Careers Provision and Work Experience
Miss Gibson is the teacher in charge of Careers Education & Information Advice and Guidance (IAG). The school also provides access to an independent careers advisor.
For further information, Miss Gibson can be contacted at : lgibson@johnmason.school
If you have young people who are going into learning this September, please encourage them to self-report their learning destination at http://www.oxme.info/register.
Careers Provision
Careers provision at John Mason School is fully mapped to address the national framework for good careers guidance known as ‘The Gatsby Benchmarks’. They are listed below:
- A stable careers programme
- Learning from career and labour market information
- Addressing the needs of each pupil
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experiences of workplaces
- Encounters with further and higher education
- Personal guidance
Careers education and guidance programmes play a major part in helping young people between the ages of 14-19 choose career pathways that suit their interests, abilities and individual needs. It gives the students a number of opportunities to have encounters with further & higher education, local employers as well as gaining information regarding the labour market. A robust careers programme helps avoid disengagement, puts school learning into a wider and more relevant context, and helps raise aspirations. The CEIAG programme aims to help our students plan and manage their careers effectively, ensuring progression which is ambitious and aspirational.
Measuring the Impact of Our Careers Programme
We are committed to ensuring that our careers programme has a meaningful and lasting impact on all students. We regularly measure and evaluate its effectiveness to ensure it supports students to make informed, aspirational and realistic decisions about their future pathways.
The impact of our careers programme is assessed through a range of quantitative and qualitative measures, including:
- Student voice and feedback
- Destination data
- Participation and engagement data
- Feedback from employers, further and higher education providers, and other external partners involved in our careers activities
- Personal guidance outcomes, reviewing how careers interviews support individual student aspirations and next-step planning
We use this information to regularly review and improve our careers provision, ensuring it meets the needs of all learners, supports equality of opportunity, and aligns with the Gatsby Benchmarks. Our careers programme is continuously developed in response to student needs, feedback and destination outcomes.
Careers Summary of Programme 2025/26
| Year | autumn term | spring term | summer term |
| Y7 | National Apprenticeship Week Events
Assemblies |
||
| Y8 | National Apprenticeship Week
Assemblies |
||
| Y9 |
Assembly - employability skills |
National Apprenticeship Week Year 10 options event – students’ assembly and parent’s evening |
Apprenticeship and technical education presentation Entrepreneurship Day – with assemblies and tutor time dedicated to entrepreneurship skills prior to the day |
| Y10 |
Assembly and tutor group opportunities - employability skills CV writing and interview support in tutor time |
National Apprenticeship Week OxLEP Careers Fest Work Experience |
Apprenticeship and technical education presentation |
| Y11 |
Careers Advice and Guidance interviews begin. Individual meeting with every student throughout the year Mock Interviews Assembly on opportunities at 16 |
National Apprenticeship Week
Post-16 taster sessions Apprenticeships – support with applications |
Supported College visits (where required) |
Other useful websites available to students include:
www.oxme.info; information provided by Oxfordshire County Council for young people aged 8-19. It includes an updated guide of volunteering, job opportunities and apprenticeship vacancies in Oxfordshire.
https://www.oxfordshireapprenticeships.co.uk/: comprehensive information on apprenticeships available in Oxfordshire.
www.ucas.com: ”At the heart of connecting people to higher education”. Information on all aspects of higher education- no also including information on 16-18 choices.
Work Experience
Work experience during Year 10 is an invaluable opportunity for students to gain practical knowledge, explore potential career paths, and develop essential skills for the future. As they embark on this exciting phase of their educational journey, we will support our students, whether they are curious about the world of business, technology, healthcare, or the arts, in finding a placement and guiding them through the process so that they are inspired by the opportunity of their placement.
For information on all aspects of offering a young person work experience please visit
Work Experience in Oxfordshire | OXME.INFO
Who participates in work experience?
All students should have the opportunity to undertake a work experience placement in Year 10 at John Mason School. Further work experience is offered in Sixth Form. Students of vocational subjects may also participate in work experience to support their course.
If you have any queries about work experience then please email WorkExperience@johnmason.school
John Mason School has purchased the online platform Unifrog. This can be used by students both in lessons and at home. This year students are beginning to be introduced to the program where it will be used to support option choices in Year 9, work experience in Year 10 & 12, along with post-16 choices. The resource allows students to research regularly updated information on over 1000 jobs and careers. It enables students to make well informed decisions about their future.
Unifrog : https://www.unifrog.org/