Careers & Work Experience

Our Provider Access Policy statement can be found by clicking here.

Students & Staff

As a LEAF Studio student, you are provided with a range of specialised careers opportunities, including the Move It Performing Arts Convention, the Careers and Apprenticeships Show and various 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. We also provide students with Careers weeks throughout the academic year which teach employment skills and students have a range of assemblies designed to educate and guide them on their future Career options. As a school, we work closely with the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) to ensure that we are offering the highest quality provision.

As part of Authentic Education, LEAF Studio students also have access to further Careers Fairs 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 with our independent careers advisor to support you in planning the next steps of your career.

- In Year 10, you will also be offered the opportunity to take part in a two week work experience placement in order to gain direct first-hand experience of the world of work. Various placements are also offered in the sixth form.

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 participate 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
- The school to be 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

Life After LEAF

At LEAF Studio, we aim to best prepare our students for their chosen pathways or specialisms by providing them with multiple opportunities to meet with a wide range of further and higher education providers. Our students also learn about the range of courses available to them such as: Apprenticeships, T-Levels and Higher National Certificates and Diplomas. and 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 the admission requirements.

As part of Authentic Education, your child will have access to further Careers Fairs provided by our Trust Secondary Schools. These Careers Fairs 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 and employment opportunities from outside companies. In addition, all students have access to a dedicated, qualified and independent 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

- Students have access to professional coaches where they gain valuable insights into their chosen career areas
- Teachers and coaches use their professional experience within the specialism to prepare for auditions and trials.
- The nature of the small specialist school enables one to one support for students in preparing for highly competitive careers.
- There is an awareness of the need for second careers, either because of lack of success in chosen areas or after a 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.
- Students are engaged in their Careers lessons and understand the importance of reviewing and planning for their next steps.

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 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 careers 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 been updated for 2025, LEAF Studio is committed to ensuring that we are consistently compliant with the new guidance and work closely with local professionals and external bodies to achieve this.

To view the Gatsby Benchmarks including the latest updates, please use the following website: The Gatsby Benchmarks

Supporting your child

Labour Market Information (LMI) 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. To view the latest LMI for Dorset, please use the following link: Dorset LMI

In addition, it is important that parents and carers 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 academic 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 the Head of Personal Development: will.jones@lss.weareauthentic.education

We would be delighted to hear from you if you can provide any of the following:

- Mentoring
- Mock Interviews
- Work Experience
- Taster days
- Apprenticeships
- Auditions /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 which all students will need for their next steps. Work experience provides many benefits, such as giving young people the skills and experiences that will allow them to stand out to potential employers, as well as helping them navigate their choices after they leave LEAF. For all it is valuable and meaningful experience.

At LEAF Studio, all students will complete work experience placements in Year 10 and in the Sixth-Form. Students are responsible for finding their own placements, though there is a wide range of support available to them.

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 KS4 programme is coordinated by Mr Jones and our LS6 work experience is planned within the specialism teams, so please contact your child’s Head of Specialism if required.

KS4:

will.jones@lss.weareauthentic.education

Post 16 Sport:

dan.evans@lss.weareauthentic.education

Post 16 PA:

billie.aplin@lss.weareauthentic.education