DOWNEND School students have been finding out about the wide range of careers they could embark on, from hi-tech labs to the high seas.
One of the highlights was a trip to Portsmouth for a tour of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.
The pupils learned about a variety of roles within the Royal Navy as well as the different routes they could take into the Armed Forces.
One of the school’s career leads, James Smale, said the students who went on the trip were a “credit to the school” and had been thanked by their hosts.
Year 7 pupils were given an insight into cryptography – encoding information and providing secure communication – in a workshop run by a team from computer giant Hewlett Packard.
Joint careers lead Emma Merryweather said students thoroughly enjoyed and engaged with the challenge and also showed an aptitude for cryptography.
The school’s own science department has run a STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) event for Year 8 students with the Smallpiece Trust, a charity that promotes careers in engineering.
They learned about education and career pathways in STEM industries.
Head teacher Linda Ferris said: “Providing high quality, impartial careers guidance helps students to make informed choices about which courses to choose and prepares them for the next stage of their education, training or employment.
“These fantastic opportunities for students to understand the world of work have run alongside the usual pop ups, careers interviews, Life Skills lessons and preparation for work experience.”
Schools trust set to change student admission numbers
THE trust that runs Downend School and Mangotsfield School is planning to change the capacities of the two schools.
Castle School Education Trust is consulting on its admissions arrangements to take effect from September of next year.
From that date it intends to raise the published admission number (PAN) for Downend School from 210 to 240 Year 7 pupils per year.
At the same time the number of admissions to Mangotsfield School would reduce from 240 to 210 children per year.
The trust said: “These proposed amendments reflect the anticipated change in places required in the local area following the opening of a new secondary school in Lyde Green in 2026, ensuring that parental preferences can be met within a sustainable curriculum and staffing structure for each school.”
While the PAN represents the school’s official capacity, both schools are currently oversubscribed and have raised their admission numbers in recent years to accommodate extra Year 7 pupils.
Last year Downend School received 325 first-choice applications for its 210 advertised places, the most to any school in South Gloucestershire, and provided an extra “breach” class to increase numbers to 240. In 2023 the school had two extra Year 7 classes, bringing the total to 270.
Mangotsfield School had 226 first-preference applications for 240 places on offer but agreed to raise its admission number to 270, to accommodate children who missed out on places at other oversubscribed schools.
Lyde Green Community School is due to open in September 2026 with an intake of 180 Year 7 pupils – equivalent to six classes of 30 children – each year. The CSET consultation opened at the start of the Christmas holidays and was due to close on January 31. Anyone who wants to comment should email consultation@cset.co.uk.
The trust also plans to extend the distance from Lyde Green Primary within which siblings are given priority over other children for places from two miles to three miles.