).

Support for the Careers Programme

The HBS careers programme is greatly enhanced through a fantastic range of support from parents and alumnae and other employers and organisations. A survey is sent out at the beginning of the academic year requesting help with many aspects of the programme, including the Careers Fair, mock interviews, work experience placements and careers talks etc.

Please contact the Careers Leader (contact details above) if you are able to offer any form of help.

Provider Access

In fulfilling its responsibility to set students on the path that will secure the best outcome, enabling them to progress in education and work, the School is committed to ensuring students are given impartial information about the full range all the options available to them post-16 and post-18 including wider technical education options such as T-Levels, Higher Technical Qualifications and apprenticeships.

In furtherance of this aim, and in compliance with its statutory obligation, the School welcomes education and training providers to the School to provide relevant information to the students.

This could be achieved via a number of events, integrated into the School’s careers programme (detailed below). Potential opportunities for all year groups from Year 7 upwards include assemblies, tutorial time and timetabled PSHCE lessons as well as specific careers-focused events such as lunchtime talks, often under the auspices of one of the extra-curricular clubs. A key event at which providers can speak to students is the annual Careers Fair which takes place at the end of January and is available to all students in Key Stages 4 and 5. At the Careers Fair students engage in informal discussions with guests from a range of industry sectors and careers (usually 40 – 50 in total). For Sixth formers, there are additional opportunities to hear from speakers about different career options and paths through their ‘Lifeskills’ sessions which take place on Friday afternoons in the Autumn and Spring terms.

The School’s Careers Policy Statement for Provider Access, which contains further details regarding opportunities for access can be found below and here.

Careers Policy Statement on Provider Access

Monitoring and Evaluation of the Careers Programme

It is the responsibility of the Careers Leader, with input from other members of staff, to oversee and organise the monitoring and evaluation of the Careers Programme and the impact of the programme on the students. This is done in a number of ways, in particular through formal and informal stakeholder feedback and surveys, analysis of student data and regular internal review of the content and strategic aims of the programme.

Stakeholders are welcome to give feedback on any aspect of the programme to the Careers Leader (contact details above).

Details of the Careers Education Programme

Key Stage 3

In Year 7, students are introduced to the topic of careers and employability skills in PSHCE. They are introduced to the Unifrog platform and set up with their own personal account.

In Year 8, students are encouraged to develop their skills of time management and are introduced to the concept of ‘growth mindsets’ in PSHCE.

In Year 9, students undertake a PSHCE module on enterprise, introducing them to business basics, and extend their understanding of finance and money; they also start identifying their strengths and interests. At this stage, students and parents are given all the necessary information on making GCSE subject choices at HBS; they use Unifrog, to help them explore the link between these choices and interests to future careers and have a group session with a Careers Adviser to discuss the impact of GCSE subject decisions on university and career choices. Students in older years offer guidance and support through a Year 12 Subject Fair and ‘vertical links sessions’ with Year 10.

Key Stage 4

In Year 10, through PSHCE, students start thinking about further education (in particular A level) subject choices and links with university degrees, apprenticeship options and career choices as well as their own interests and skills; they also continue to explore effective study skills and money management and budgeting and to explore the Unifrog platform. All Year 10 students are invited to attend the annual Careers Fair, which takes place at the end of January, and have the opportunity to complete the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award, which includes a volunteering element, providing work experience. They also take part in the Jack Petchey Speakout Challeng,e which develops their public speaking and presentation (employability) skills.

In Year 11, students research potential placements, prepare CVs and covering letters, learn about employability skills, rights and responsibilities of employers and employees and appropriate conduct in the workplace. This is done through PSHCE lessons, in preparation for a compulsory week of work experience in the summer. Students and parents attend the ‘Introduction to Sixth Form’ evening and are provided with all the relevant information on making suitable A-level choices, including guidance from older students (via a subject fair) and from alumnae and meetings with senior staff. All students have a one-to-one interview with an external Careers Adviser before submitting their option choices. Students have a day off timetable to learn more about universities, degree courses and apprenticeships and to attend the Careers Fair. In PSHCE, the students also learn more about financial risk, insurance, tax and student finance.

Sixth Form

In Year 12, students attend a range of talks on preparation for vocational courses, courses at competitive universities and apprenticeships; the Higher Education and Medicine and Dentistry Evenings include talks from external speakers on Oxbridge and applying for Medicine, respectively. They are provided with all relevant information on the UCAS process, drafting personal statements and choice of courses. Students are encouraged to undertake further work experience, shadowing and university visits and attend the UCAS exhibition at Excel Centre. Older students and alumnae also provide advice and support, and there is an opportunity for a further interview with an external Careers Adviser. They have the opportunity to discuss further study and career options with guests at the annual Careers Fair. The regular ‘Life Skills’ sessions include material on presenting at interview, apprenticeships and talks from speakers in a range of careers.

In Year 13, students are given extensive guidance and support in completing their Personal Statements and UCAS forms (via Unifrog) and there is an opportunity to meet an external Careers Adviser. Students are provided with material and sessions on interviews (including MMI style interviews, pre-admission tests, pre-interview Oxbridge tests, Oxbridge interviews, interviews for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science and assessment centres) and all students who will have a university interview are given mock interviews with an external, subject-specific interviewer. They have the opportunity to discuss further study and career options with guests at the annual Careers Fair.

In addition, all students in all year groups will attend a number of careers-related talks through the assembly and lunchtime extra curricular programme, and will learn about subject-related careers through the curriculum.

Leavers’ Destinations and Alumnae

Leavers’ Destinations

A key aspect of the Careers Education programme is to enable students to make suitable GCSE and A level subject choices and, beyond school, to successfully apply for university degrees and apprenticeships and, ultimately, future employment. HBS students invariably leave school to commence one of an impressive variety of different courses at top universities in the UK and abroad; an increasing number are also attaining highly coveted places on top apprenticeship schemes. A list of leavers’ destinations can be found here.

Alumnae

The School is immensely proud of its alumnae and the varied and impressive paths that they follow. We also know the significant impact that our alumnae can have on our current students – inspiring, guiding and advising – particularly in the context of their choices regarding further study and career options. The contribution of the alumanae to our Careers Education programme cannot be overstated. This is one of the many reasons we are very keen to keep in contact with all our alumnae and are looking to strengthen our alumnae relations even further.

Please see the Alumnae section of the website for further information on this, and ways in which alumnae can remain connected to the School.

Resources for Students, Staff, Parents and Carers

Within school, students and staff have access to information and resources about careers, work experience and further education, including courses, lectures and opportunities, principally via the Careers and Work Experience Google Classroom, which is regularly updated. The school library also has a University and Careers section.

The School newsletter also regularly contains such information for the benefit of parents and carers in particular.

Further resources and information can be found below:

All About Careers

Amazing Apprenticeships

Apply Apprenticeship (Government website)

Apprenticeships – summary of employers (from Alan Bullock Careers)

Barnet Local Offer for SEND students – post-16 info

Connectr (formerly My Kinda Future)

National Careers Service (Government website)

Prospects

Rate My Apprenticeship

‘Start’ Careers Platform

Target

UCAS

Labour Market Information

Labour Market Information (LMI) is valuable for a greater understanding of different careers, their entry routes, levels of demand, promotional prospects, salaries paid, skills and qualifications needed etc.

Careerometer is an online data portal which connects and standardises existing sources of high quality, reliable LMI to support the process of identifying potential careers and future employment prospects.

How to use: simply type in the title of the job that you are interested in and choose from the drop down list of options. You can then look up another occupation to compare. You can also select ‘display the UK average’ to compare it with the career you have selected.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMME

We are committed to providing a broad education that is ambitious, varied and stimulating.

Years 7 - 9

At Key Stage 3, we want to enable girls to pursue a wide variety of academic and extra-curricular interests to the full.

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Years 10 - 11

Progress into Key Stage 4 is both a psychological one, entering the ‘GCSE years’, as well as a literal one.

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Sixth Form

Sixth Form is a vibrant, friendly and happy community, where every student is valued and given individual attention.

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