Careers Plan – Year 8 (2026-27)
YEAR 8 CAREERS AIM: to build aspirations and encourage students to explore career opportunities in more detail while developing a broad understanding of the world of work.
RATIONALE: This year builds on the work in Year 7 but recognises that they are approaching a transition point so a focus is on exploring opportunities within different sectors. An important part of this is challenging stereotypes so that we can empower students to make decisions according to their own desires and ambitions, not the expectations of others.
Term 1
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: My Career Readiness
In their fortnightly careers sessions, Year 8 students will be guided through where they can access support and guidance around careers during this important year when they choose their GCSEs. As part of this unit, they will complete a career-readiness online questionnaire (the FSQ) so that our careers lead can plan appropriate careers activities and interventions where needed.They also look at disability rights in the workplace and are introduced to the concept of reasonable adjustments – this builds on their introduction to the Equality Act 2010 in Year 7.
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Term 2
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Stereotypes in Careers
In their fortnightly careers sessions, Year 8 students will explore their preconceptions about careers sectors in advance of choosing their GCSE options. They will explore the impact of stereotypes on individual career choices, as well as understanding that a range of careers can exist within a sector beyond the ones they may initially think of.
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Term 3
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Exploring Careers
In their fortnightly careers sessions, Year 8 students will have the opportunity to examine what a GCSE actually is. They will also sign up for their Morrisby account and be shown how to use it to explore their career interests, focusing on how to identify which GCSEs might be needed for careers that they like.
Year 8 students will start to focus on specific sectors that are related to the GCSE subject options on offer. This term, they will talk to STEM Ambassadors about their jobs, their own GCSE choices, and then how they use their GCSEs within their careers.
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Term 4
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Exploring GCSE Choices
In their fortnightly careers sessions, Year 8 students will conduct a deep dive into options that combine well with different subjects. This will focus on IT, languages and the combinations of subjects that can lead to different engineering careers.
Continue reading → - GCSE OPTIONS: Year 8 Taster Day
- Workplace Experience: MOVE IT 2027 – Dance Day Trip
Open to all students in Years 7, 8, and 9 to expose students to the wider professional dance world. It offers a fantastic experience, presenting students to career paths in the dance world, networking opportunities, live performances, practical dance sessions and stalls from top dance schools and vendors. Students can watch live performances, network with dance colleges and schools, and participate in dance classes led by industry professionals.
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Term 5
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Resolving Conflict
Building on their character work on the importance of communication and integrity, Year 8 students explore disability rights, and what support is available if we are treated unfairly at work, including arbitration services like ACAS, and the roles of unions. These sessions support their PSHE sessions on conflict resolution.
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Term 6
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Experiences of the Workplace
In their fortnightly sessions, Year 8 will expand their careers vocabulary, looking at what they might do after their GCSEs. This term’s main focus, however, will be on exploring the workplace. Students will look at the importance of sports and leisure within our local labour market, and prepare for the employer challenges that will form part of their Carroty Wood residential.
Continue reading → - EXPERIENCE OF THE WORKPLACE: Carroty Wood
Year 8 students have the opportunity to attend half a week at Carroty Wood, an Outdoor Adventure Centre. Throughout their time there, they will be finding out about the different careers involved in this workplace and will complete a challenge that will give them the opportunity to explore the skills and tasks involved in working in the sports, leisure and tourism sector in Kent.
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