For Parents & Carers

At WKS, we recognise that parents/carers remain the biggest influence on a young person’s career choices. Leaving school is a life-changing event which can be challenging for many young people and parents/carers. Supporting your child to navigate the courses at college or university or applying for jobs, apprenticeships or volunteering can be overwhelming.

Guidance for parents is offered at all critical stages at WKS including options decisions, in Year 11 and making decisions in Post 16 and beyond.

Support is in place for any parents, carers or family members that would like to discuss anything about their child’s careers education. Any questions or requests should be directed to Mrs Shallcross hshallcross@wkrs.oc.uk

There will be opportunities to speak with Mrs Shallcross and Ruth Evans from Careers Connect at the Meet The College event in the Autumn Term, to which external providers and higher education providers are also invited. Parents will have access to the other career team staff at parents' evenings and option evenings and at the Meet The Training Provider Event that we host every Autumn Term.

Supporting your child on their journey to their adult pathway

Research shows that students say their parents help them make key career decisions, with many also adding that their parents have the most influence on their career decisions.

For many parent/carers this is a stressful time and say they don’t know where to get accurate online information to help them support their child.

Below are a number of useful links to help you. Some have ‘quizzes’ to help start discussions about types of careers if your child has no idea about what to do.

How to help your child with their future career plans…

Talk to them about what they like doing, their hobbies and passions
Sit down with your child, encourage self-awareness (what skills and qualities they have/could they develop) and encourage them to explore their options (direct them to their page on the careers website)
Talk about career ideas and future plans at the right time and when they are open to speak about their future
Research a wide range of careers yourself, particularly when your child starts mentioning particular route.
Encourage them to make the most of their Career Guidance Interviews they have in years 7 through to Post 16 with our Independent Career Connect Adviser, Ms Ruth Evans
Attend the Meet The College & Training Provider Event which is held in WKS every Autumn Term
Find out about entry requirements for school, college and university courses or jobs they are interested in
Keep an eye on changes in education, job trends and LMI (Labour Market Information), for information on LMI, click here

You can support your child:

When they are making option choices in year 9, post 16 and post 18
With finding and participating in work experience
By encouraging them to make the most of their Careers Guidance Interviews in years 11-13
By encouraging them to participate in appropriate extra-curricular and out of school activities to develop a range of skills
By encouraging them to find out about the world of work and labour market information

Try to…

Encourage your child to make informed decisions
Let them take the lead and get them to do the reseach
Be open minded, try not to judge their choice
Do not answer a query if you are not sure about it. It’s ok to take time, research or seek professional help

Be aware…

Your child may change their career interest as they become aware of more option choices - it is ok for them to change their mind
Many employers look at people’s on-line profiles so remind your child to be careful when using social media

Navigating your children's future options:

Ensuring your child is ready for their journey to adulthood, career and future financial security and a good quality of life a challenge for every parent, even more so for our pupils' parents.

Parents have a key role to play in their decision-making and the general career path your children choose to pursue. Whilst we know you have made every effort and done an amazing job, when it comes to their adult pathway, it can be daunting, confusing and scary for them and you.

Upto this point, you have fought for them, made difficult decisions for them and had a say in everything that they have done so far. We know this has not been an easy journey for them or you, and West Kirby School is here to support your child and you to navigate the challenges that they face as they step towards adulthood and their career journey.

We understand the pitfalls that you will anticipate for your child’s future and we know that you will want to try to shield your child from the mistakes you’ve made or heard - whether knowingly or unknowingly. You will have heard horror stories from other parents, trust us, we have heard them as well! That said we hear amazing stories of success, happiness and independence from our past pupils.

We know that the bad stuff is likely to stay in your mind. What we ask our parents and carers is to be realistic in your aspirations for your child and consider what beliefs you have about what you think constitutes a ‘good job’ or ‘ideal life’ or ‘happy life’.

Whilst you and West Kirby School staff can guide and guide our pupils away from some of the life pitfalls they will encounter along their journey, they’ll inevitably make mistakes and hiccups along their journey to adulthood.

They will spend a long time at college or in a job, so it will make a difference if they like what they are doing. Being happy and fulfilled is important for the quality of life. If your child enjoys a course or job, it will motivate them. So, it’s important that their choices are a good fit for them.

So what should you do when it comes to helping your kids with their careers?

Reflect on yourself

Before discussing career choices with a child, parents and carers should take the time to think about their own expectations, unfulfilled childhood desires and what influenced their own career choices. This can help you steer clear of pushing your child in a certain direction.

Provide exposure - If possible, encourage your children to engage in a wide range of activities outside and inside school, from sports to clubs to volunteering, so that they can experience various things and develop a range of skills. Finding out what they will engage with, may help your child to want to continue to explore more activities..

Listen & discuss

listen, don’t judge
be supportive & open to ideas and encourage them to explore all their options
be mindful that your child’s choices and decisions should be based on their aspirations and abilities, not on what you think they should do
remember that not everyone has a clear idea what they want to do so your child's career ideas may change as they get older
expect curveballs and about turns

Balance dreams and practicality

In your child’s journey to a fulfilling career, it’s crucial for you, as a parent and carer, to navigate the delicate balance between pursuing passions and practical considerations. You want your child to follow their dreams and do what they love, but you also want them to be prepared for the challenges and realities of the working world and adulthood.

Help them acknowledge the importance of both dreams and practicality, recognising that while passions are the driving force, understanding the practical aspects ensures a realistic and sustainable career journey. Don’t discourage your child from pursuing their passions, but also don’t ignore the factors that can affect their success, such as education, skills, experience, income and competition.

We know parents and carers want to set their children up for a life of self-sufficiency, meaning, and happiness. However, not everybody will get to be the next Richard Branson or Lord Sugar or Victoria Beckham.

Guiding your child in finding realistic career paths by offering insights into researching viable opportunities aligned with their interests. It is important that you consider the following factors:

research current and future employment opportunities and job market demands (see Growth Sectors below)
understand your child's personal capabilities and academic abilities
help your child explore different options
weigh the pros and cons of each one
try not to impose your own preferences or expectations on them.

Don't forget to have fun!

Make the process fun, do not add pressure and motivate the child's curiosity. Here are some suggestions you can do at home

Career Scavenger Hunt :

For example, If your child says 'I want to be ‘an astronaut’, get them to look up what they need to be an astronaut.
look at videos(see useful websites page)
find the pros and cons of being an astronaut
not many people actually go into space, so suggest they search for jobs in the space industry. Seeing what other jobs that support the astronauts to go into space may open their eyes to other roles.

Career Trivia

you know your child’s interests, passions, favourite celebrity or sports icon.
do some research and see if you can find out any career or education related to your child’s interests and their favourite celebrities or icons
drop it into conversations, don’t make a big deal of it ‘Did you know…… or I heard ……’
or suggest ‘I wonder what XX wanted to be when they were young?’

Here are some fun facts about famous people’s career journeys that we found:

Stormzy – Before becoming one of the UK’s biggest artists, Stormzy worked in an oil refinery as an engineering apprentice, and later in quality assurance
Peter Capaldi - studied at the Glasgow School of Art before pursuing an acting career that has included playing the twelfth Doctor in Doctor Who.
Lizzo - had a brief stint as a food critic, which inspired her to use social media to further her music career
Professor Brian Cox swapped a life of gigging for one packed with scientific theories about the universe.
Jeff Bezos the founder of Amazon and one of the richest people on the planet. Did you know that his first job was working at McDonald’s when he was 16?
Dara Ó Briain – comedian and the host of Mock the Week has a degree in maths and theoretical physics from University College Dublin
Alan Sugar went from selling car aerials out of a van to becoming a billionaire and a knight.
Christopher Walken worked as an assistant lion tamer in a traveling circus to help make ends meet.
Hugh Jackman ‘Wolverine’ performed at children's birthday parties as Coco the Clown.
Tom Ford studied interior architecture before going into fashion design and film.
Before his X Factor audition, Zayn Malik was a boxer.
And finally, Mrs Shallcross’s favourite one, Harrison Ford was a full-time carpenter, and also started working as a stand-in at auditions to help him afford materials for a carpentry project before George Lucas offered him the role of Han Solo in Star Wars.

Our top tips to getting started:

We realalise it can be challenging to know how to ask the right questions, here’s our Top Tips to get started:

start with their interests, skills, abilities and values - don’t push it, if they don’t want to share that side of themselves to you
talk about their likes and dislikes of different school subjects
- research the careers linked to that subjects that they like, click here
- be subtle and pick your moments and battles!
Encourage them to link their skills and interests by using the Unifrog Personality and Interests Quizzes or National Careers Service Skills Assessment . Have a look on our useful weblinks for more information
Identify 3 different jobs they may like to explore using the Unifrog Careers Library or the National Careers Service Job Profiles
Share your own experiences and talk about your own job or career and those of the wider family.

There is so much information online and organisations who offer advice and support to parents at various stages of your child’s career pathway from choosing options in Year 8 or 9, to post 16 choices, university, apprenticeships and funding support. Please do not fret, WKS staff are here to help and support you.

Preparing your child for work experience:

Access to Career Connect Advisor:

Awaiting content

Accordion content

Preparing and supporting your child through transitioning from WKS:

There are a number of things parents and carers can do to make the transition period less stressful for autistic young people.

It’s a good idea to start the planning process early, so that there is plenty of time to prepare for new situations and changes.
If a young person is planning to go to college or university, it can help to meet support staff before they start and become familiar with the new environment.
There are organisations that can help young autistic people to find employment and apprenticeships.
Arranging a more flexible start may help to make the new situation less overwhelming, so for example starting a new job part-time or attending a reduced number of university lectures, if that is possible.

Whenever plans about a young person’s future are made, it’s vital that they are consulted on their wishes and preferences where possible, even if it’s felt that the person does not have the capacity to make decisions themselves.

Click here for more information and toolkits

Preparing Your Child for Adulthood

All young people need guidance to prepare for their future. A young person with special educational needs (SEN) may face additional challenges to achieving their goals. These include lack of information about options, low expectations about what is achievable, and difficulty in making their views heard. So they may need extra support as they move on from school to college, or from education into adult life.

All young people need help getting ready for their future. Our WKS pupils may face additional challenges to achieving their goals. These include lack of information about options, low expectations about what is achievable, and difficulty in making their views heard. At WKS, we provide your child with the opportunity to access extra support that they need, as they move on from WKS to college, or from education into adult life.

The system of support for SEN places particular importance on helping children and young people prepare for their future. This is referred to in the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice 2015 as “Preparing for Adulthood”.

Preparing for adulthood means preparing for:

Higher education and/or employment.
Independent living.
Participating in society: friendships and contributing to the local community.
Being as healthy as possible in later life.

Preparation for your child transition to adulthood should start early – long before your child becomes an adult.

All schools have a legal duty to provide impartial careers advice from Career Connect to all young people from at least Year 8 upwards. At WKS, we start the process in Year 7 and we include our Year 6s in the Meet The Training Provider event to aid their decision process.

Success at School’s Career Guide Book:
Success at Schools have produced a free ‘Careers for Parents and Carers – Helping Your Child Begin Their Career Journey’ ebooklet packed with advice from university to work experience to apprenticeships.

For information on how best to support your child/ward with their future career and pathways, please click here for links to useful websites.