Careers
Our Careers Programme at Wirral Grammar School for Girls is a transformative, progressive framework designed to empower every student to navigate their future with aspiration, confidence, and purpose. Grounded in the core principles of the Equalex framework, our programme is built on a foundation of equity, accessibility, and inclusion, ensuring that every individual, regardless of background or starting point, receives the tailored guidance and opportunities necessary to thrive.
Our curriculum is intentionally mapped across all key stages. This progressive sequencing ensures that students build upon their self-awareness, skill sets, and industry insights each year, moving seamlessly from foundational career exploration to targeted pathways, professional networking, and post-18 preparation.
Supported by a well-resourced network of expert advisers, digital tools, alumni contacts, and industry partnerships, our provision delivers comprehensive, real-world engagement at every stage. We are dedicated to delivering an inspirational experience that actively challenges historic barriers and gender stereotypes in the workplace. By exposing our students to pioneering female leaders, emerging sectors, and non-traditional career paths, we dismantle systemic obstacles and cultivate the resilience, leadership, and vision needed to shape the workforce of tomorrow.
Careers learning is embedded through a combination of curriculum-linked activities, careers passports, industry spotlights, employer encounters, modern work experience and targeted enrichment opportunities. Termly cross-curricular themes support whole-school engagement, while planned activities are mapped against the Gatsby Benchmarks to ensure coherent and progressive provision.
Please read our Annual Careers Plan for a more detailed overview of our careers programme.
As an education establishment we ensure we use the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks as a foundation when planning our Careers Strategy. The effectiveness of our provision is inspected and audited by the Careers and Enterprise Company using the Compass Careers Benchmark Tool. This tool is used by schools and colleges in England to support the analysis and evaluation of careers activity against the eight benchmarks of best practice (known as the Gatsby Benchmarks). The Careers and Enterprise Company coordinate the audit deadlines. This ensures the development of our careers strategy is ongoing to ensure best practice. In line with the recommendations set out in Gatsby Benchmark 1, we as a school review the performance of the school using the benchmarking tool every term. In addition we aim to publish this information on an annual basis, inviting feedback from key audiences.
Good careers guidance is critical if young people are to raise their aspirations and capitalise on the opportunities available to them. To help our students make well-informed choices to enable them to progress into further learning, training or employment, the Careers Department works with Career Connect to provide advisory meetings for all pupils in Year 10. Mrs Eleanor Stott is the School’s Careers Advisor.
Eleanor hosts interviews with all students in Year 10, and some in Year 11, giving them the opportunity to discuss their post-16 options, including sixth form, college, or apprenticeships, and can provide support with application forms, CVs and interviews.
Students in Year 12 and 13 are able to make an appointment with Eleanor to look at their options, including college courses, apprenticeships, employment or university. Students may also be referred for an interview by Pastoral teams. Parents/carers are welcome to get in touch at any time to discuss their child’s plans, or any concerns they might have about careers education. Please contact Mrs Kennedy-Jones or Miss Hulley.
Every school must ensure that there is an opportunity for a range of education and training providers to access all students in year 8 to year 13 for the purpose of informing them about approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships. At Wirral Grammar School for Girls we welcome requests from external providers, and recognise they can form part of a broader approach to ensuring that young people are aware of the full range of academic and technical routes available to them at each transition point.
