Careers at SGGS

 

We do not believe that either external providers or teaching-staff solutions are enough on their own. We want to give students the flexibility to ask questions and investigate career thoughts as soon as they have them. In our last ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted report careers was described as a ‘strength’ of the school. Students at this school are well prepared for life beyond school. Mrs Lardner, the school’s qualified Level 6 Careers Advisor and Work Experience Coordinator is always available on-site; ensuring individual, impartial, career discussions can be provided at any time. These conversations are not just reserved for older students. 

SGGS regularly hold careers events, organise trips to universities and invite speakers and Alumnae to share their experiences with current students through assemblies and talks, both physical and virtual. Students take part in multiple career-focussed activities. This academic year we are planning on focussing on a number of national career campaign events including Green Careers Week and Creative Careers Week in November, National Apprenticeship Week in February and National Careers Week in March. 

Key contacts

Upcoming Events

So far this academic year we have hosted a number of careers events including a Study Abroad session for sixth form students in October 2025, our Post 18 evening for Year 12 and their parents/carers in January 2026 and our biennial Careers Fair which took place in March 2026.  Please take a look at the programme from the Careers Fair event below.   

Our next big careers event is work experience which students in Year 10 and Year 12 will be taking part in during Enrichment week later on in the summer term. 

Additional Resources

The school is committed to careers education and has invested in ‘Unifrog’ as a careers platform which helps students across the whole school from Year 7 upwards to explore all opportunities available to them at key points such as Year 9 options, Post 16 and Post 18 choices. The Unifrog platform supports the administration process for work experience which students in both Year 10 and Year 12 have the opportunity to take part in every year. The platform also supports the post 18 process for our sixth form students supporting them with their UCAS applications and providing resources and advice for apprenticeship applications.   Unifrog has the capability to remain available to students until four years after they leave SGGS.

Careers In The Curriculum

We do not wait until students are reaching their final years with us to foster career thinking. The SGGS curriculum continually evolves to ensure students have the best possible foundation for their future from Year 7. Students will learn about career opportunities within every curriculum subject area and understand the transferable skills that each provides. We are fortunate to have a great employer and alumnae network who support teaching staff by going in to lessons to help bring the curriculum to life. This has included a Marketing company delivering lessons to Year 9 students for their project on Marketing and a former student who is now a freelance illustrator going in to Art lessons to talk about their career journey since leaving SGGS.

Initially, career advice is broad so that each student is encouraged to explore different interests and discover new strengths. Every subject taught at SGGS is specialised but includes wider benefits that will develop overall employability skills, from public speaking and confidence in Drama to teamwork and strategy in PE. All students use a range of career planning tools, accessed through Unifrog, to focus on individual goals and achievements, designed to help them become ‘life-ready’, beyond their time in education.

PSHE

PSHE (Personal, Social, Health & Economic) prepares SGGS students for real-life experiences and covers a vast range of different topics, including career planning. Taught in lessons throughout the entire 7-year SGGS journey, our advice becomes more tailored to each student the further they progress through school. Insight is given into career choices, routes to specific jobs of interest, employment law, succeeding at interview, CV writing and more.

Employer Information

We are very keen to engage with businesses and employers to help us inform and educate students about their future. We provide many opportunities for businesses to interact with students including work experience, SGGS Speaker Programme, Careers Fair and workshops. If you would like to get involved, please email the Careers Advisor & Work Experience Coordinator Mrs Lardner, lardner.h@sggs.org.uk

Parent/Carers Information

We have a dedicated email account is set up for communicating about careers (careers@sggs.org.uk). All parents are given a briefing in Year 9 and Year 12 on Careers Information, Advice & Guidance, and Unifrog.