Careers & Work Experience
Our Provider Access Policy statement can be found by clicking here.
Students & Staff
As a LEAF Studio student you are provided a range of specialised careers opportunities, including the Move It Performing Arts Convention in London and Sports Specialism careers events. At these events, you will have the opportunity to meet with further and higher education providers and employers to broaden your horizons and learn how you can progress in your chosen career pathway.
As part of Authentic Education, LEAF Studio students also have access to further Careers Fayres provided by our Trust Secondary Schools. These careers fayres offer a wider range of careers to support any students who want to research careers beyond their specialisms.
In Years 9 and 10, you are able to research careers pathways both in your chosen specialism and beyond using the National Careers Service Job Profiles. You will develop an understanding of the entry requirements and skills required to begin a career in a range of different options through the use of our careers platform, Unifrog. You will also have the opportunity to meet 121 with our careers advisor to support you in planning the next steps of your career. Each half term you will have a dedicated careers week to focus in on different aspects of careers and employment skills relevant to your age and year group.
In Year 10 and 12 you will also be offered the opportunity to take part in work experience in order to gain direct first-hand experience of the world of work.
From Year 9 to Year 13 you can expect …
- access to a planned programme relevant to your year group
- access to a qualified impartial and independent careers adviser for personalised advice and guidance
- help to recognise your likes, dislikes, influences, strengths and preferences in relation to career decisions
- information about the world of work and how the labour market is changing
- information about further and higher education, training and apprenticeships and employment
routes - to take part in activities which challenge stereotyping and raise your aspirations
- to develop skills and qualities to improve your employability
- to develop enterprise skills
- to be well prepared for different transitions
- to develop financial capability skills
- to develop and strengthen your personal presentation skills for selection processes
- sign posting to relevant up-to-date and impartial sources of careers information and advice
Transitioning after Year 11
Please click here for our ‘Choices After Y11’ presentation
Transitioning after Post 16
During Year 13 you will have access to 1:1 support and group sessions that focus on the UCAS and application process for universities and vocational college. Your Specialism Lead will support you every step of the way in securing places at your chosen institutions.
Should your career path change throughout your time at LeAF, our dedicated Careers Advisors will support you with your next steps.
Parents & Carers
Choices After Year 11
Please click here for our ‘Choices After Y11’ presentation
At LEAF Studio we aim to best prepare your son/daughter for their chosen industries or specialisms by providing opportunities to meet and visit with a range of further education (FE), higher education (HE), apprenticeship and employment providers. At LEAF Studio we promote vocational colleges and universities for our students through our dedicated UCAS and application support programme and endeavour to provide training and education that supports and meets admission requirements.
As part of the Authentic Education, your son/daughter will have access to further Careers Fayres provided by our Trust Secondary Schools. These careers fayres will also help support those students who realise that a specialism career is no longer for them.
Careers advice is provided through numerous external workshops, visits and talks from prestigious colleges and universities as well as apprenticeships from outside companies. In addition, all students have access to a dedicated careers advisor for personal careers support over their time with us.
LEAF Studio is proud to have won the 4 Star Award for Employer Engagement and continues to provide opportunities for students to make links with employers locally, nationally and internationally.
Good Practice to Highlight
- Access to professional coaches for insight into chosen career areas and to prepare for auditions and trials
- Small specialist school enables one to one support for students in preparing for highly competitive careers
- Awareness of need for second careers either because of lack of success in chosen area or after short career e.g. continuing emphasis on general education especially English and Maths, dedicated careers weeks and PD days covering areas such as financial management, life skills and self-employment
- Very positive comments from all students interviewed
How do we measure our Careers Programme?
The effectiveness of our Careers Programme is currently measured against the Gatsby Benchmarks and we review our status three times a year using the Careers and Enterprise Compass tool.
In Years 9 and 10 through our Life Skills / Personal Development curriculum, students are able to research careers pathways both in their chosen specialism and beyond using the National Careers Service Job Profiles. As a result, students can evidence that they know and understand the entry requirements and skills required to begin a career in a range of different options.
Students also attend high profile specialism career events which are directly linked to Performing Arts or Sports. These have included the Move It Dance Convention in London and regular visits to Sporting and Sports Science universities.
All Year 10 and Post 16 students are offered the opportunity to take part in a minimum of 2 weeks work experience in order to gain direct first-hand experience of the world of work.
Gatsby Benchmarks: Meeting the Mark!
The Gatsby Benchmarks are a key part of the Government’s careers strategy for schools. We are very proud to have received acknowledgement for achieving 100% of the benchmark criteria, which was recognised by the local Careers & Enterprise Company.
The Gatsby Benchmarks have a key role in:
- raising young people’s aspirations and promoting access to all career pathways;
• enabling all young people to develop the skills and outlook they need to achieve career wellbeing, including adaptability and resilience;
• underpinning the Department for Education guidance to schools on meeting their statutory responsibility for careers guidance.
Supporting your child
Labour Market Information tells you about what is happening in the job market at national, regional and local levels and includes information about jobs and salaries, what skills employers are looking for in different industrial sectors, conditions, communities and future trends.
It can help you discover where the job opportunities are, the sectors, occupations and locations you need to look out for, and help you identify the skills your child might need to develop in the future.
We use the latest up to date LMI to keep students informed as to the current picture for careers that they are interested in so that they have the necessary knowledge to plan the next steps of their careers.
In addition, it is important that parents are actively involved in supporting their young people in planning the next steps of their careers and helping them understand all of the possible routes that are open to them after their time at LEAF.
Employers & Providers
What can you do?
As a specialist school for Sports and the Performing Arts, we deliver high quality, vocational learning experiences for our students.
In addition to our curriculum, we provide opportunities for our students to attend in-house audition days for vocational colleges and trips to universities. We are proud to have outstanding links with many employers, colleges and universities.
If you are interested in creating a link with LEAF Studio and are able to offer apprenticeships, advice or experience for our students please contact us office@leafstudio.co.uk
We would be delighted to hear from you if you can provide any of the following:
- Mentoring
- Mock Interviews
- Work Experience
- Taster days
- Apprenticeships
- Audition/Trial Opportunities
- University Visits
Evaluation from employers/providers
“My Director and I were very impressed with the maturity, politeness and genuine interest of the students we met. A real pleasure to have the opportunity to talk with them about Millennium.” – Mike Carpenter, Millenium Performing Arts
“Your students appear some of the best organised and informed students that I get to meet at Careers Fayres.” – C Harris, SCL Education
“I have to say that the student helpers were amazingly helpful and friendly. Also the students in general from year 9 upwards were really enthusiastic and engaging. A real credit to the school.” – Paul Warrillow, Southampton Solent University
“LEAF students were friendly and very personable. They asked questions and seemed very enthused about our creative offer.” – James Hankins, Arts University Bournemouth
“I only met 4 students, but found all of them polite, well organised in terms of their questions and articulate. They are all passionate about their golf, and it would be a pleasure to have them move on to TGC for their further education should they choose TGC.” – Kevin Stowe, Tournament Golf College
Destinations Data
Work Experience
Work experience provides a crucial opportunity for the development of vital employability skills. It can take place at any point, but for most it’s something which happens during secondary school education years. For many that week or two will be the first taste of working life.
Work experience provides many benefits, giving young people skills and experience that will allow them to stand out to potential employers as well as helping them choose the right sector to work in. Some will go into work experience with a clear career ambition, some will want to sample something they like the look of and for others the experience will be to simply experience work. For all it is valuable experience; developing employability skills is essential alongside traditional academic qualifications to help prepare for life after school, college and university.
At LEAF Studio all students will complete a work experience placement during the summer term in both Year 10 and Year 12. Students are responsible for finding their own placements linked to their specialisms or other careers they may be interested in.
We have partnered with Unifrog to ensure that all students obtain the best placements possible and have a safe, enjoyable and productive placement. All placements are recorded on Unifrog to allow us to check placements are suitable and have the correct details in place to ensure students are safeguarded effectively when in the workplace.
If you do have any questions about work experience, our Year 10 programme is coordinated by Mrs Burton and our Year 12 work experience is planned within the specialism teams so please contact your child’s Head of Specialism if required.
Year 10 - Samantha.Burton@lss.weareauthentic.education
Post 16 Sport - Dan.Evans@lss.weareauthentic.education
Post 16 Performing Arts - Billie.Aplin@lss.weareauthentic.education
Useful Careers Links
Success at School Apprenticeships
Success at School Higher Apprenticeships