Preparing for life after Heathfield is a collective responsibility, with the Head of Careers & Outreach, Assistant Head (Sixth Form), Tutors, Subject Staff and the Headmistress all taking an active role in guiding the girls. Individual guidance about careers is integral to the ethos of the school.
Careers, education and guidance begins when girls start at Heathfield in Form I. Click the button below for Careers & Outreach.
In the Sixth Form, the main focus is on application to higher education. To enable the girls to make informed choices regarding courses and universities, a full programme of preparation is provided, beginning in the Lent term in the Lower Sixth and continuing until applications are submitted in the Upper Sixth.
Heathfield School runs a highly successful speaker programme. Many speakers visit the school, representing a wide range of career options. These speakers are often successful women, including Old Girls, who are excellent role models for the girls.
The school also offers numerous opportunities for the girls to network, including visiting speakers, attending external talks and a popular annual Networking Evening for current girls to develop their network with Old Girls representing a variety of careers.
Heathfield School offers timely careers guidance to students from Form I to the Upper Sixth.
In Form I, girls have a structured, individual interview with a member of careers staff. This takes place in the Lent term, once the students have settled into the school and boarding life. The aim of these interviews is to encourage girls to focus on subjects they enjoy, their interests and in order to get to know them.
Girls in Form II commence a process that provides independent careers advice. This is a well-respected service that focuses on identifying interests, possible future industries/careers and potential GCSE options. As an external service, this meets the statutory duty of providing independent advice. The resulting reports are reviewed with the students in an individual interview with a member of careers staff.
The profiles are refined or updated as the girls progress through to Form III and meet to discuss their GCSE options in an individual interview with a member of careers staff. In addition, we hold an Options Fair at the School, where girls speak to the teachers and heads of departments about the different GCSE subjects offered.
This independent service is then extended in Form IV girls to include aptitude and psychometric tests that measure natural strengths and weaknesses in key areas in order to target education, career and, therefore, potential A Level options that present a good match. As part of this process, girls have a one-to-one meeting with an independent Careers Advisor who interviews the girls.
Form V girls collate this information to help inform potential careers, degree options and relevant A Levels.
Forms LVI & UVI are overseen by the Sixth Form office, which helps them focus on the A Levels they will require to access certain degree courses or careers.
In the Sixth Form, the main focus is on application to higher education. To enable the girls to make informed choices regarding courses and universities, a full programme of preparation is provided, beginning in the Lent term in the Lower Sixth and continuing until applications are submitted in the Upper Sixth.
Heathfield School runs a highly successful speaker programme. Many speakers visit the school, representing a wide range of career options. These speakers are often successful women, including Old Girls, who are excellent role models for the girls.
The school also offers numerous opportunities for the girls to network, including visiting speakers, attending external talks and a popular annual Networking Evening for current girls to develop their network with Old Girls representing a variety of careers.
Additionally, the Careers and Outreach department has established links with neighbouring schools to enable our pupils to engage with other students in an academic capacity. This includes reciprocal attendance of talks, discussions and workshops.
Networking workshops are delivered to Sixth Form to ensure that when girls are presented with networking opportunities, the girls are able to maximise the potential of these. These include visiting speakers, speaker suppers and offsite visits to attend lectures. The Careers and Outreach department also works with the Fellowship co-ordinator to organise Fellowship Networking Events. These enable the Sixth Form to spend an evening speaking to alumnae across numerous industry sectors, establishing important contacts and work experience opportunities.
Sixth Form also participate in workshops and discussions that cover a wide variety of topics to ensure girls are able to independently manage their lives, when they leave Heathfield.
If you are a provider of careers services for young people, please email reception@heathfieldschool.net FAO: Careers.