Careers Education & Options
At Ullswater Community College, our Careers Education, Information, Advice, and Guidance (CEIAG) programme is a cornerstone of our commitment to being an ambitious, caring, and equal community. We believe in empowering every student with the knowledge and confidence to pursue the most ambitious aspirations.
Our comprehensive programme is designed to the highest standards, guided by the eight Gatsby Benchmarks, and delivered in partnership with expert organisations like Cumbria Careers Hub, Careers Enterprise Company and Enterprising Cumbria. This page is your central hub for our careers programme and the key option choices students make.
Information for Students
Your future is exciting, and our ambitious programme is designed to help you explore every opportunity.
- Your Careers Journey: From Year 7, you will explore employability skills through PSHE. This builds year-on-year, including dedicated options preparation in Year 9 , a week of Work Experience and extensive post-16 and post-18 planning in Year 11 and Sixth Form.
- Explore Your Future: We provide powerful online tools to help you research your interests. You will have access to UniFrog and can use websites like Start Profile and Cumbria Careers Hub to explore different pathways.
- Meaningful Encounters: You will have multiple opportunities to learn from employers, colleges, universities, and apprenticeship providers at events like our bi-annual Futures Fair.
Top Tips for Your Career Journey
- Start with You: Think about what you genuinely enjoy and what you’re good at, both in and out of school. What topics fascinate you? What problems do you like solving? This self-awareness is the first step to finding a fulfilling career.
- Be a Detective: The world of work is huge. Use the online tools we provide, like Start Profile, to research different job sectors. Look at the “Jobs of Tomorrow” and see what skills will be in demand in the future. Don’t just stick to what you know.
- Get Experience: Experience is invaluable. Take the Year 10 Work Experience week seriously. Consider volunteering, a part-time job, or even starting your own project (like a blog or a coding project) to develop skills.
- Talk to People: Speak to your teachers, your family, and guests who visit the school about their career journeys. Ask questions. Most adults are happy to share their experiences and give advice.
Information for Parents
You are the most significant influence on your child’s career choices, and we are committed to supporting you in this role with our caring and expert guidance.
- A Guide for Parents: Our comprehensive Parent’s Guide to Supporting Your Child with Careers Choices provides an overview of the pathways available, useful conversation starters, and links to key resources.
- Useful Links: We have curated trusted external resources to help your family, including the National Careers Service and Careermag for Parents.
Having Meaningful Career Conversations
- Be a Curious Guide, Not a Director: Instead of asking “What do you want to be?”, try asking open questions like: “What was the most interesting thing you learned at school this week?” or “If you could solve one problem in the world, what would it be?”. These questions explore interests rather than demanding a single answer.
- Focus on Strengths and Skills: Talk about what you see as their strengths. “I’ve noticed you’re really good at organising things,” or “You have a brilliant, creative way of looking at problems.” This builds their confidence and helps them see their own skills.
- Explore Together: Use the online tools and links we provide to research different options alongside your child. Make it a shared journey of discovery.
- Use Your Network: Think about friends, family, or neighbours who have interesting jobs. A short, informal chat with someone in a particular field can be incredibly insightful for a young person.
Information for Employers & External Providers
Join us in our mission to build the future workforce of Penrith and the Eden Valley. By partnering with Ullswater Community College, you are not just fulfilling your corporate social responsibility; you are making a strategic investment in your future talent pipeline and the prosperity of our local community.
Why Partner with UCC?
- Access Ambitious Talent: Our students are bright, motivated, and prepared for the world of work. Engage with them early and inspire them to become your employees and leaders of tomorrow.
- Demonstrate Your Commitment: Show you are a caring local employer invested in the community’s future. Working with us raises your profile and builds significant local goodwill.
- Shape Your Future Workforce: Help us develop the skills and work-ethic that your industry needs. Your insight is invaluable in bridging the gap between education and employment.
- Promote Equal Opportunity: By providing encounters and experiences, you help ensure every student, regardless of their background, has an equal chance to see the opportunities available to them.
We are seeking partners to support our careers programme through assemblies, workshops, mock interviews, work experience, and our annual Futures Fair. This is your chance to connect with the next generation and be associated with a school committed to excellence.
To become a partner, please contact our CEIAG Lead, Mrs Cath Jones, at admin@ullswatercc.co.uk or call 01768 210206.
Making Your Option Choices
Year 9 Options (Choosing Your GCSEs)
This is an exciting milestone where students begin to shape their own curriculum. Our process is designed to be supportive and to ensure every choice is informed and ambitious.
Top Tips for Students
- Balance Heart and Head: Choose subjects you genuinely enjoy and are good at. You’ll work harder and be more successful if you are passionate about what you’re learning.
- Keep Your Options Open: We strongly encourage you to consider the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) pathway (a humanity and a language) as it is highly respected by top universities and keeps a wide range of future doors open.
- Research, Don’t Guess: Use your Options Booklet and classroom displays to find out what each course involves and what skills you will learn.
- Think About Your Future Self: Where could this subject take you? How does it link to careers you might be interested in?
- Choose for You: Don’t choose a subject just because your friends are, or because you like the teacher. This is your path to shape.
How Parents Can Support
- Talk it Through: Discuss the different subjects with your child. Ask them what they enjoy and why.
- Attend Key Events: Join us for the Year 9 Parents’ and Options Evenings. It’s your chance to speak directly to subject teachers.
- Help with Research: Look through the Options Booklet together and explore the links to careers online.
- Encourage a Balanced Choice: Help your child choose a broad range of subjects that will challenge them and keep their future pathways open.
Key Year 9 Options Resources
16+ Options (Post-GCSE Pathways)
Throughout Years 10 and 11, we provide expert guidance to ensure students make ambitious and informed decisions about their future after their GCSEs.
Top Tips for Students
- Consider Your Learning Style: Do you prefer the academic rigour and final exams of A-Levels, or the blend of practical skills and coursework in a technical qualification? Be honest about how you learn best.
- Think About the End Goal: Research the entry requirements for university courses or apprenticeships you might be interested in. Do you need specific subjects?
- Experience it First-Hand: Attend the open days and taster sessions for UCC Sixth Form and local colleges. Get a feel for the environment.
- Seek Advice: Talk to your teachers, your Form Tutor, and our careers team. They have a wealth of experience to share.
How Parents Can Support
- Explore All Avenues: Visit UCC Sixth Form and other post-16 providers with your child to compare the different offers and environments.
- Discuss Different Pathways: Talk about the equal merit of both the university route and the higher/degree-level apprenticeship route.
- Focus on the Long Term: Help your child look beyond the immediate next step and think about how their post-16 choices will set them up for their future career aspirations.