Wallington County Grammar School is committed to providing independent and impartial Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) for all students. We want to ensure students are informed about all available opportunities and equipped with the knowledge, experiences and attributes that will enable them to go on to achieve their personal best in the future. We continually strive to develop links with parents and carers, alumni, education and training providers alongside employers to ensure our students have the capacity to navigate and succeed in a rapidly evolving and global employment landscape so that they can truly overcome ‘difficulties to the heights’. 

CEIAG is delivered to students through a combination of form time activities, the wellbeing curriculum, clubs and societies and other co-curricular activities. Links to wider career paths are also regularly emphasised in lessons. Throughout their time in school, students will have opportunities to engage in a variety of employer encounters, through our Year 8 and 10 Careers Encounter, and Sixth Form Enrichment programme. Students also have the chance to meet with a range of post-19 education providers at our annual Higher and Further Education Fair. Finally, students gain a rich experience of the workplace through a combination of virtual and in-person work experience placements in both Year 10 and 12.  

As an indication of the range of sectors covered, our Sixth Form Enrichment talks currently include speakers on:

• Architecture

• Information Technology, including AI, big data and cloud engineering

• Science and pharmaceuticals

• Engineering and construction, including sustainable energy, nuclear engineering, high rise buildings

• The aerospace and defence industries

• Law

• Degree apprenticeships

• Creative industries, including marketing and podcasting

• Investment banking

• Consultancy

• Accountancy

• Medicine and biomedical science

• Clinical psychology and mental health therapy

Our careers programme follows a broadly spiralised curriculum following the Career Development Institute's Careers Development Framework. This framework identifies six learning outcomes:

• Growth throughout life

• Explore possibilities

• Manage careers

• Career opportunities

• Balance life and work

• See the big picture

The 2024-5 Careers Programme, can be found here

Alternative training pathways

While the vast majority of our students will go on to study at university, the school also endeavours to fully support students interested in alternative training pathways. Opportunities to learn about apprenticeships, technical education and other alternative training pathways are offered to students from Year 7-13. These are delivered via assemblies, and virtual and in-person encounters with apprenticeship providers and apprentices. The school also maintains a partnership with the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) programme who visit regularly throughout the year to talk to students in different year groups.  

The schools’ programme for alternative training pathways including technical education and apprenticeships can be found here. 

The school's latest Provider Access and Careers Policy can be found on the School Policies and Documents page.

Assessing our careers programme

The impact of our careers programme is assessed through annual student and parent/carer surveys. Additionally, careers-related activities and events are monitored and reviewed on an ongoing basis and the views of all participants are captured and reviewed; this may include students, parents/carers, employers, visiting speakers and alumni. Feedback will be used to adapt, develop and enhance provision for the following academic year.  

Support from parents, alumni, employers and training providers 

We are grateful for the existing support from parents, carers, employers, educational institutions and other organisations for their crucial contribution to events, including our Year 8 careers encounter, careers enrichment programme, mock interviews, higher and further education fair and 'Wallington Works' work experience programme.

If you are interested in talking to students about your career journey, providing work experience opportunities, assisting with employability activities such as mock interviews or have any other experience or skills you are willing to share with our students, please contact our Careers Lead, Dr Meek, at careers@wcgschool.co.uk