James Leigh, Head of Careers at Reading Blue Coat, explains how he has implemented Morrisby from Year 10 to Year 13 and the benefits it brings.
James Leigh, Head of Careers at Reading Blue Coat, tells us how he's implemented Morrisby from Year 10 to Year 13:
"My name is James Leigh. I'm Head of Futures here at Reading Blue Coat. I'm also ahead of year, currently year twelve, and I'm a history teacher as well.
What we've really found with Morrisby is, that we can use it amongst a range of different year groups. So at the moment, we start off in year 10, and we're looking at ways we can roll it down to, to the lower years. But start with year 10 in terms of them setting their psychometric testing. We then present that, formally back to both the parents and the students in a special evening, and we physically hand them the results, and to take time going through Morrisby, and the testing and the results with them to discuss and until we've opened their eyes into different possibilities, and that's always very well received.
After that, the tutors have one to one meetings throughout year 11 to help the students with their A-Level choices and thinking about what they might want to do afterwards. And obviously, those two things really shape each other.
Then in year twelve, we revisit Morrisby again, in Future's lessons specifically this time, to talk about what they might want to do once they finish their A-Levels. Obviously, the students themselves don't necessarily know what kind of things they might actually be interested in. So where they get the results, it really does help them think about what they might be interested in doing, and then obviously what they need to do in order to achieve those sorts of goals.
Because it's so accessible and because it's so interactive, they've got so many, tools available on more speed.
They can find out a lot more, about specific routes that do help them make their decisions. And then when they're able to sort of tailor it according to their aspirations as well, it helps them become a lot more reflective, which they weren't, you know, necessarily doing before they sort of sit the testing. I'm always telling that and students as well. It's a resource for life, which is absolutely fantastic.
I think it's something we are going to always recommend that students revisit because it's always being updated, there's always new information. So rather than just getting sort of a set recommendation, at this age, obviously it'll be something they can be much more interested in, for the rest of their time. It is really helping us, you know, ensure that we're providing a stable careers program that we're learning from career's education and the marketplace, that we're providing one to one guidance and, that we're really investing each individual. That's that is really helpful for us. It helps us fulfil those Gatsby Benchmarks.
I would definitely recommend Morrisby. I think it's really important at the moment, especially as offset on ISI becoming more interested in a school's career's provision.
It enables us make sure that we're really fulfilling some of the key Gatsby benchmarks. So we can make sure that we are addressing the needs of each pupil, that we're providing personal guidance that we have a stable careers program, and that we are learning from the marketplace."
