Careers Education
Our dedicated Careers Team provides high-quality Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) to inspire, motivate and empower our students to achieve their aspirations. We are committed to ensuring that every young person leaves Poole High School equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to succeed in further education, apprenticeships, training and employment.
We use the Gatsby Benchmarks to shape, develop and continually enhance our careers provision. You can find out more about the benchmarks here: Gatsby Benchmarks Explained. These nationally recognised standards help us ensure that students receive an outstanding programme of careers support that is regularly reviewed and evaluated. Our latest Compass evaluation for 2025-2026 confirms that Poole High School continues to achieve all eight Gatsby Benchmarks.
Poole High School’s Careers Programme empowers every student to recognise their strengths, explore ambitious futures and make confident, informed decisions about their next steps, enabling them to thrive in an ever-changing world.
Students
At Poole High School, we believe that every student is entitled to high-quality careers education and guidance. Our comprehensive careers programme includes dedicated careers-focused lessons, PSHE, employer encounters, guest and alumni speakers, skills workshops, enterprise events and competitions, work experience and work shadowing opportunities, visits to further and higher education providers, careers fairs, application support, and one-to-one careers guidance interviews with our Level 6 qualified Careers Adviser.
All students are offered careers guidance appointments throughout Years 10 to 13, ensuring they receive personalised support at key decision-making stages. Additional appointments can be requested at any time through a form tutor or Head of Year.
We are also excited to be introducing Unifrog, our comprehensive careers and destinations platform. Unifrog provides a central hub where students can explore opportunities, record and reflect on their careers-related learning journey, and access impartial information about future pathways. The platform also plays a key role in supporting our work experience programme for students in Years 10 and 12, helping them to prepare for, track and make the most of these valuable experiences.
Parents
We want all parents and carers to know that we are here to support both them and their child when making important decisions at key transition points throughout their education. Members of our Careers Team are available at transition events, including the Year 9 Options Evening and Sixth Form Open Evening, to provide guidance, answer questions and help families explore the opportunities available.
We are incredibly grateful to the parents, carers and members of our wider community who support our careers programme by offering work experience placements, workplace visits, employer encounters, guest speaker opportunities and alumni talks. These experiences play a vital role in helping students develop their understanding of the world of work and the pathways available to them.
If you would be willing to share your career journey, talk about your business, organisation or industry, or provide opportunities for our students to engage with the workplace, we would be delighted to hear from you. Equally, if you have contacts who may be interested in supporting our careers programme, please get in touch.
Useful resources for parents:
Post 16 information:
•Next Steps | Dorset Careers Hub
University:
•Advice for parents, guardians and carers | UCAS •Compare the Best University Degrees Courses UK | Whatuni •Prospects | Job & Course Search | Career & University Advice
Apprenticeships:
•Parent - Amazing Apprenticeships •Alternatives To University | NGTU •UCAS Degree Apprenticeships Information •The Apprenticeship Guide listing all apprenticeships available •Apprenticeship & Traineeship Vacancies •Higher & Degree Apprenticeships | Amazing Apprenticeships •Digital Apprenticeships •Technology-Degree-Apprenticeship-Programme.pdf
Labour Market Information:
•Dorset Labour Market Information
Employers
Poole High School warmly welcomes employers and industry partners to work with us in supporting and inspiring our students. There are many ways to get involved, including offering work experience placements, delivering presentations, hosting workplace visits, participating in careers fairs, leading workshops, and contributing to assemblies and employer encounters.
We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of the many employers and organisations that play a key role in our careers programme. Our valued partners include BCP Council, Sunseeker, J.P. Morgan, Network Rail, Lighthouse, Chewton Glen, RSPB Arne, the National Trust, Hotel du Vin, and the NHS, to name just a few. Their contributions help bring learning to life by providing students with valuable insights into a wide range of industries, careers and pathways.
We are always keen to build new relationships with businesses, organisations and professionals who share our commitment to preparing young people for their future. By working together, we can broaden students’ understanding of the opportunities available to them, inspire ambition, and help them make informed decisions about their next steps. If you would like to support our careers programme, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Our Provider Access Policy can be accessed HERE.
Teachers
At Poole High School, we are proud of our well-established careers programme and remain committed to maintaining achievement of all eight Gatsby Benchmarks, the national standard used to measure excellence in Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG).
Across Key Stages 3, 4 and 5, students follow a carefully planned and progressive careers curriculum through PSHE. This programme is designed to equip young people with the knowledge, skills and confidence to make informed decisions about their future and focuses on:
- Exploring career pathways and opportunities
- Developing employability skills
- Managing change and transitions
- Decision-making and oracy
- Identifying choices and opportunities
- Understanding the links between curriculum subjects and careers
- Preparing for life in the wider world
Careers Across the Curriculum
Careers education extends far beyond dedicated careers lessons. Teaching staff and subject departments play an active role in supporting our careers provision, ensuring that students regularly encounter real-world applications, industry insight and career-related learning within their subjects. By embedding careers education into the curriculum, we help students understand the relevance of their learning and the wide range of opportunities it can lead to.
Our new careers platform, Unifrog, supports this approach by providing careers-focused professional development for staff and resources that help teachers bring meaningful careers learning into their lessons.
We also actively develop partnerships with employers, businesses and organisations to enrich curriculum delivery and provide students with valuable insight into the world of work.
In addition, our tutor programme and Personal Development Days provide dedicated opportunities for careers education and aspiration-building activities. Through these experiences, students benefit from meaningful encounters with employers, further education and higher education providers, access to up-to-date labour market information, and opportunities to develop the skills, attributes and confidence valued by today's workplaces and future employers.
