As we move into the new school year I have been

considering how we will develop our provision

and what changes need to be made. In reaction

to information gained last year about how

enterprise education is valued by employers but

also by students I decided to research how we

can use this to help our students bridge the UK

Skills Gap.

Enterprise education focusses on helping students develop skills

that will prepare them for life beyond school with a particular

emphasis on financial and enterprise capability alongside

economic and business understanding. While this is not a new

concept increasing numbers of schools are looking to

incorporate enterprise education into the curriculum. Both the

Department for Education and Ofsted suggest enterprise

education should include clear focus on economic and business

knowledge and understanding alongside the development of

enterprise capabilities. The learning focuses on the development

of skills including creativity, problem solving, taking initiative,

time management, communication, innovation, collaboration,

resilience and adaptability. Looking at these skills there is a

correlation between what we consider enterprise skills and

those that we consider a requirement to be successful

academically. This poses the question that in addition to

Enterprise Education, as a course, can enterprise be used as a

pedagogy to support the teaching and learning of all subjects in

the curriculum? Enterprise as a pedagogy offers an alternative

model of learning allowing the learner to apply knowledge from

a subject into a ‘hands on’ and more practical based scenario.

An organization named Enabling Enterprise published an article

about the teachability, measurability and next steps which

reviewed the evidence relating to Enterprise Education. The

article refers to the sizeable body of evidence showing poorer

children and young people tend to demonstrate lower levels of

aptitude in skills enterprise education seeks to develop such as

communication, confidence and pro-social behavior when they

enter school. The article states that, where delivered effectively,

teachers feel enterprise education can present young people

with unrivalled set of opportunities to make links between what

the learn in school and the wider world around them.

The scope and practice of enterprise education is much broader

than entrepreneurship education which is mainly focused on

how to start up a businesses. It is argued that enterprise

education as pedagogy can underpin a raft of subject areas

across the curriculum posing a number of challenges but also

creating a number of opportunities. The challenge for the

teacher is to develop a teaching style that encourages learning

by doing, exchange, experiment, positive mistake making,

calculated risk taking and creative problem solving.

The UK government’s view point suggests that enterprise

education provides the means to change educational systems

and standards operating with the intention of changing the way

people are taught as well as what they will learn. The pedagogy

is not subject specific but can be introduced and applied across

the curriculum.

Whilst being involved in the process of our school review of PSHE

I identified that there may be an opportunity for us to us

enterprise as pedagogy for some schemes of work. Some

organizations have developed schemes of work based around

project-based learning and enterprise activities relating to social

issues which are taught through PSHE and give the learner the

autonomy over the task fostering engagement to learning. In

addition to this we are looking to turn our Careers club into an

enterprise programme to support our students in developing

these essential skills.

Mrs Christina Reffold

Canons Careers Coordinator

CAREERS N e w s l e t t e r

Autumn Term 2019

National Apprenticeship Week

We celebrated National Apprenticeship Week by hosting representatives from the Civil Service, Mer-cedes Benz and Utility Warehouse at our Apprenticeship Pop Up Event during lunch time on 8th March. Students had the opportunity to ask questions to the representatives from each organisation and feed-back was really positive. A tide really does seem to be turning regarding interest in apprenticeships and this is something which we are always looking to promote and support. Over the course of the week form tutors delivered power points to students about some of the other opportunities available to them in apprenticeships.

Year 12 Work Experience

As part of the Year 12 Future Me Week in June our students ventured out into the world of work and managed to secure some fantas-

tic placements including within some really high-profile organizations. Some of our aspiring civil engineers went to Kier Construction,

a group of our economists went to the National Infrastructure Commission. We also had students in the Civil Service, Mercedes Benz,

the UK Space Agency, financial newspaper Risk.net, various local hospitals and even one student at Chancery Lane Chambers.

Employability Day

On the 2nd July we welcomed Steve Prichard from Adecco Recruitment and a host of representatives from the Department of Busi-

ness Energy and Industrial Strategy to support our Employability day which was open to students in year 10, 11 and 12. Students who

attended were given the opportunity to practice some online testing similar to those used at apprenticeship selection assessment

centre's and graduate internship interview days. They also heard from Steve from Adecco about employability Do’s and Don’ts. Finally

students took part in a mock assessment centre activity which was delivered by the reps from DBEIS and is used within the Civil Ser-

vice apprenticeship recruitment process. The business ambassadors were so impressed that students were invited down to the House

of Commons for a tour the following week.

Year 12 Future Me Week

In addition to work experience students also

attended our first official UCAS Conference in

June. During the course of the day, after key

note speeches from the Director of Sixth

Form, Assistant Director of Sixth Form and my-

self students attended pre chosen talks deliv-

ered by a range of universities including Cam-

bridge; Swansea; Westminster; Hertfordshire;

Brunel and Oxford Brookes covering topics in-

cluding course choices; applying to competi-

tive universities; student finance; studying

abroad and applying for higher level appren-

ticeships. Finally we were joined by two for-

mer students who spoke to our Year 12’s

about their experiences of higher education.

Year 10 Careers Day

During the Year 10 PSHE Day our students attended their Mock Interviews. This is always a popular experience

with students. We welcomed various volunteers from a range of industries and organizations including the MET

Police, RAF, the NHS, Firmdale hotel and former student Eric Simpson, HR Director for TFL among many others.

Year 10 Careers Day

Our Year 10 Careers Day during Activities

week was an insightful day for students who

started the day off by sitting their Fast Toma-

to personality assessment. They then attend-

ed chosen talks from industries including En-

gineering, Bio-Medical Science, Forensic Sci-

ence, Civil Service, and Tech industries. We

were very lucky to host one of our Governors,

Mr Hickin, who works as a Project Manager

for the MET Police in their Forensic Science

Department. To finish the day off students

attended a talk by motivational speaker Mr

Beasey, who talked to students about barriers

to success and overcoming them.

Year 12 Transition Day

On 1st July students applying for Year 12 at

Canons were invited to the University of Surrey

to experience life on campus. Surrey was able

to provide speakers, who are currently study-

ing at the university, to talk about their experi-

ences of applying, studying and living at univer-

sity. Our students were also given a tour of the

campus and took part in a ‘Game of Life’ which

highlighted different pathways. Our aspiring

year 12’s were excited by the events of the day

and some who were previously discounting

going to university after Sixth Form are now

seriously reconsidering that decision. Aspira-

tions were clearly raised on this sunny day in

Surrey!

This Term….. Over the Autumn term we will be rebranding our careers club as the Careers &

Enterprise Club in partnership with Belfour Beatty and are currently recruiting

for organizations to support us with this. We are aiming to organize a parent

information evening relating to Post 16 and Post 18 choices for students. In

school we will be promoting the TFL Innovate competition for our Sixth Form

Students and we will be looking at last years destinations to ensure we are tai-

loring our provision. We will also be welcoming back our External Careers Advi-

sor, Mr Bishop, as we begin our Year 11 CIAG Interviews This term we are

hosting our first ever Careers Leader CPD on 1st October for Career Guidance

Professionals in the surrounding area.