Careers at Westholme

At Westholme, we are proud of our award-winning careers programme, which saw us win first place in the Careers Provision category at the Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2023. We saw off competition from some of the leading independent schools in the country to claim the award in a ceremony which was held in London. Our careers department, run by Head of Careers Mrs Caroline Hibberd, helped students secure top university places and degree apprenticeships in 2023. Head of our INSPIRED Sixth Form, Mr Jonathan Oracz, also works closely with students so they can fulfil and maximise their potential.  The personalised approach to students and outstanding success in supporting their aspirations makes our careers provision truly exceptional.

Every year, Westholme students gain entry to Russell Group Universities like Oxford, Manchester Durham, Liverpool and more. The recent success of our students gaining level 6 apprenticeships saw them beat 100’s of other competitors across the country to work at companies such as the BBC, Jaguar Land Rover, KPMG, PwC, the Civil Service, Sellafield and ARUP.

Subject Fairs

We hold subject fairs for our students every year, so that they can see the wide range of subjects that are available for them to choose from at GCSE and A Level. Each subject is represented by its respective teacher, and students can speak to them individually or in groups to find out more information. These fairs are fantastic ways for students to ask any questions that they may have and learn more about either their favourite subjects, something new, or how choosing their subjects can be relevant to their preferred careers. The fairs are open to Senior students and parents are welcome to attend.  

 

University, Apprenticeships and Careers Fair

We hold bi-annual Apprenticeships and Universities conventions that show our students all of the amazing opportunities that are available to them upon leaving school! These events are always exciting occasions in our school calendar as representatives from some of the leading universities in the country are in attendance, as well as representatives from leading companies who are offering degree apprenticeships such as Jaguar Landrover, the BBC and KPMG to name a few.

FIND OUT ABOUT OUR 2025 EVENT HERE!

Careers Convention

Alongside our Apprenticeship and University convention, we run a more general Careers convention that features contributions/representatives from almost every subject/career imaginable! These range from Accountancy, Charity Work, Medicine, the Armed Forces, Sport, Technology, Business, Creative Arts, Fashion, TV and video production and much more! Our 2023 Centenary Careers Convention featured over 40 possible careers to learn about, as well as having guest talks and presentations on a range of subjects.

Alumni Networking and Careers Talks – Beyond Westholme

At Westholme, we have strong links with our Alumni which help us to create unique networking opportunities for our current students were they can learn from our Old Westholmians. We regularly invite our former students to talk to our current students on their careers since leaving Westholme, and we are always delighted to welcome them back so that they can pass on their experiences and knowledge to the future generations.

We also hold our ‘Beyond Westholme’ event every other year, where students and alumni have the opportunity to take part in a networking evening over a three course meal. Our previous events have been held at Ewood Park, the home of Blackburn Rovers FC. These have always gone down extremely well and it’s a great opportunity for our students to engage with alumni and speak to people who have been successful in career areas that they are interested in.

Baker Clause Policy Statement

At Westholme School we refer to the Gatsby Benchmarks to plan our CEIAG provision and understand the importance of educating our students in the range of education and training pathways available to them. We provide opportunities for students to receive information from education and training providers about apprenticeships, vocational and technical qualifications at relevant stages in their transition through school. These opportunities include assemblies, School HE Fair and Careers Convention and lunchtime drop in sessions.

We would consider offers from providers to visit school and speak to students.

Contact

If you are interested in finding out more information about the careers services available to you at Westholme, please contact our Head of Careers Mrs Caroline Hibberd – hibberdc@westholmeschool.com