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Westfield Secondary School

Careers advice

Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) forms an integral part of student life at Westfield School.

We encourage all students to develop high aspirations and consider a broad and ambitious range of careers. We use contacts from the world of work and further education to help students understand where different choices can take them in the future.

The majority of careers guidance is delivered in PSHE lessons through their schemes of work, through careers events, off-timetable days and one to one careers interviews delivered by an impartial careers advisor.

The main way we measure the success of our careers programme is through progression statistics for our leavers. We were proud that in 2021, the last year for which we have statistics, students from Westfield were very successful in accessing education and training post-16, with Westfield students more likely than other students both locally and nationally to be in education, employment or training after leaving our school. 

Our CEIAG policy is available to read under the policy section on the school website. For further details on Westfield's careers entitlement, please click here.

Careers team

Becky Ray - Work Related Learning Advisor
Steve Rastall - Work Related Learning Advisor
Sara Roberts - Careers Advisor
The careers team can also be contacted by telephone by ringing the school reception on 0114 248 5221. 

 

careers and college information 

The careers corner in the school library is full of post 16 information, including college and 6th form prospectuses, CV templates and interview techniques.

For details of the Post 16 application process, please visit the Sheffield Progress website at www.sheffieldprogress.co.uk 

You can view our post 16 parent and carers presentation here and a copy of our parent pack here.

Apprenticeships 

What is an apprenticeship :

  • An apprenticeship gives you the opportunity to combine on the job training with study meaning you can earn while you learn.
  • With some apprenticeships you can even get a degree.
  • It usually takes between one and four years to complete an apprenticeship depending on which level you take.
  • Apprenticeships are available across a wide range of industries and many high quality, prestigious companies offer them.
  • Pay is dependent on the industry, location and type of apprenticeship.

Click here to watch a YouTube webinar to provide information to parents and students on apprenticeships and how they work. You can also visit the National Apprenticeships website which has details of all apprenticeships nationwide at https://www.gov.uk/education/apprenticeships-traineeships-and-internships.

The Amazing Apprenticeship is a leading organisation in the education sector, founded to tackle misconceptions about apprenticeships and promote the benefits. Their monthly packs are an excellent resource to help parents and students navigate the world of apprenticeships. You can visit their website at https://amazingapprenticeships.com/parents/.

Useful links

If you have an interview for an apprenticeship :

What Apprenticeship Interview Questions Might You Be Asked?

  • Why do you want this apprenticeship?
  • What are your strengths?
  • What are your weaknesses? Admitting to weaknesses shows strength.
  • Why do you want to work for this company?
  • What skills would you like to improve during this apprenticeship?

What to Avoid Doing When Attending an Interview?

  • Turning up late or joining the online video call late
  • Turning up completely unprepared
  • Appearing like you don’t care
  • Chewing gum
  • Negative body language
  • Dressing inappropriately

Here are a few questions which you could ask:

  • What are the qualities of someone who you have seen succeed in this role?
  • Is there a permanent position available at the end of my apprenticeship?
  • Will there be opportunities for further training and development?

You will need to complete a CV and cover letter. Sara Roberts can assist with this if required. targetcareers.co.uk/careers-advice/applications-and-interviews/198-how-to-write-a-cracking-school-leaver-cv has useful information and an example CV.

employer information 

We are keen to engage with businesses and employers to help us inform and educate students on both local and national employment opportunities. This links directly with the Gatsby Benchmark 5 (Encounters with employers and employees) and Gatsby Benchmark 6 (Experience of work places). We provide many opportunities for businesses to interact with students through open evening events, our annual "Be Ambitious Day (Boss Your Future)" and work experience programme.

Further information can be found on our work experience page.

Chorus Trust Sixth Forms 

Westfield School is part of Chorus Education Trust, so our students have priority status when applying to Eckington and Silverdale Sixth Forms. This means that, as long as Westfield students meet the entry requirements, they will gain priority over any other external applicant for a Sixth Form place. 

Eckington Sixth Form

Eckington Sixth Form offers a wide variety of courses, accessed from their dedicated sixth form facility. Sixth Form students receive excellent support throughout their time at Eckington with careers and personal development advice delivered by their experienced staff team.

Visit www.eckington.chorustrust.org/sixthform

 

Silverdale Sixth Form

Silverdale Sixth Form regularly achieves some of the best A-level results of all state schools in Sheffield, and is part of Silverdale School which was voted Top State Secondary School in the north of the decade by the Sunday Times in 2020.

Visit www.silverdale.chorustrust.org/joinoursixthform

 

useful careers resources and websites 

A huge amount of careers information is also available online. Further sources of useful information include:

 Special Options

 Looking for jobs and apprenticeships

Money Matters

Live Apprenticeship Vacancies

 

top skills to have on your cv

Soft Skills
  • Problem solving
  • Critical thinking
  • Flexibility
  • Communication
  • Teamwork
  • Organisation
  • Creativity
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Attention to detail
  • Responsibility
Hard Skills
  • Computer skills
  • Negotiation
  • Maths
  • Writing
  • Foreign languages

 

  1. Apprenticeship statistics January 2022

  2. Post 16 Options 2024-25

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