[Skip to content]

Home > School Life > Senior School Curriculum > Careers

Careers

Head of Department: Dr L Penney

Careers Administrator: Mrs E Garrett

Careers Tutors

Sixth Form: Dr L Penney

Mr O Bowden

Mrs N Keeler

Mrs P Lennie

Mrs M Lincoln

Careers Curriculum

Careers education and guidance starts in Year 8 and continues into the Sixth Form. The overall aim is to encourage development of the knowledge, skills and attitudes to make the best use of each girl's individual capabilities in learning and work throughout life. The focus is very much on the individual girl and helping her to make appropriate choices at each decision-making point in her school career and afterwards. The curriculum includes:

  • developing self awareness of individual strengths, skills, interests and preferred working style and factors which influence these.
  • researching opportunities and options in education and work so that choices made at each stage are well informed.
  • finding out about different careers and career pathways.
  • the importance of transferable skills in contributing to success in education and the work place.

Taught lessons are enhanced and reinforced by careers conferences throughout the year. These include introductions to the world of work; team working on entrepreneurial activities with ambassadors from industry; and events and conferences focussing on Higher Education and careers. Work experience opportunities in Years 11, 12 and 13 offer further practical experience of specific careers.

Girls in Years 11, 12 and 13 all have regular individual interviews with their Careers tutor to guide them towards their chosen goal and can seek advice from careers staff at any time.

Resources

The Career Library is located in the Sixth Form House. It is well supplied with books, guides and prospectuses as well as excellent ICT facilities. The Careers Intranet, also accessible from home, is a key resource for information on all aspects of Higher Education, Further Education, Apprenticeships and employment with training, as well as careers and career pathways and different industrial sectors. Careers staff are readily available to advise and assist with enquiries.

Coming Up in 2010 . . .

Wednesday 17th March 2010

This year for the first time we are joining up with Bedford School and Bedford High School for Girls to participate in an annual OB Careers Fair which will take place in the Great Hall at Bedfod School. This will be opened up to Years 10, 11, 12 and 13. Featured guest lecturers will include an Entrepreneur, A Careers Advisor for Medical students, and an Engineer. We also hope to have a Lecturer who will be talking about the voluntary sector. Please check the website regularly for updated information.

Friday 26th March

Deciding which subject you will enjoy and be successful studying at A level and beyond and choosing a possible career can be a challenge. Dame Alice is offering girls the opportunity to undertake a detailed and personal psychometric profile with the Morrisby organisation. These test will take place at Bedford High School for Girls from 1.00pm to 4.00pm on the last day of the Spring Term. This is entirely voluntary.

2009 Events . . .

Art & Design Careers Evening 2009

Thursday 15th October, 6.45pm - 9.00pm

The evening provided essential and current information on studying art and design and gave girls and their parents an opportunity to find out more about careers in the Art and Design industry. After an informative plenary session entitled The Benefit of Art Foundation Courses presented by Mr Alan Parsons, Assistant Director, Art, Design & Media, Bedford College and Ms Letitia McCandless, Course Manager, Foundation Diploma in Art & Design, Bedford College, students and their parents had the opportunity to join in the following sessions:
Studying Art at Degree Level
- Ms Catherine Baker, Norwich School or Art & Design
Studying Textiles at Degree Level
- Ms Hannah Raeside, ex-DAHS
Studying Interior Design
- Ms Lorna Walters, ex-DAHS
Studying Fashion
- Professor Gill Stark, AmericanIntercontinental University
Working in Graphic Design
- Mrs Kathy Campbell, DAHS
GSA Leadership Day
Wednesday 11th November 2009
St Mary's Cambridge played host to the sixth Girls' Schools Association (GSA) Girls' Leadership Development Conference on Wednesday 11 November. Twenty two Year 11 and 12 Dame Alice girls were among the 400 attendees. The conference was organised by St Mary's Cambridge Headmistress, Charlotte Avery, in conjunction with the University of Cambridge.
The theme of the event was 'transition', inspiring and supporting girls as they progress from GCSEs to A-Levels and into the sixth-form world, a time when making life-changing decisions such as choosing universities, degrees and careers becomes top of the agenda. A range of speakers took part in the event, which included panel discussions, interactive debates and workshops for 500 girls from GSA and maintained schools in the area.
The speakers included Dr Mary Archer, Chairman of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Professor Dame Julia Higgins, Principal of the Faculty of Engineering; and Suzanne Doyle-Morris, who launched her new book, 'Beyond the Boys' Club: Strategies for Achieving Career Success as a Woman Working in a Male Dominated Field'.
The day ended with a closing speech from GSA President and Dame Alice Harpur School Headmistress Jill Berry "This event offered exactly what our girls need to feel inspired and to develop the independence and self-belief to grow into strong, successful women. As leaders in education, it is our duty to ensure we educate and nurture our girls to succeed in life beyond the classroom, which is what makes these events so important."
Developer for a Day
Friday 27th November 2009
Girls in Year 9 took part in the all day 'Developer for a Day' challenge in school, organised by Young Enterprise and supported by young female construction industry ambassadors from Wates Construction.
Working in teams with pupils from a small number of other local schools, the girls formed their own small construction companies to plan, design and cost a small housing development to meet a number of criteria. Young ambassadors representing the various professions involved assisted as expert advisers and gave the girls the opportunity to find out about careers including architecture, surveying, designing, accountancy, engineering and marketing.
The girls gained real experience of managing a construction project and an understanding of the many and varied professions involved. They developed their leadership, team working, communication and management skills while using subject knowledge from several areas of the curriculum. Competition was fierce, with each girl taking on a role in either the technical team or the business team within her company. Comments from the girls confirmed they had all had a great day, while learning a lot about their individual strengths and about the essential skills of leadership, team working, creativity, time management and communication. The winning team, Renmark Developers, had extremely tough competition from their thirteen competitors to win the bid.
Future Fortunes
Wednesday 18th November 2009
A day off timetable for Year 12 girls found them developing the core transferable skills needed for success in the outside world.
External advisers (including former pupils of Dame Alice) from a variety of professional backgrounds led plenary sessions and worked with the girls as facilitators and mentors on interactive group exercises throughout the day. They built towers of straw, hunted for treasure and experienced the power of non-verbal communication, whilst developing their leadership, team-working, problem solving, planning, presentation and time-management skills.
The girls got a taste of what the world of work is really like and managed to have a lot of fun at the same time. This event launched the Sixth Form Careers programme for the Year 12 girls which helps the girls prepare for the next stage of their lives after A levels.

Previously.

Year 9 Construction Challenge
In October 2007, Year 9 girls at Dame Alice Harpur School completed a complex urban design project. Shefford based company Inspace worked with Construction Skills to devise the exciting project which promoted the opportunities within the construction and built environment industry.
The girls were asked to manage all aspects of the development of a new social housing build. They designed the accommodation, took the project through planning permission, managed the finances and planned and organised the final build.
As well as gaining valuable insight into all the career opportunities in the construction and built environment, (from architect, civil engineer, construction manager, estimating technician, demolition operative to painter and decorator) girls explored ways in which to make a real difference to the environment in which they live.
The event was featured in the TES Magazine on 30th November.