Wallington County Grammar School is committed to providing independent and impartial Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) for all students. We want to ensure students are informed about all available opportunities and equipped with the knowledge, experiences and attributes that will enable them to go on to achieve their future aspirations. We continually strive to develop links with parents and carers, alumni, education and training providers, and employers to ensure our students have the capacity to navigate and succeed in a rapidly evolving and global employment landscape so that they can truly overcome ‘difficulties to the heights’. 

Leadership and Whole-School Commitment

Our careers programme is a whole-school priority supported by the Headteacher, Senior Leadership Team and Governing Body.

• Dr Meek, our L6 trained Careers Leader, oversees the programme and works with staff across the school to ensure careers education is built into lessons and wider school life.
• All staff receive regular training so they can highlight career links in their subjects and signpost students to further guidance.

How Careers Education Is Delivered

Careers learning is woven through school life:

• Form time and Wellbeing Curriculum – regular activities help students learn about different careers, develop decision-making skills and learn from up-to-date Labour Market Information (LMI).
• Lessons across every subject, every year – teachers highlight how their subjects link to jobs and further study and show the skills that employers value.
• Clubs, societies and other co-curricular activities – build employability skills such as teamwork, creativity and leadership.

Encounters and Experiences

Throughout their time at WCGS students will:

• Meet employers and employees through our annual Careers Encounters and our Sixth Form Enrichment talks.
• Meet and converse with universities, colleges and apprenticeship providers at our annual Higher And Further Education Fair.
• Take part in meaningful workplace experiences in Years 10 and 12, combining virtual and in-person experiences.
• Prepare for and reflect on each encounter so that every experience has a clear purpose and measurable learning outcomes.

Recent Sixth Form speakers have included professionals in architecture, IT and AI, science and pharmaceuticals, engineering and sustainable energy, law, medicine, finance, creative industries and more.

Supporting All Pathways

While most of our students progress to university, we fully support those interested in apprenticeships, T Levels, Higher Technical Qualifications and other technical routes.

• From Year 7 onwards, students and parents receive independent information about all post-16 and post-18 pathways, including talks from apprenticeship providers and current apprentices.
• We maintain a strong partnership with the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) programme, which provides regular sessions across year groups.
• Our Provider Access Policy, updated in line with the latest legislation, ensures that a wide range of training providers can speak with students at key decision points.

Personalised Guidance and Tracking

Every student has different needs at different times.

• Individual careers interviews with a qualified adviser are available to all students, with extra support for those who are disadvantaged or who have SEND. All students in Year 11 will receive a careers interview in the Autumn Term, complete with a personalised action plan.
• We keep systematic records of careers activities, aspirations, intended destinations and next steps for every student through our co-curricular dashboard. This information is used to tailor support and to identify anyone at risk of not securing a positive next step.
• We also use sustained destination data to evaluate our programme and to celebrate student successes.

Working With Parents and Carers

Parents and carers are vital partners in career decision-making.

• We provide regular workshops, newsletters and online resources so families can access up-to-date labour market information and discuss options confidently.
• Feedback from parents and carers is collected each year and used to improve our programme.

Framework and Assessment

Our programme follows the Career Development Institute Framework and the updated 2025 Gatsby Benchmarks for good careers guidance.

• We evaluate impact using annual surveys of students, parents/carers, employers and visiting speakers, together with destination data and feedback from alumni. We also work closely with the Careers and Enterprise Company and the South London Careers Hub and complete a Compass review three times a year.
• Findings are reported to the School Leadership Team, to governors and inform our school improvement plan.

Get Involved

Parents, carers, alumni, employers and training providers play a vital role in bringing careers alive for students.

If you can offer talks, work experience, mock interviews or other support, please contact Dr Meek, Careers Leader, at kmeek@wcgschool.co.uk

Our full Careers Programme can be found here. Our Provider Access & Careers Policy is available on the School Policies and Documents page.