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Inspiring Futures at Chiltern Hills Academy: A Year in Review 2025-2026

At Chiltern Hills Academy, we are committed to providing every student with an ambitious, inspiring and inclusive careers programme that prepares them for success beyond school. Through our carefully planned six-step careers journey – iDiscover, iExplore, iPlan, iFocus, iDecide and iApply – students develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to make informed decisions about their future pathways.

Throughout this academic year, students across all year groups have taken part in a wide range of meaningful careers experiences, ensuring they gain first-hand insight into the exciting opportunities available to them.

Some of this year’s highlights include:

Learning from industry professionals
Students have benefited from an extensive programme of talks and workshops delivered by professionals from sectors including law & criminology, healthcare, animation, public services and many more, helping students understand the skills, qualifications and career pathways available.

“Working on a digital brief at the agency pushed us to think innovatively and collaborate as a team. It was exciting to discover roles in the digital industry from UX design to content strategy” Arthur

Employer & Workplace Encounters
Students visited a variety of employers including The Entertainer, Morgan Sindall Construction, NatWest, leading London advertising agency, Pinewood Studios and the Houses of Parliament, providing valuable insight into different industries and working environments.

“This experience helped me understand how the film industry works. It was very informative, covering all aspects of filmmaking—from interviews with the actors to the stunt sequences. I particularly enjoyed seeing the actual sets used in films”. Macie

Work experience
Year 12 students completed a week of work experience across sectors including engineering, healthcare, law, architecture, theatre, education and the charity sector. Year 8 students also took part in a successful work shadowing day, giving them an early insight into the world of work.

I enjoyed pitching ideas for the shower gel advert at the advertising agency. It was a very creative task and make us think outside the box – a fun and inspiring day” Mollie

Building employability skills
Year 10 students attended the Bucks Skills Show, meeting over 100 employers and training providers, alongside skills workshops delivered by ICAEW and PwC and other companies to develop essential workplace skills.

The Bucks Skills Show was so interesting looking at different career paths. It gave me ideas on what to do” Sara

Exploring careers in technology
Students participated in BIMA Digital Day and visited a leading technology company in London, discovering the exciting opportunities within the rapidly growing digital sector.

“I enjoyed every part of The Entertainer experience trip” Megan

Enterprise and enrichment
Students developed leadership, teamwork and entrepreneurial skills through Young Enterprise, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and our complementary studies programme helping to build confidence and resilience alongside their academic studies

Exploring Higher Education
University life was experienced through Oxford University taster days through to Y11 University visits and taster sessions. Sixth Form students also benefited from UCAS guidance, personal statement support, student finance workshops and a visit to the UK University and Apprenticeship Fair where they met many university and companies offering apprenticeships

“The day at Oxford University was a once in a lifetime experience and showed me what I should aim for. The sights and the scenery were wonderful” Timur

Apprenticeships and technical pathways
Students explored apprenticeship opportunities through employer presentations, technical provider encounters, assessment centre workshops and mock interviews, ensuring they understand the full range of progression routes available after school.

“I really enjoyed the University taster sessions which gave me a feel what it would be like at Uni” Ebru

Preparing for life beyond Chiltern Hills Academy
We have supported our students through Post-16 and Post-18 information evenings, options assemblies, CV writing workshops, and mock interviews with local business professionals helping students prepare confidently for future applications and recruitment processes.

Personalised careers guidance
Every Year 11 and Year 12 student received an individual careers guidance interview with a qualified careers adviser, followed by a personalised Action Plan to support their next steps.

Careers across the curriculum
Careers education continues to be developed across areas of the curriculum with departments working alongside employers e.g. welcoming authors, filmmakers, politicians and police officers to demonstrate how classroom learning connects to future careers.

“They way Parliament works is much more complex than I thought which is interesting and makes me want to learn more” Oliver

From Year 7 discovering careers for the first time to Sixth Form students preparing for university, apprenticeships and employment, this year has been filled with opportunities to inspire, challenge and prepare our young people for successful futures. We are incredibly proud of everything our students have achieved and look forward to building on these opportunities in the year ahead.

Careers and enrichment activities help students build confidence, develop teamwork skills and return to school with a broader understanding of their future opportunities.

Confidence Through Experience

Careers Highlights

At CHA, careers education is brought to life through a wide range of experiences. Explore the sections below to see what our students have taken part in:

Review of the Year 2025-2026