Key Stage 3 Careers

A programme preparing students for the world of work — exploring careers, developing skills and mindset, and building the knowledge to make informed, positive choices about the future.

Programme Leader: Ms Cerys Parker · cerysparker@ficedu.org · +44 (01394) 282388

Our careers lessons are linked to The Gatsby Benchmarks to provide a stable careers programme at FIC:

Learning from careers 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

Units of Work

topic learning content
1-2-1 Tutorials The programme opens — and returns regularly throughout the year — to one-to-one tutorials: a chance to reflect on academic work and any personal concerns, discuss possible solutions, set academic targets, and begin identifying career aspirations.
Education & Mindset Why does education matter — and who gets the chance to learn? Students explore how education helps them achieve in the future, identify who and what influences their own career choices, and develop the ‘can do’ attitude and growth mindset needed to reach their full potential.
Exploring Careers What is a career, and where do you find one? Students learn where to look for careers, discover how heritage, identity and values shape career choices, and unpick the difference between skills, qualities and qualifications — and how each relates to jobs.
Green & STEM Careers Two of the fastest-growing areas of work. Students explore what is meant by ‘Green careers’ and the jobs that relate to them, then discover the importance of STEM careers and the remarkable range of opportunities available in science, technology, engineering and maths.
Experience & Choices Students consider what work experience is and why it matters, look deeper at green skills — why they are in demand and how to develop them — and learn how actions have career consequences, building the habit of making positive choices.
Decisions & Planning From one workplace to the whole labour market. Students explore the variety of jobs within a single workplace through the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system, learn how to weigh up risk when making decisions, and begin actively planning, prioritising and setting targets for their own careers.
Skills for Success Careers are built with other people. Students consider what relationships are built on and how to develop them, learn to take initiative, communicate their needs and identify role models, and master SMART targets and action planning to move forward.
Enterprise & Wellbeing What makes an entrepreneur — and what keeps them going? Students explore enterprise skills and the resilience to find success in failure, then turn to mental health and wellbeing: recognising healthy and unhealthy habits, strategies for staying well, and the importance of a good work-life balance.
Money, Fairness & Rights Students learn to make personal financial decisions by weighing up different types of finance, explore equality, diversity and stereotyping and the inequalities that impact the workplace, and identify employment rights and responsibilities in the UK — including the gender pay gap.
The Bigger Picture The programme closes by connecting career to the wider world: its relationship with the natural environment, with community and society, and with politics and the economy.

topic learning content

1-2-1 Tutorials

The programme opens — and returns regularly throughout the year — to one-to-one tutorials: a chance to reflect on academic work and any personal concerns, discuss possible solutions, set academic targets, and begin identifying career aspirations.

Education & Mindset

Why does education matter — and who gets the chance to learn? Students explore how education helps them achieve in the future, identify who and what influences their own career choices, and develop the ‘can do’ attitude and growth mindset needed to reach their full potential.

Exploring Careers

What is a career, and where do you find one? Students learn where to look for careers, discover how heritage, identity and values shape career choices, and unpick the difference between skills, qualities and qualifications — and how each relates to jobs.

Green & STEM Careers

Two of the fastest-growing areas of work. Students explore what is meant by ‘Green careers’ and the jobs that relate to them, then discover the importance of STEM careers and the remarkable range of opportunities available in science, technology, engineering and maths.

Experience & Choices

Students consider what work experience is and why it matters, look deeper at green skills — why they are in demand and how to develop them — and learn how actions have career consequences, building the habit of making positive choices.

Decisions & Planning

From one workplace to the whole labour market. Students explore the variety of jobs within a single workplace through the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system, learn how to weigh up risk when making decisions, and begin actively planning, prioritising and setting targets for their own careers.

Skills for Success

Careers are built with other people. Students consider what relationships are built on and how to develop them, learn to take initiative, communicate their needs and identify role models, and master SMART targets and action planning to move forward.

Enterprise & Wellbeing

What makes an entrepreneur — and what keeps them going? Students explore enterprise skills and the resilience to find success in failure, then turn to mental health and wellbeing: recognising healthy and unhealthy habits, strategies for staying well, and the importance of a good work-life balance.

Money, Fairness & Rights

Students learn to make personal financial decisions by weighing up different types of finance, explore equality, diversity and stereotyping and the inequalities that impact the workplace, and identify employment rights and responsibilities in the UK — including the gender pay gap.

The Bigger Picture

The programme closes by connecting career to the wider world: its relationship with the natural environment, with community and society, and with politics and the economy.

Students in KS3 also participate in a Community Work programme, which introduces them to supporting local and global communities.