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Careers Programme Information
At WSE, careers education is an integral part of our wider Personal Development programme. We want every student to develop the knowledge, skills, confidence and experiences they need to make informed and ambitious decisions about their future.
Careers at WSE
The world of education, training and employment is constantly changing. New technologies, emerging industries and changes in the labour market mean that young people have more opportunities available to them than ever before; but navigating those choices can also be challenging.
Our careers programme helps students understand themselves, explore the opportunities available to them and develop the Future Skills they will need for their next steps and beyond. We encourage students to be ambitious, challenge stereotypes and consider pathways and careers they may not previously have encountered.
Careers education begins in Year 7 and develops progressively throughout each student's time at WSE. Through curriculum learning, employer encounters, experiences of workplaces, engagement with further and higher education, labour market information and personal guidance, students build the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions about their future.
We are committed to ensuring that careers guidance is inclusive and responsive to the needs of every student. Students are supported at key transition points and have access to impartial information about the full range of pathways available, including sixth form, further education, apprenticeships, technical education and employment.
Our careers programme is developed in partnership with students, parents and carers, employers, education and training providers and our wider community, helping students connect their learning in school with the opportunities available beyond it.
What students experience:
From Year 7 to Year 11, students follow a progressive careers programme that supports them to understand themselves, explore different careers and pathways, develop their Future Skills and make informed decisions about their next steps.
Students experience careers through curriculum learning, employer encounters, workplace experiences, further and higher education encounters, careers events and personal guidance. As they progress through school, they are supported at key decision points, including GCSE options and post-16 choices.
All students have access to Unifrog throughout their time at WSE, providing a central platform to explore careers, courses, apprenticeships and pathways, record their experiences and skills, and support their future applications.
Find out more here:
Explore Our Careers Learning Journey:
The Gatsby Benchmarks: ensuring high-quality careers provision
The eight Gatsby Benchmarks define world-class careers guidance for young people in England and provide the framework through which we plan, evaluate and continually develop our careers provision.
Following an extensive review of evidence and practice, the Gatsby Benchmarks were updated for implementation from the 2025–26 academic year. The updated Benchmarks retain the original eight areas while strengthening the focus on careers as a whole-school priority, inclusion and the needs of every young person, meaningful encounters and experiences, the effective use of information and data, and engagement with parents and carers.
At WSE, the Gatsby Benchmarks are embedded within our careers programme and form an important part of our wider Personal Development provision. We use the Benchmarks alongside statutory careers guidance to ensure that all students benefit from a coherent, progressive and high-quality careers programme.
We regularly evaluate our provision against all eight Benchmarks and use this evaluation, alongside feedback from students, parents and carers, staff, employers and education providers, to identify strengths and priorities for continued development.
The eight Gatsby Benchmarks are:
- A stable careers programme
- Learning from career and labour market information
- Addressing the needs of each young person
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experiences of workplaces
- Encounters with further and higher education
- Personal guidance
Together, the Gatsby Benchmarks help us ensure that careers education at WSE is not a series of standalone activities, but a planned and progressive programme that supports every student to understand their options, develop their aspirations and prepare for their next steps.
Further Information
The Gatsby BenchmarksWSE Careers Programme 2025-26MLP Provider Access StatementParents and Carers Guide To Apprenticeships
If you have any questions about Careers education at WSE, please contact Mrs Wells our Careers Leader.
Further information
Useful websites to support independent research into careers and routes into the world of work using accurate, up to date Labour Market Information:
Work Wiltshire i CouldCareer PilotNational Careers ServiceCareers BoxTarget JobsAmazing Apprenticeships
Careers Resources
If you are looking for careers books, you may wish to browse through the How2Become’s catalogue – full of new, innovative and insightful products to guide you through recruitment processes and entry level tests for lots of careers.
Can you help?
We are always looking for facilitators from industry who can attend our events and work with students on activities based around the world of work and business. If you are a business wanting to create links with schools and work with young people, then we would love to hear from you.
For more information contact Mrs Wells:
Or complete our Employers Form here:
Live apprenticeship and traineeship vacancies across the South region, and all vacancies can be found using the link below:
Latest Apprenticeship Vacancies
