St Cyres School and Ysgol y Deri were presented with Gold Awards at a national celebration event in Cardiff on October 13, recognising their work in helping young people prepare for future education, training and employment opportunities.
The Careers Wales Quality Award supports schools in embedding careers and work-related experiences throughout their curriculum in line with the Curriculum for Wales. It aims to help pupils better understand the choices available to them and develop skills that will support them in later life.
As well as achieving Gold Award status, Ysgol y Deri received a special recognition award for innovation in careers and work-related education.
The special award recognised the school’s creation of Hubbub, a retail training facility that gives learners practical workplace experience while helping them build confidence, develop employability skills and prepare for their futures.
Stacey Long, Careers and Work-Related Education lead at Ysgol y Deri, said: “It’s lovely to receive this recognition. It means a lot to have Hubbub and the careers work we do at Ysgol y Deri recognised.
“Ultimately, we do it for our young people, so it’s especially nice for them to be recognised too. They’ve built Hubbub from the ground up, from decorating the space to making it their own. It’s their place and their workplace, and they should be really proud of what they’ve achieved.”
She also thanked Careers Wales co-ordinator Jo for her support throughout the process.
At St Cyres School, Head of Department for WBQ and Careers and Work-Related Education Lisa Shearer said the award reflected the work staff put into ensuring every student is supported in finding the pathway that is right for them.
She said: “For us, careers education is about much more than a careers fair or an individual event. By embedding careers into learning and giving students meaningful experiences of the world of work from Year 7 onwards, we are helping them to understand themselves, explore their options and make more confident decisions about their future.”
Other schools receiving Gold Awards included High Street Primary School and Whitmore High School in Barry, along with Bryntirion Comprehensive School and Ysgol Bryn Castell in Bridgend.
