Careers at Reading Blue CoatAcademics

Throughout pupils’ time at Blue Coat, Careers education is embedded throughout the curriculum and meets the eight benchmarks of Good Career Guidance set out by Gatsby. During Years 7 – 11, pupils study the world of work as part of the PSHE provision. In Year 10, students undertake the Morrisby Assessments, which when completed, create a 20-page report highlighting a student’s strengths, A Level choices and potential career options. In Year 11, this report is used by tutors to guide students into deciding which subjects to choose to study at Sixth Form level. In Year 12, each student has a weekly timetabled Careers lesson that follows a diverse curriculum. All students have access to Morrisby and Unifrog.

 

Year 7: Life beyond School – Careers and your future (PSHE)

Year 8: Life beyond School – Labour market information and exploring Careers (PSHE)

Year 9: Life beyond School – Employment and financial management (PSHE)

Year 10: Life beyond School – Employment rights and understanding a payslip (PSHE)
Students complete Morrisby Assessments in the Summer Term.

Year 11: Life beyond School – Writing a CV and personal statement (PSHE)
Students decide what to study at Sixth Form level using their Morrisby Report.

Year 12: Pupils start the UCAS process during weekly Careers lessons meeting the eight benchmarks set out by GATSBY.

Year 13: Students complete UCAS entry and receive guidance on GAP years/Apprenticeships

Careers Fair: open to students in Years 11-13. 40 to 45 exhibitors are present in the Sports Hall and six presentations on popular career choices take place in the Sixth Form Centre

Higher Education Talk: Open to all students in Year 12. Occurs in March and guest speaker from the University of Birmingham.

UCAS exhibition: Summer term, open to students in Year 11 and 12. Students from local schools are also invited.

Virtual Careers Fair: Meet some of our Old Blues, who introduce you to their lines of work and tell you just how they got there. Click here to enter.

Robert Sillitoe (2010), Consultancy Services for Microsoft

 

Jonathan Lucas-Wood (2011), ACCA Chartered Accountant in the Landed Estates Industry

Michael Gaynor (2012), Investment Banker with Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria

Tiffany Beard (2014), Advertising for Crispin Porter Bogusky

Josh Cardy (2010), Financial Planner
Jamie Etherington (2018), Audit Apprenticeship at Ernst & Young

 

Old Blue Ben Freeman (2019)

Ben was at Blue Coat from Year 7, and took full advantage of everything that the School had to offer him. A 1st VIII rower, a member of the Navy section of the CCF, and a member of the chorus in the School's musical production, "Little Shop of Horrors", Ben was a public speaker, who came 17th in the Impromptu Speaking category at an international public speaking competition in Canada in October 2018. Ben is an accomplished artist who hopes to start a side business selling prints of his impressive wildlife paintings. One of Ben's Blue Coat highlights was the German trip to Berlin in Year 9 because, he says, "it was an incredible cultural experience and a lot of fun".  He...

Old Blue Emily Aldridge (2020)

Emily joined Blue Coat in September 2018, not just because her twin Isaac was already here, but because she was looking for a challenge. Emily studied Music as an A Level subject; she took her Grade 7 examinations in piano and singing, and taught herself to play the guitar. She was also in the inaugural Girls' Chamber Choir and played a member of the girls' group in the Blue Coat senior production of 'Little Shop of Horrors'. Emily was an active member of the School Council, which involved talking to her peers about school issues and discussing possible changes. She also worked towards her Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award, which included an expedition to Nepal. Emily's other A Level subjects were Chemistry...

Old Blue Josh Smart (2019)

"When I arrived at Blue Coat in Year 7, I was initially very shy as I only knew a couple of boys attending the school. After going to some rugby sessions, I quickly realised that there were loads of boys just like me, who shared a common love of playing sport. The togetherness and camaraderie that was built between me and my peers on the sports field helped me form friendships off the pitch, which have been crucial to my growth as a person. I believe these friendships and opportunities to excel away from the classroom with my mates really drove my passion and love for sport from the start. Throughout my time at the school, I was constantly offered co-curricular opportunities...

Old Blue Kukua Blankson (2018)

Former Head Girl Kukua joined Blue Coat because she found everybody "so friendly" and says that her favourite thing about life at Blue Coat was "the people.... everybody gets along, and I was part of a really good year group". When Kukua first toured the School, she also liked the Art Department, and chose Art has one of her A Level subjects as well as Economics and Psychology, with an AS in Government and Politics. Kukua was a very active member of the Chamber Choir and had roles in a number of School productions, including 'Grease', 'The Importance of Being Earnest' and the 2018 production of 'Anything Goes'. She also volunteered her time as a student helper in Year 8 Art lessons....

Old Blue Oliver Pink (2020)

Old Blue and Former Head Boy Oliver Pink joined Blue Coat in Year 9 and hit the ground running! In the October half-term of his first year, Oli climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in London - and he finished Year 11 by travelling to Ghana with Blue Coat, to learn about Ghanaian culture, and to work on the refurbishment of a classroom building at the local school in Ankwanda village. "It was like a rollercoaster of emotions", Oli says of the experience. "It made me feel so lucky about everything I have in my life at home, but it was hard work. It was also so much fun, and has given me some of...

Old Blue Andy Wroe (2017)

Old blue Andy, one of the stars of Blue Coat's Tech Crew during his time at the School, stage managed School productions starting with the Junior Drama production of "Aladdin" in 2014. Director of Drama, Mrs Coccia Clark, commented, on the final night of the 2016 production of "Grease": "Andy is such a good Stage Manager, I often forget he's still a student; he's good enough to work in the West End". The West End is one of the places Andy says he'd like to work - the other being as a set designer for live concerts - but, in the meantime, he was given an unconditional offer to study Technical Theatre and Stage Management at RADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic...
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