Welcome to
Careers & University Preparation
Overview
Our careers programme has a whole-school remit designed to complement the rest of the school curriculum.
Ipswich High School careers and university preparation starts before Sixth Form; our careers programme has a whole-school remit designed to complement the rest of the school curriculum. Our visiting speaker programme includes talks from a huge range of professionals and industry experts from the world of work, held in the library and all pupils can attend.
We encourage our pupils and students to be ambitious, broaden their horizons and explore their own career aspirations throughout their life at school. Our careers programme aids our pupils’ and students’ readiness to take their next step in their learning or career.
Mrs Wendy Offord - Safe Guarding Manager & Head of Careers
'The IHS Careers Programme is an essential part of the whole school offer; our individual approach prepares and inspires our young people to make ambitious decisions that equip them to successfully manage future transitions as learners and workers.”
Mrs Wendy Offord - Safe Guarding Manager & Head of Careers
Sixth Form Preparation
In Sixth Form, this guidance becomes more personalised and tailored to each student’s individual strengths, plans and interests. Many of our sixth formers receive offers at their first choice (usually Russell Group) universities, including Oxbridge, for challenging subjects such as Classics, Law and Medicine. However, our careers advice offers more than this ‘traditional’ path. We provide guidance for any course at any university in the UK, Europe and worldwide.
To see where some of our alumni have studied, including their course of choice, see our Exam Results page.
Oxbridge Support Programme
Our bespoke Oxbridge support programme includes expert speakers and visits to the University of Oxford. Our wider UCAS and apprenticeship programmes include visiting speakers and a special evening event for parents and pupils to meet with industry experts.
To see where some of our alumni have studied, including their course of choice, see our Exam Results page.
Oxbridge Programme
Starting in Year 9 we offer support to our students as they prepare their applications to Oxford, Cambridge, and Russell Group universities. Through the Generation Next programme which offers insight into university life and our mentoring scheme which encompasses work experience, students are fully prepared. Visits from key expert speakers inspire and support our students on their Oxbridge journey. The success rate of our students is higher than the national average within the independent sector.
Personal Statement
With personalised 1:1 meetings we will help you structure and edit your personal statement to make a great first impression.
Admissions Tests
We help you prepare for your university admissions tests including NMAT, UKCAT and STEP. We also support you with your supplementary application essays.
Key Texts and Theories
Top universities expect students to have read extensively beyond the curriculum. We will guide you through your wider reading supported with discussion groups.
Interview Training
Learn how to deliver an outstanding performance in your university interview. Improve your confidence and critical thinking.
University Choices
We provide supervised trips to Cambridge and Oxford. We will also help you strategise your choice of universities to apply to.
Visiting Expert Speakers
Key expert speakers come into school to inspire and support our students on their Oxbridge journey and challenge students with degree-level concepts.
Your Future
We also support our students who choose not to go to university and are interested in beginning their careers after A Levels via an internship or similar. Our diverse alumni network reflects the broad interests and true individuality of our Sixth Form alum through the years and features prize-winning authors, doctors, actors, ambassadors, lawyers, scientists and Olympians.
Provision for Careers
Ipswich High School’s Careers provision offers practical work experience, opportunities to engage with professionals from various fields, psychometric and aptitude career profiling with impartial advice, and support with university, apprenticeship, internship, gap year, and employment applications and interviews.
Provision for Careers
Years 7 to 9
Our Careers Programme has a whole-school remit designed to complement the rest of the school curriculum. From Year 7 onwards, our Careers team lead careers-PSHE sessions supporting subject and option choices, university selections and ultimately their future vocation. In Year 8 we introduce Morrisby.com, a leading career-matching and guidance software, to enable our students to learn more about themselves, discover subjects and courses tailored to them, log voluntary or paid work and work experience, and to research and explore inspiring career options. Year 9 pupils also enjoy Take Your Child to Work Day,Pupils from Year 7 onwards are invited to attend the frequent Careers Speaker Talks. These are given by industry professionals from a wide diversity of career paths and sectors.
Year 10 to Sixth Form
We continue to use Morrisby in future years, with a particular focus in Year 10 and Year 12 when our pupils complete a personalised Morrisby Profile to discover their individual strengths, aptitudes, ambitions and goals. This will, in turn, support post-16 and post-18 career choices, and is underpinned by 1-to-1 independent and impartial careers advice. Each Morrisby Profile offers lifelong account access and supports the creation of a strong Personal Statement, CV and application to suit the individual’s ambitions.
Year 10 pupils also participate in a week of work experience. Continuation of work experience is encouraged in Year 12 and beyond as an essential element of successful future employment.
Sixth Form
In Sixth Form, this guidance becomes more personalised and tailored to each student’s individual strengths, ambitions and interests. Many of our Sixth Form students receive offers at their first choice universities (usually Russell Group), including Oxbridge, for challenging subjects such as Classics, Law and Medicine. However, our careers advice offers more than this ‘traditional’ path. We provide guidance for any course at any university in the UK, Europe and worldwide, as well as applications to internships, highly competitive Degree Apprenticeships, and careers in Uniformed Services.
We also respect and support our students who choose not to go to university and are interested in beginning their careers after A Levels via an internship or similar. Our diverse alumni network reflects the broad interests and true individuality of our Sixth Form through the years, and features prize-winning authors, doctors, actors, ambassadors, lawyers, scientists, and Olympians. To see where some of our alumni have studied, including their course choices, see our University Destinations page.
