Shrewsbury retains national Quality in Careers Standard

As the final week of a tremendously busy academic year draws to a close, I am delighted to report that Shrewsbury School has successfully fulfilled the criteria required for full re-accreditation of the national Quality in Careers Standard using the Career Mark approach.  

Having first obtained this official recognition in 2022, it was pleasing to demonstrate not only the progress the Futures Department had made since then to our assessor, but how our parent body, alumni and friends of Shrewsbury School had contributed brilliantly, and more than ever, to our delivery since 2023.  

I completed some analysis of this recently, and this research makes for interesting reading. Since September, the Department has welcomed in 257 visitors to the School, who have delivered some type of ‘Futures’ intervention to our pupils. These have varied from mock interviews, career fairs, career insight talks, Higher Education events, skills workshops and much more.  

We have had very few repeat visitors, of this number only twelve have been in more than once, an indication of the power of the Salopian network and the variety of guests we have been able to welcome.  This figure does not consider the brilliant work experience placements offered over the holiday period to our fifth form (fast approaching 150) or the one-to-one mentoring type meetings that have taken place. 

Two closing comments from me; One is to say thank-you, it is humbling to be able to have such generous support and I never take for granted the time our brilliant visitors take to inspire and engage with our pupils. Secondly is to reassure you that though accreditation like this is excellent, complacency is not a word we embrace in the Department, and plans are already set for how we can continue to improve the support we offer to pupils, both past and present, in the next academic year. 

Floreat Salopia! 

Chris Wain 

Head of Futures