Year 7 

Students are introduced to Careers and Enterprise in Year 7.

What is Enterprise?

Enterprise education provides students with the unique opportunity to develop valuable skills in the business world. Whether students plan for a career in medicine or fashion design, these foundation skills are crucial in becoming, not only a successful young entrepreneur, but also a creative and innovative individual.

Throughout the school year, there will be exciting events and opportunities for the students to engage with inspirational business people and learn firsthand through running their very own business.

One of the main events of the year is the Christmas Enterprise Markets. The AGGS tradition has proven to be a great success and has helped budding entrepreneurs showcase their talent.

Year 7 also take part in the Tenner Challenge half day masterclass, delivered by Young Enterprise. Through enterprise challenges and industry insight from local business volunteers, this programme inspires students to explore the realities of working life.

Year 8

In Year 8, students are first introduced to CEIAG through their Citizenship lessons. They look at the world of money by exploring jobs and the economy and various social and moral dilemmas. Year 8 can also take part in a voluntary enterprise activity, the Mosaic Challenge, a Prince’s Trust Charity. What is Mosaic? An inter-school competition which encourages a spirit of entrepreneurship amongst young people. In addition to encouraging an understanding of business and enterprise, participants also develop a number of transferable skills such as: Confidence; self-efficacy, team work; meeting deadlines; clarity of expression; lateral and creative thinking; and flexibility and adaptability.

Enterprise

Year 8 can get involved in the Christmas markets and they also have a designated off-timetable day, currently a day delivered by employees of Willmott Dixon Construction.

“The Willmott Dixon enterprise day is designed to encourage employability skills, whilst highlighting curriculum links to the construction industry. The long term goal of the enterprise day is to help raise awareness of careers in construction for female students, ahead of their college course/education selection.” 

World of Work Day

In the summer term we invite our Alumnae back into school to help deliver the World of Work day. The sessions are led by the alumnae and the aim of the day is to introduce Year 8 to as many different careers as possible and to get them to think about the different skills involved in each of the job roles. 

Careers Software

Students are introduced to the JED (Job Explorer Database) in their Citizenship lessons – a fun quiz enabling users to explore over 850 careers ideas: www.careersoft.co.uk/Products/Job_Explorer_Database

Year 9 

Y9 Options

Parents and students will be invited to attend the Year 9 Options Evening where they can find out more about what options AGGS has to offer at Key Stage 4. Subjects chosen to study for GCSE can influence and shape the career path of the future. If students already have a strong direction of which careers path to take, then they will need to consider which subjects will help them to get there.

Connexions

Year 9 are introduced to our Connexions Adviser, Colette McLoughlin, in Form time. Connexions offer impartial advice and guidance advice and can help reinforce option choices and understand the importance of those things to be considered.
www.connexionstrafford.co.uk

Enterprise

 

The Year 9 enterprise activity is run by The Ryman National Enterprise Challenge. www.nationalenterprisechallenge.co.uk/

The full year group programme receives high profile support from the likes of Theo Paphitis and Lord Sugar and businesses such as Ryman, UCFB, Staffordshire University and Kingswood. The students work in teams to conceptualise, design, market, finance and present a real-life business challenge. The challenge is delivered by an expert team of facilitators and helps to develop the enterprise and employability skills of all the students who take part including teamwork, communication, leadership, decision making, problem solving and creativity. The winning team from each school goes on to represent the school at the National Finals.

Win or lose, the challenge helps to develop the key skills young people need for the world of work and shows them there is no limit to what can be achieved.