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23/03/23

Retweeted From Georgia Mitrousia

Thank you for hosting Research! Great to reach out to so many enthusiastic students - the future of science is in great hands! https://t.co/Uy2sAo6poE https://t.co/ODG3QkNdX6

23/03/23

An eventful day is brought to a close by an inter generational conversation cafe with a focus on how all generations can help combat climate change. https://t.co/1R1UKiKvU1

23/03/23

Thanks to the staff from CAMHS for delivering a specific workshop to yr11 and yr13 parents on how to cope with the stresses of the exam season. https://t.co/1SHmEzp6si

23/03/23

Retweeted From SRA_SixthForm

Thank you to for hosting a fab careers event today. Our Year 12s had a great time talking to the different representatives and found the whole experience really helpful! A big 📢 shout out to our students who managed to organise their work experience placements too! https://t.co/0OuGgCBSVh

23/03/23

Retweeted From Rothamsted Research

Was a pleasure to take part and meet such enthusiastic students 👏👏 https://t.co/YoL2l3BJeU

23/03/23

Diary reminder - the Year 11 and Year 13 Exam Stress and Anxiety Workshop takes place this evening at 5.30pm in the Drama Theatre. https://t.co/2pPCuPmNrH

23/03/23

SJL Cultural Enrichment Day - Year 10 preparing for their model General Assembly of the United Nations debate. https://t.co/wAO4kFkhp7

23/03/23

SJL Careers Day 2023 - Amazing to see the Careers Fair in action, students engaging with companies about careers options and the routes into employment https://t.co/wlHF2bOkOv

23/03/23

SJL Cultural Enrichment Day - Year 9 enjoying various activities focusing on international trade, consumption and sustainability. https://t.co/JrKVrEdLwp

23/03/23

SJL Cultural Enrichment Day - Year 10 preparing for their model General Assembly of the United Nations debate. https://t.co/m5OMO2niLC

23/03/23

SJL Cultural Enrichment Day - Year 7 building connections using creativity. https://t.co/W3JIp7w1S1

23/03/23

SJL Cultural Enrichment Day - Year 8 learning about different cultures through dance. Practising for their performance. https://t.co/1HPh5uFeJv

23/03/23

SJL Cultural Enrichment Day - Year 7 begin with an assembly on “Children Around the World” https://t.co/qhG9cKgbZX

22/03/23

Retweeted From SJL Ecoschools

Sweet peas, red dwarf beans, lettuce and coriander, all sown today. It’s great to get out in the sunshine and enjoy the spring air! Our flowering bulbs are beautiful this year. https://t.co/7AXbJzQUnY

22/03/23

Retweeted From SJL PE Faculty

DOUBLE DISTRICT CUP WINNERS 🏆🏆 Congratulations to both the: Year 8s 2-0 vs Roundwood Park Year 10s 3-1 vs St Albans School For producing a historic afternoon for SJL Football. Read more on our Instagram! Hugely proud of all the players involved. Enjoy every minute. https://t.co/ZV6l01MMit

22/03/23

Our award-winning Careers Day takes place tomorrow - a fantastic opportunity for Sixth Form students to connect with employers representing a diverse range of companies and to discover more about the vast range of career options available to them. Year 12 - smart business attire https://t.co/TsQOQ6eALP

22/03/23

Thursday is Cultural Enrichment Day - students across the school will take time off timetable for the opportunity to engage in a range of enrichment activities. Students in Years 7-11 can attend in non uniform. Year 12 must be in smart business attire for the Careers Day. https://t.co/b8GM56gGYP

22/03/23

Retweeted From Scholars' Education Trust

We are hiring! Looking for the next opportunity? We are an expanding multi academy trust based in Hertfordshire, seeking to appoint an experienced Payroll Manager. Apply now: https://t.co/c0R8vPaUXK https://t.co/PgcGyjE9fv

22/03/23

We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the Intergenerational Conversation Café event tomorrow night, being organised by our Climate Action Group – a chance to discuss climate action across generations. If you’d like to come along please contact us. https://t.co/yVvrElCsv0

22/03/23

Year 9 students receiving Headteacher Commendations, so lovely to see them embody the values of ACE. https://t.co/MymizKsSgR

21/03/23

Retweeted From SJLdrama

Great year 9 Drama performances at The Grove Junior school this afternoon raising awareness of friendship and online issues in such an entertaining way#theatrematters#nationaldramaseizetheday https://t.co/RS9je0WsIN

21/03/23

Retweeted From SJL PE Faculty

The final game of netball for this amazing team. The year 11 girls won 20-19 to Marlborough today. Huge congratulations to Ria A who was nominated as players player. Well done girls very proud of you all. https://t.co/E53V1T8Tfo

21/03/23

Every week students discuss our 'word of the week' and 'thought of the week' within their form groups, these discussions help to build upon their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. https://t.co/eOCBd3Gk00

21/03/23

Lots of students enjoying our lunchtime Chess Club today, it's great fun for all skill levels. All of our co-curricular activities can be found on the school website - https://t.co/Qa10Hfd2iu https://t.co/DEnOfUSi63

20/03/23

Retweeted From SJL PE Faculty

Year 10 District Cup Semi Final ⚽️ SJL 2 - 1 Verulam White ⚽️ (pen) Platt ⚽️ The boys reaching their 1st DISTRICT CUP FINAL! Goalkeeping heroics from T.Lloyd see us clinch a deserved victory! Final Details: 🗓️ Wednesday 22nd ⏰ 4.30pm KO 🏟️ Woollams Vs St Albans School https://t.co/Lz0sBVmkFF

20/03/23

Yr8 Headteacher Commendations awarded for a range of academic and co-curricular achievements. A great start to the week. https://t.co/sLRnb41UkC

19/03/23

Retweeted From Herts High Sheriff

N&E Herts Bench magistrates guided and judged, emphasising how hard it had been to decide. Delighted to present certificates to all the students and a trophy to the winners. 2/2

19/03/23

Retweeted From Herts High Sheriff

Congratulations to the students of Sir John Lawes School in Harpenden for winning their round of the national mock trial competition in Stevenage Magistrates’ Court. Four schools competed, playing every role from magistrates and lawyers to defendants and witnesses. 1/2 https://t.co/LpNor7c9aY

18/03/23

A Level English Battlefields tour continues with the group visiting Thiepval, Memorial to the missing of the Somme and Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial. https://t.co/M1j1Dg2w67

18/03/23

Retweeted From SJL PE Faculty

Yr 8 and 9 Saturday Morning Results Vs Nicholas Breakspear Yr8 won 8-0 A. Davies scores 4 ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ Yr9 won 4-0 ⚽️ https://t.co/4BTX6rSoLH

18/03/23

Retweeted From SJL PE Faculty

Yr7 Football - Saturday Morning Vs. Nicholas Breakspear 7A won 4-0 7B won 4-3 2 brilliant games of football this morning. The boys in both teams were outstanding coming out victorious. Ethan and Henry Hatrick Hero’s ⚽️⚽️⚽️ https://t.co/AjP1sgID8Y https://t.co/cJ4Tubi0iB

17/03/23

A thought provoking and insightful day for the A level English students as they spend a day touring the battlefields of Northern France and Belgium. https://t.co/Jahrel0Bfd

17/03/23

Huge congratulations to SJL alumni David Ijiti. https://t.co/4OtoXY7tpY

17/03/23

This week's newsletter is out... https://t.co/1ELzXhgeBe https://t.co/R8f2LB6K4y

17/03/23

Happy St Patrick’s Day! To help celebrate we’ve got a fabulous display of brilliant books with green covers in our library. https://t.co/ceKQ96DPoQ

17/03/23

What a wonderful morning handing out Head Teacher Commendations to some very deserving year 7 students. https://t.co/7nWmLzdkxz

17/03/23

Harrison, one of our Heads of School doing a reading at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, the second largest Commonwealth Cemetery in Belgium. https://t.co/UglQsu2ZOu

16/03/23

Retweeted From SJL PE Faculty

Senior 1st XI Highlights from our District Cup QF 3-1 win against Sandringham this week. Clark ⚽️ F.Sweeting ⚽️ ⚽️ https://t.co/BryZ2gBmpP https://t.co/6H3ojzZMw5

16/03/23

Retweeted From SJL PE Faculty

U16 Girls suffer penalty shootout heartbreak in County Cup semi final after leading twice. Superb performance from all but sadly not to be! https://t.co/U0qPwm5Snf

Careers Education and Guidance

The Gatsby Benchmarks are a national standard used for assessing careers provision in schools. Sir John Lawes is proud to meet all 8 benchmarks, this is validated by our local careers and enterprise company.

The Gatsby Benchmark audit is undertaken termly and the results are recorded  on Compass Plus.

The Gatsby Benchmarks:

  1. A stable careers programme. Every school and college should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by students, parents, teachers, governors and employers.
  2. Learning from career and labour market information. Every student, and their parents, should have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed adviser to make best use of available information.
  3. Addressing the needs of each student. Students have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each student. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.
  4. Linking curriculum learning to careers. All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths.
  5. Encounters with employers and employees. Every student should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes.
  6. Experiences of workplaces. Every student should have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks.
  7. Encounters with further and higher education. All students should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace.
  8. Personal guidance. Every student should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a career adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made.

Guidance

Students across all year groups are offered access to careers guidance, upon request, and all Year 11 students have a one-to-one careers interview. Sixth Form students receive tailored mentoring and guidance regarding Post 18 plans.
 
In addition, drop-in sessions are offered on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday lunchtime, in the Careers Office, located in the library.
 

Twitter

Follow us on Twitter @SJLCareers for the very latest recruitment information, advice and guidance.
 
The school has been awarded the full Quality Standard Award for careers provision, and in 2016 won The Herts Chamber of Commerce award in the category for 'Education in Employment'. 
 
If you would like to find out more about Careers and Employability at Sir John Lawes School or if you are interested in providing support, please do contact Mrs J Power

Careers programme

Year 7

  • Jigsaw PSHE module – Dreams and Goals. Using the Unifrog platform, students learn how to: identify skills, consider interests, explore jobs and record career-related activities
  • 'Shadow a parent at work day' is encouraged during the Autumn Term Occasional Day

Year 8

  • Jigsaw PSHE module – Dreams and Goals. Using the Unifrog platform, students learn how to: Understand and develop personal competencies, improve communication skills, write a first CV, explore the meaning of success and develop career terminology
  • Access to guidance with Hertfordshire SfYP (Services for Young People) and Careers Co-ordinator
  • Spring term Options Evening with access to careers advisers and resources - for students and parents
  • Access to individual, impartial careers guidance through Services for Young People

Year 9

  • Jigsaw PSHE module – Drams and Goals. : Using the Unifrog platform, students learn how to: Consider future options, identity subject strengths and weaknesses, make informed option choices and develop leadership skills
  • Access to guidance with Hertfordshire SfYP and Careers Co-ordinator
  • Spring term Options Evening with access to careers advisers and resources - for students and parents
  • Targeted students interviewed by Hertfordshire SfYP
  • Access to Careers Library

Year 10

  • Jigsaw PSHE module – Dreams and Goals. Using the Unifrog platform, students learn how to: Research work experience placements, develop CVs and covering letters, contact an employer by phone and email and develop teamwork skills
  • Week block work placement for all students – summer term
  • Preparation for Work Experience during Life Skills lessons
  • Access to guidance with Hertfordshire SfYP and Careers Co-ordinator
  • Targeted students interviewed by Hertfordshire SfYP
  • Lunch time drop-in sessions throughout the year
  • Access to Careers Library
  • Further exploration of careers websites

Year 11

  • Jigsaw PSHE module – Dreams and Goals. Using the Unifrog platform, students: Investigate all Post-16 options, including A Levels, vocational courses and apprenticeships. Investigate Level 4 entry requirements to inform Level 3 subject choices. Explore career interests, skill sets and labour market information
  • Impartial, individual guidance interviews for all students through Services for Young People
  • Post 16 Information Evening – with the opportunity for students and parents to speak to Post 16 providers, including local colleges
  • Morrisby career profiling service available
  • Apprenticeship information sessions for students and parents
  • Lunch time drop-in sessions with Hertfordshire SfYP throughout the year
  • Careers Day with input from Sixth Form students, local employers and FE colleges
  • On line career exploration through Life Skills lessons including programmes such as Xello, Channel Mogo, My Career Springboard and UCAS
  • Unlimited access to Careers Library
  • Autumn 'Future Fair' day focused on Post 16 options including visits from local FE colleges, apprenticeship providers and SfYP

Sixth Form

  • Careers unit delivered through General Studies and Enrichment lessons
  • Students use the Unifrog platform to support Post-18 study and career progression
  • One week block work placement in Year 12
  • UCAS preparation through Enrichment Studies
  • Student mentoring
  • Access to individual, impartial careers guidance through Services for Young People
  • Apprenticeship Evening for students and parents
  • Careers Fair with employer representatives
  • Hertfordshire SfYP and apprenticeships sessions for non-university students
  • Morrisby Profiling and interview sessions
  • Employer visits during assemblies and Enrichment lessons
  • Labour market information lessons
  • Introduction to The National Careers Service

Measuring Impact of Careers Programme

The school measures the impact of Careers Education and Guidance through the following methods and procedures:

  • Evaluation of work experience programmes in Year 10 and Year 12 (students, staff and employers)
  • Evaluation of curriculum careers programmes (students and staff)
  • Evaluation of Hertfordshire SfYP guidance interviews (students)
  • Evaluation of in-school guidance interviews (students)
  • Evaluation of external careers provision delivered by Services for Young People (SLT and Head of Careers)
  • Formal faculty review of Life Skills incorporating careers education lessons (SLT)
  • Careers Fair evaluation (students and employers)
  • Parental Survey on careers provision (parents)
  • Evaluation of apprenticeship events (students, parents and employers)
  • Destination Data tracking (Services for Young People and Head of Careers)

Date of next review

The school will next review the information published in November 2023

Destinations

Year 11

Y11 Destinations

Year 13

Year 13 destinations

 

Policy and procedures

Useful links

Work experience

Planning ahead - Year 10 and Year 12 Work Experience

All Year 10 and Year 12 students will participate in a one-week block work placement in the summer term of 2023. 

The dates for work experience in 2023 are as follows:

  • Year 12:  Monday 22 May - Friday 26 May 2023
  • Year 10:  Monday 3 July - Friday 7 July 2023

Please note: if you are not able to secure your own work placement, we also have a limited number of placements available which are sourced through Hertfordshire Services for Young People. Mrs Power will give more information regarding this during the Year 10 Information Evening and in the autumn term, for Year 12 students.

Year 10

  • A 5 day work placement for all year 10 students in July of each year.
  • The programme is co-ordinated in conjunction with Services for Young People (SfYP).
  • Commonly, the placements are a combination of around 120 sourced privately and 60 sourced via SfYP.
  • Prior to the week of work placement, a series of preparation lessons take place in school.
  • During the week students are visited by the year 10 Tutor Team to monitor progress and offer support.
  • Progress is also monitored through the school liaising with the placement supervisor.
  • Students review the work experience and write letters of thanks to their employer.
  • The work experience programme is seen to develop the key skills required for the work place, such as communication, group work, reliability, initiative and self-confidence.
  • The experience receives favourable reviews form students, parents and employers.
  • The process is linked to to a Careers unit of work within the Key Stage 4 Life Skills curriculum which revolves around job applications and expectations in the workplace.

Year 10 Private Placement Form

Year 12

  • Work experience in Year 12 is designed to support career aspirations and progression.
  • A 5-day work placement for all year 12 students in May of each year.
  • The programme is co-ordinated in conjunction with Services for Young People 
  • During the week students are contacted by the 6 Form Team to monitor progress and offer support.
  • Progress is also monitored through the school liaising with the placement supervisor.
  • The work experience programme receives favourable reviews from students, parents and employers.

Year 12 Private Placement Form

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