Kibworth Mead Academy
Careers education
This term at KMA we have been focused on our careers education. At KMA we want every student to leave us with a clear understanding of their next steps and some clear career goals. Therefore, we take every opportunity to embed careers into the curriculum. This takes different forms over the five years. From tutor time sessions, careers snippets in lessons or whole day events, culminating in a half term’s worth of 1:1 interviews with our careers advisor for Year 11. We also offer ongoing support over the year as they gain their places at Colleges and their Post-16 providers.
Enterprise Challenge day
For example, last month all of Year 8 engaged in an Enterprise Challenge day. The stimulus for this was the shocking statistic that in the UK, a staggering 9.5 million tons of food are wasted annually. The day focused on contemplating issues related to food waste, food poverty, and possible solutions to address this ongoing problem. Students worked in small teams, away from their normal lessons, delving into the topic. They explored creative solutions, e.g. devising campaigns, creating new products using commonly wasted foods, or proposing initiatives to reduce food waste and support food distribution efforts.
This challenge day offered a unique opportunity for students to connect various curriculum areas with real-life applications and career prospects. They simultaneously honed essential soft skills such as teamwork, leadership, creativity, project management, and public speaking. During the day the student teams created a PowerPoint, one group from each form was then voted as finalists. They went on to present again to a panel of judges and the whole of the Year 8 cohort.
Our volunteer judges, (from Dodies in Kibworth, together with a volunteer from the Police) were very impressed with the standard of the ideas, as well as the presentation skills. Some students’ comments on the day included: “That was great!” “I was able to work in teams and learn about Business”, “Can we do that again, as presenting was more fun than I thought”.
Speed Networking event for Year 9 students
Another recent careers event was our Speed Networking event for Year 9 students last month. This relied on a team of volunteers from the local community, who were willing to be quizzed on their jobs. Small groups of students were given seven minutes with each of the volunteers. They were encouraged to ask questions and make notes about the volunteers and the careers they have. This helped students talk to people they didn’t know, giving them confidence and also learning about careers they may not have known about. It was fantastic to see their confidence grow as the session went on.
Year 10 work experience
We also take the brave step of sending out all of our Year 10 into the world of work for a week for work experience. Students gain so many skills and insights over the week. Invariably they come back more mature with a fresh perspective on the world. This year it will take place in the week commencing 18th May 2026, just before May half term. Our Year 10 are currently sourcing work experience placements and excitedly update us on their progress.
Volunteers
We are really grateful to all our volunteers from the local community who support our careers education at KMA. Thank you. If you are not yet involved, but would like to, please contact us. In addition, we would be very grateful for any additional work experience opportunities you can provide- please get in touch.
Dr P Thompson
Vice Principal
Spinners Table Tennis
