Careers & Aspirations

At Norton College we believe that each one of us can be truly brilliant. We aim to support our students through their journey to becoming aspirational adults with rewarding and engaging careers.    

We work hard to support these aims, whilst working towards the government’s recommended Gatsby Benchmarks to ensure that our students are suitably prepared to progress to university or a relevant alternative.     

Our Careers Service is embedded into our curriculum for students to access in the following ways:   

Year 7 – Settling in & being part of our community  

• PSHE lessons  - Living in the wider world strand 
• Dedicated Careers units of work in Personal Development lessons 
• Careers Fair  
• Careers Assembly with guest speaker  

Year 8 – The career journey - recognising skills and achievements   

• PSHE lessons  - Living in the wider world strand 
• Dedicated Careers units of work in Personal Development Lessons 
• Careers Fair  
• Careers Assembly with guest speaker 
• Opportunity Knocks Day   
• Alternative Curriculum Day – Careers and Enterprise 
• Stock Market Challenge 

 Year 9 – Your future - supporting students in choosing their GCSE subjects  

• PSHE lessons  - Living in the wider world strand 
• Dedicated Careers units of work in Personal Development Lessons 
• Options information unit embedded in PD lessons 
• Careers Fair 
• Taster days for options subjects   
• Options Evening   
• 1:1 meeting with SLT 
• Guidance meeting with careers advisor 
• Opportunity Knocks 
• Alternative Curriculum Day – Employability skills and Aspirations 
• SEND Careers 1-1 Appointments 

Year 10 – Preparation for Employment   

• PSHE lessons  - Living in the wider world strand 
• Dedicated Careers units of work in Personal Development Lessons 
• Careers Fair   
• Work Experience   
• Careers Assembly with guest speakers   
• Aspirations Evening   
• Alternative Curriculum Day - HE visit to the University of York St John  
• SEND Careers 1-1 Appointments 

Year 11 – Exploring Pathways   

• PSHE lessons  - Living in the wider world strand 
• Dedicated Careers units of work in Personal Development Lessons 
• Careers Fair  
• Work Experience reflection   
• Careers guidance meetings with Mr Foster  
• Mock interviews with real employers   
• Sixth Form Open Evening   
• Sixth Form Takeover Day  
• Assembly guest speakers  
• Offer of NCS summer activities in partnership with NYBEP   

Year 12   

• Interview preparation   
• Work Experience  
• Creating a good CV   
• Guidance meetings with Mr Foster and Sixth Form Pastoral Support  
• Enrichment  
• HE visits to Leeds Beckett University and York St. John University  
• Guest Speaker programme  
• UCAS and HE questions 
• Careers Fair  

Year 13    

• UCAS applications   
• Interview preparation  
• Theatre visit  

If you would like to get in touch about any aspect of our careers programme, or to make a 1:1 appointment, please contact Miss Pettitt on 01653 693296 or email jp@nortoncollege-rlt.co.uk/cfo@nortoncollege-rlt.co.uk