The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, is very proud to be recognised as a “Centre of Excellence in Careers” by Challenge Partners, who identified the school as a National "Gold Standard" in Careers Education.

What is Careers?

"It is about young people finding purpose, discovering what matters to them, their place in the world, the point of studying and getting up in the morning. Sometimes people think careers is just information about options and planning for the future. It is so much more. It can give hope, meaning, purpose, self-esteem and the ability to navigate the changes of life”. (L. Hambly, 2022)

Why is Careers Education so important?

At RGS we pride ourselves on having a whole-school approach to careers and higher education, with departments providing subject-specific information and relevant opportunities to all of our students throughout their time here.

We believe that, in order to prepare pupils to the ever-changing world of work, it is important to provide Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) which is forward-thinking and considers individual needs.

Our view is that whilst academics remain a key part of school life, only if it is consolidated with character education, co-curricular opportunities and careers education, are we truly preparing pupils for life beyond school.

Meet the Careers Team

Mrs Thakrar [MSc, LSE] is the Careers Lead, heading up the Careers Department, working closely with pupils, parents, staff, volunteers and external parties. A qualified Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (including Level A & B Psychometric testing qualification), Mrs Thakrar also has a strong background in industry, having worked in student, graduate and experienced hires’ recruitment across all vectors in global organisations, before entering education.

She is a “Champion Careers Lead”, a title awarded to her by the Careers and Enterprise Company from the DfE. She often leads county meetings with Buckinghamshire schools sharing good practice in Careers Education, has written articles for the DfE about Careers Education and delivered national seminars in this field.

Pupils can approach her for:

• Support choosing A Levels / GCSEs
• Careers market knowledge
• Employer connections; Work Shadowing; Work Experience
• Interview preparation
• Application processes
• CV Clinics
• College/Apprenticeships/Alternative pathways
• Gap Year Information
• General careers advice
• Alumni connections

Ms Morley-Smith is the Careers Administrator and provides administrative support to Mrs Thakrar.
Mrs Thakrar and Ms Morley-Smith can be reached on: 01494 524955 and careers@rgshw.com
Mr Grant Sheehan, Assistant Head, is the Senior Team link for the Careers Department.

We also work very closely with DRAssociates, with whom we outsource our qualified career guidance sessions for our pupils. DRAssociates provide impartial advice on career paths and next steps both 1:1 and in groups. The Careers Team assesses pupils’ individual needs and books sessions accordingly with our careers adviser. Other pupils can request a session with Mrs Lewis by emailing Mrs Thakrar.

Follow the RGS Careers Department on Twitter and Instagram @rgshw_careers

Our Aim and Our Careers Policy

The primary function of RGS’ careers provision is to equip our pupils with the skills, knowledge, experience and encouragement they need to develop their career prospects throughout school and lifelong once they leave.

The careers education they receive will help them transition successfully to a future career path by:

• Evaluating potential routes;
• Building on their levels of engagement and motivation;
• Providing curriculum opportunities to build on employability;
• Connect subjects to careers and supporting them in their interests and aspirations.

It is our objective that through the careers provision, pupils will progressively build a toolkit of knowledge, skills and attitudes through a planned programme of learning both in school and via external encounters, helping them make informed decisions about their study and/or work options enabling effective participation in their working life. Supporting pupils in making well informed choices will lead them to a more optimistic outlook on life, helping make them become positive contributors of society.

You can find our Careers Policy here.