Careers Education at Wolverhampton Girls’ High School

At Wolverhampton Girls’ High School, we are committed to providing a high-quality, inclusive careers education programme that supports every student to make informed and aspirational choices about their future learning and career pathways.

Our careers provision is aligned with the Department for Education Statutory Guidance (September 2025) and the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance. Careers education is woven throughout our curriculum and personal development programmes, supporting students from Year 7 through to Year 13.

Our Aims

Through our careers programme, we aim to ensure that every student:

Develops the knowledge, skills, and confidence to make informed decisions about their next steps.

Understands the full range of pathways, including A Levels, university, apprenticeships, T and V Levels, and technical qualifications.

Gains experience and insight into the world of work, helping them prepare for future challenges with curiosity and confidence.

Recognises how subjects studied in school link to real-world careers and employment sectors.

Our Careers Programme Includes:

Careers Days and Futures Events – delivered across the academic year, with guest speakers, employer panels, and workshops that are embedded alongside the school timetable.

Employer and Higher Education Encounters – opportunities for students to meet representatives from businesses, universities, and apprenticeship providers, helping them understand labour market trends and skills.

Work Experience – all Year 10 and Year 12 students undertake a week of work experience during our Celebration Week. Students arrange their own placements and log details through the Changing Education App, ensuring health and safety checks are completed. Preparation for work experience is conducted in PSHCE lessons prior to the experience. Additionally, a half day review is calendared for the Monday after the work experience week.

Personal Guidance – every Year 11 student receives a one-to-one careers meeting with a Level 7 qualified Careers Adviser. This service is also available to all students in Years 12 and 13. Where there are additional appointments available these will be targeted towards disadvantaged students.

Year 13 students also benefit from tailored UCAS and apprenticeship application support from school staff.

Curriculum Careers Links – subject teachers regularly reference the relevance of their subjects to future careers and employability skills as part of their teaching.

Parental Engagement – parents and carers are encouraged to attend information evenings, careers events, and to share professional links that support our programme.

Our Partnerships

We are proud to be part of the Black Country Careers Hub, a Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) partnership that supports schools in delivering excellence in careers education. We work closely with local employers, apprenticeship providers, and universities to ensure our programme reflects the skills and opportunities of the modern labour market.

Measuring the Impact

We regularly evaluate our careers programme through:

Student and parent feedback

Destination data for post-16 and post-18 transitions

Employer and partner evaluation

Annual review by the Careers Leader and governing body

Statutory Information

Our careers education complies with the latest DfE statutory guidance and the Provider Access Legislation (PAL), ensuring all students from Year 7 to Year 13 receive at least six meaningful encounters with education and training providers.

Full details are set out in our Provider Access Statement (2025/26).

Contact Information

For further information about our Careers Education Programme, please contact:

Mr Duncan Bowdler
Deputy Headteacher / Careers Leader
Email: dbowdler@wghs.org.uk
Telephone: 01902 551515

We welcome contact from employers, training providers, and alumni who wish to support our work with students.