At Newlands, we believe that education is about far more than academic results. Our aim is to prepare every pupil for a happy, healthy, and successful life beyond the school gates — equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Personal development sits at the heart of everything we do. Through our curriculum, enrichment opportunities, and daily school life, we support pupils to develop resilience, self-awareness, and strong personal values, alongside an understanding of how to keep themselves safe and well.

Central to this is our PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic education) programme, which gives pupils dedicated time to explore topics including relationships, health and wellbeing, and living in the wider world.

PSHE - KS3, 4 AND 5

Preparing for Life Beyond School

As pupils move through the school, we place an increasing focus on their next steps — whether that's further education, training, apprenticeships, or employment. At Newlands, we create confident and responsible young ladies, equipped with the skills they need for the twenty-first century.

Our high-quality, impartial careers information, advice and guidance helps pupils to fulfil their potential — understanding the opportunities open to them and making informed choices about which courses suit their academic needs and aspirations. By meeting their individual needs, we inspire every pupil to follow a well-considered path of their choice.

Our careers programme raises aspirations, broadens horizons, challenges stereotypes, and promotes equality and diversity, ensuring every pupil leaves us with a clear and ambitious plan for their future.

Overall, we aim to set a standard of excellence, following the guidelines and fulfilling the statutory requirements, as set out by the Department for Education and other professional bodies, such as the Careers and Enterprise Company. In particular, we use the eight Gatsby Benchmarks when planning and evaluating our curriculum: 

1. A stable careers programme
2. Learning from career and labour market information
3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
5. Encounters with employers and employees
6. Experience of workplaces
7. Encounters with further and higher education
8. Personal guidance

At Newlands, we integrate Careers information, advice and guidance (CIAG) into the girls’ experience of the whole curriculum:

Year 11 pupils are also prepared for their post-16 choices through an options talk, contact with further education providers, a CV workshop, mock interviews and the chance to be a ‘Sixth Former for a Day’. Our annual Sixth Form Information Evening ensures that parents are also provided with essential information needed to support their daughter during this important time.

Students in Years 12 and 13 will be guided in their post-18 choices through talks given by employers and universities as well as a Higher Education Conference. The Higher Education Evening, which follows the conference, provides parents with information concerning their daughters’ options.

The CEIAG programme is planned, monitored and evaluated by the Careers Leader, using a range of methods including the 'Compass' tool, developed by the Careers and Enterprise Company.  Assessment and evaluation of our provision and its impact will be undertaken both formally and informally as part of an ongoing process.

Working in Partnership

We understand the importance of working in partnership with parents, who are encouraged to access and use our information to support their daughters.

• Careers Road Map download_for_offline
  download_for_offlineCareers Road Map
• Provder of Access Statement download_for_offline
  download_for_offlineProvder of Access Statement
• Shaping a Careers Discussion With Your Daughter download_for_offline
  download_for_offlineShaping a Careers Discussion With Your Daughter
• Starting Out - The Berkshire Careers Guide download_for_offline
  download_for_offlineStarting Out - The Berkshire Careers Guide