Weekly Newsletter - Shebbear College

Issue No 77
3rd July 2015
Weekly Newsletter from the Headmaster
Form 3 out on the water with the Mountbatten Centre in Plymouth
Dear Parents,
The social scene has never been busier, with a flurry of activity to end
the term.
Our Junior Six class enjoyed their farewell barbeque on Monday and
the Boarding Community also dined al fresco last night to mark the
end of term.
The Fifth Form Prom at Norton Barton Farm was organised by
students and was a great success. Everyone looked stunning in
their finery and in what is rapidly becoming a ‘Sheb’ tradition, several
promenaders arrived by tractor.
Today of course has seen Speech Day - a time to reflect on an
extremely busy year. I was delighted to welcome Ian Yorston (below)
as our Guest Speaker and his thoughtful and humorous reflections
were very well received.
The Rounsefell Dinner for the Sixth Form was held on Tuesday
against the amazing backdrop of Buckland House. The highlight of
the event was a revival of the ‘Shebbear Shuffle’ by Andrew Friend,
OSA President, who took us back to the dance craze that gripped
North Devon in the 1970s. For some reason it is less well known now!
Please enjoy this bumper edition of the newsletter which captures
the events of a very busy last fortnight and please have a restful and
enjoyable summer holiday.
Simon Weale
Issue No 77
3rd July 2015
Weekly Newsletter from the Headmaster
News from the Junior School
Dear Parents,
In characteristically Junior School style, this final week of term, and
of course the school year as a whole, has ended with a wide and
diverse range of activity involving all our pupils.
On Monday our wonderful Year 6 (more about them later) took
advantage of the glorious weather to enjoy a barbecue with their
parents to celebrate, what is for them the end of one exciting chapter
and the beginning of another. Delicious food, prepared of course by
our own Mrs Goode, and an opportunity to humiliate their parents (with
the exception of Mrs Heard that is!) in an adults v children rounders
match which made for a wonderfully relaxed and enjoyable evening.
www.shebbearcollege.co.uk
However, I did manage to escape from the office for long enough to
attend Mr Aldridge’s last Assembly of the year. This was a wonderful
opportunity for us to celebrate all the wonderful achievements of our
Kindergarten, as we presented them with their prizes for the year.
They are, of course, a little young to sit through a College Speech
Day. The recipients of this year’s Kindergarten Prizes were:
Viva Saunders
Jonathon-Michael Jackson
Chloe Huxtable
Alice Twomey
Freddie Lovett
Isabella Morris
Imaginative Play Prize
Kindness and Caring Prize
Creative Prize
Progress Prize
Class Prize
Class Prize
Despite seeing all those proud and smiling faces, proceedings were
tinged with a little sadness as we said goodbye to Mrs Ley. Sarah
has been a huge asset to our school during these last seven years
and as Mrs Biddlecombe’s right hand woman, has proved to be part
of a formidable and fantastic team. I am sure you all wish to share
with us in thanking Sarah for all her hard work and wishing her the
very best in the future.
On Tuesday our Year 5 flexed their mathematical muscles and
triumphed in the Maths Challenge Day (above) against a number
of other local schools, hosted here at the College. Congratulations
to our team (below); Poppy Lazenbury, Luke Honey, Eliza Stenning
and Adam Pennington. It seems as if Mrs Burnett has been doing
some maths teaching this year after all!
Then on to Thursday, and we were all off to the zoo (Paignton that
is) for our whole school day out. Although the rain changed our plans
somewhat we made the best of it. We looked forward to seeing the
three lions (Indu, Maliya and Lucifer) who, as a ‘Prep School’ we
are sponsoring in the year ahead. As three Lions sit proudly on our
College crest, this seems fitting and what’s more, we get to bring all
three lions back to school with us (well, their soft toy versions that is).
Then Speech Day rounded off the week, the term and the year. For
me this is the chance to reflect on all our achievements throughout
the year - our sporting successes, our musical masterpieces, our
academic achievements, our ‘Panto Pandemonium’ and so much
more. But understandably, it is also the time to reflect on our
wonderful Year 6 who leave us this year.
I am of course so very proud of them, as I am of all the pupils in this
school. This is the last Year 6 of Shebbear College Junior School, as
next year we become Shebbear Preparatory School, and I couldn’t
have picked a better group myself to herald the end of an era. As I
have said on a number of occasions, they truly are a wonderfully
eclectic group, with so much talent, so much personality and such
great fun. So here is my tribute to the class of 2015.
Harrison Mitchell, our Head Boy and a true young gentleman.
Thank you Harrison for all your hard work and for being such a true
ambassador for our school.
Bridget Astley-Taylor, our Head Girl. Such a kind, sensitive and
thoughtful girl, always looking out for those who are worried or upset.
On Wednesday Year 6 disappeared off into the Senior School
once again for their re-scheduled induction day. This was another
opportunity for them to meet up with their new classmates and
find out all that awaits them in the year ahead. For me it was the
opportunity to hide in my office and catch up on a pile of paper work!
Luke Maxa, Captain of Way House. What a smile! Cheerful, hardworking and such an encouraging leader on and off the Sports field.
Joe Faulkner, Captain of Thorne House. A human dynamo! Full of
enthusiasm, energy and questions! Always one of the first to offer
to help!
Issue No 77
3rd July 2015
Weekly Newsletter from the Headmaster
www.shebbearcollege.co.uk
Niamh Short, Captain of Ruddle House. The third member of staff
in Year 6. Always helping, looking after others and a real organiser.
Harvey Goode. What a change! Now so happy, so hard-working and
so much more enthusiastic!
Izzy Carey. A calm, easy-going influence on the rest of the class. So
creative, so friendly and so thoughtful.
Timothy Parker. Another real gentleman. So thoughtful and so very
popular right across the school. Not bad at music and drama either!
Sophie Temple. Is there anything this girl can’t do? She’s a true allrounder, a mature head on young shoulders and a big smile.
Tony Chen (Noodles). Always with a smile, always so hard-working
and an outstanding artist to boot!
Tiggs MacDougall. The pocket rocket. Tiggs just can’t sit still, a real
free spirit. She needs to be busy - writing amazing stories, drawing
wonderful pictures, cycling, running or just doing hand-stands!
Oliver Temple. A delightful boy and a true friend. It was no surprise
that Oliver was recommended for three different prizes at this year’s
Speech Day! He is so hard-working and so thoughtful to others.
Tom Nethacott. The Puppy. Everyone loves Tom. He’s our resident
comedian, but also such a hard-working and thoughtful boy! Looks
good in a pair of tights too!
With temperatures around 20o and light winds throughout the week,
the team experienced every activity in perfect conditions, making
every day just that little bit more enjoyable. Evenings were spent
getting the water-taxi across to the Barbican area of Plymouth and
playing football on the Hoe.
A huge thank you to Mr Barlow for his support and continued
enthusiasm throughout the week. I think we are already planning a
weekend’s sailing in the Michaelmas Term for anyone keen enough to
learn a little bit more than the basics of sailing. Well done team - a fab
week! Thank you.
Lucy Body
Richard Harrison. Another real gentleman. So kind, so thoughtful
and always there to lend a hand.
Flyn Hartman. Now this boy’s certainly got the brains! Such potential
there. A hard-working young man.
Sam Heard. Wow, he’s worked hard this year and achieved so much.
Always a big smile and a ferocious right foot!
Clement Goujon. Such a lovely nature. Always with a smile, always
so polite. He’s become such a friend to everyone in such a short
space of time.
That’s our Year 6. They have been a delight to teach and have
become good friends. Good luck to all of you. Try not to forget the
old man!
And finally, I would like to wish you all a happy and healthy holiday
and I look forward to seeing you all again in September, ready for
another busy year at Shebbear Preparatory School.
Mike Furber
Plymouth Water Activities
A small group of Form 3 pupils headed down to the Mountbatten
Centre in Plymouth for water sports during Activities Week last week.
Over the 4 days, the team enjoyed stand-up paddleboarding, sailing,
canoeing and kayaking.
The week was definitely full of challenges, such as sailing from Devon
to Cornwall (to Mount Edgecombe), canoeing up the River Plym to
Saltram House and rock-hopping our way around the cliffs in kayaks
to Jennycliffe Bay.
Maths at Exeter University
On Wednesday most of the 4A Maths group travelled to Exeter
University to attend a ‘Maths is Your Future’ conference, organised
by the Further Maths Support Project. The group attended various
lectures and workshops ranging from learning card tricks to solving
Bezout’s Buckets and Ponds problem.
The highlight of the day was during the ‘Balance a Body’ workshop
which saw Heather Mathews balanced by a plank of wood and 2
small cubes, thankfully the lifters Robert Temple and Ben Parker
didn’t drop her. Carita Wong weighed correctly and Ryan Stairs and
Olly Arden imputed the data correctly, meaning she was perfectly
balanced!
Issue No 77
3rd July 2015
Weekly Newsletter from the Headmaster
www.shebbearcollege.co.uk
for his writing and the extraordinary ordinary individuals from the past
and present whose stories he weaves into his novels. Craig spent
time answering the many questions which his presentation prompted
pupils to ask as well as signing books for all those who bought a copy.
Jane Welby
This was a great day and all participants came home inspired to do
lots of Maths over the summer holiday ... ok, so maybe they meant
September!
Claire Cardoo
Renowned Authors
On 18th June Lizzie Flaherty
and Samuel Odlin represented
the College at an event
celebrating the Carnegie Award.
They gave a persuasive and
polished presentation on ‘Tinder’
by Sally Gardner, one of the
eight shortlisted books. What
was more remarkable was that
they had stepped in at short
notice and then continued,even
though
they
were
very
distressed after news of Miss
Simpson’s accident. Ali Sparkes, author of many books including,
most recently, ‘Car-Jacked’ gave an entertaining talk and reviewed
the presentations of all schools taking part.
Milky Way Magic
The end of term saw a day out to The Milky Way for pupils, parents
and staff of the Kindergarten. Mrs Stanbury, as always, gave us a
warm welcome, making sure everything was ready and in place for us.
Our day was spent playing on everything available, watching shows
and having our pre-ordered lunch. Everyone agreed that it was a
brilliant day and already the children have made their thank you cards.
It was, however, tinged with a little sadness as everyone was able
to say farewell to Mrs Ley (above). She has decided, after 7 years
of dedicated service, to move on to pastures new. Mrs Ley was
presented with flowers and a lovely gift from parents and children.
We all send her our best wishes as she will be greatly missed.
As the rest of the Junior School were on their trip to Paignton Zoo
on our last day of the term, the Kindergarten had a party day. Picnic
lunch and lots of fun and games were the order of the day before we
all said goodbye, wishing everyone a lovely summer holiday.
Jacqueline Biddlecombe
Life Beyond 18
Following on from last year’s very successful careers morning ‘Life
Beyond 18’ we are in the process of organising next year’s event.
We would like to invite speakers from many different career fields to
come in for the morning and talk to our Fifth and Sixth Forms. The
date will be Thursday 15th October 2015. If you think you may be
interested or know anyone who could give us a morning of their time,
please get in touch. Please email me, Judith Aliberti at
jaliberti@shebbearcollege.co.uk
Form 2 French Trip
We were privileged this week to have a visit from the children’s author
Craig Simpson (above) who is touring schools in the UK promoting
his books and raising money for The Teenage Cancer Trust by giving
£1 from each book sale to the charity. He spoke about the inspiration
Well, we’ve returned safely from another action-packed week with
Form 2 in France. We had a great time, not least because of the
marvellous weather. My thanks to all the staff who came with me
and all the children who made it such an unforgettable experience.
Here’s to next year!
Issue No 77
3rd July 2015
Weekly Newsletter from the Headmaster
www.shebbearcollege.co.uk
late morning, and after a sleepy bus journey, the Ty Nadan campsite
greeted us, with a view of two huge swimming pools, water slides
and a fairy tale setting in the background.
Some pupil reviews of the French trip:
‘When we went to France, the activities were amazing, the zipwires
were my favourite, but I thoroughly enjoyed everything else as well.
The orienteering on the first day was really good, although we came
back last! On the second day we did both segway and paintball which
were both really fun and we did swimming in between. The slides and
the pools were amazing and almost every moment that we weren’t
doing an activity, we could be found in the pool. On day three we tried
canoeing, high ropes and zipwire. The canoeing was amazing and
I especially enjoyed going over the rapids and the fast flowing parts
of the river. The high ropes had three different courses, form fairly
hard to very hard, to extremely hard and they all contained different
challenges. Then we did the zipwire. It was brilliant, 16 zipwires in a
course from tree to tree. There was one that was 320 metres long
and one that went over three trees and the river. I enjoyed the whole
French trip. It was an amazing experience and I wish I could go on
the trip every year’.
by Lizzy Flaherty
‘On Sunday 21st June, a group of very excited 2nd Formers gathered
in the car park, complete with heavy suitcases and parents waving
them off. As we split up into a fleet of minibuses, we were buzzing
to go. The journey from school to Plymouth was full of energy and
before we knew it we were ready to board the ferry. With a few
words of wisdom from Mr Trask, we were on our way to Roscoff and
had been allocated cabins on the ferry. We arrived the next day,
Our first activity was orienteering, which gave us a good idea of what
our home would be for the next few days. After a delicious three course
meal from the camp restaurant, we settled down into our chalets for
the night. The next few days were filled with some interesting and
breath-taking activities, such as segway (varying degrees of ability) ,
paintball (in which Mr Trask got more paint on us than all the children
combined), canoeing, which was a twelve mile journey along the
beautiful river Ellé featuring rapids and eels (Mr Trask!) and finally the
high ropes adventure course, finished off by a magnificent 320 metre
zipwire, all on site! The days were packed, and we even went to the
beach and got a true taste of French culture at a market.
In the evenings there were quiz nights, campfires, games and more,
where we really got to know both the teachers and other pupils.
We unleashed Mrs Welby’s inner competitiveness, Mr Steel’s inner
dancing queen, Mrs Aliberti’s excitement and professional skills as
she careered down rapids in the canoe, and even Mr Burnett’s inner
child as he sped down the water slides. All in all the French Trip
2015 has undoubtedly given us some memories we will never forget
and some friendships that will never be broken’.
by Connie Gillies
Will Cunningham - ‘My favourite part was the sight of seeing Mr Steel
dancing his heart out on our decking’’.
Issue No 77
3rd July 2015
Weekly Newsletter from the Headmaster
Katie Slee - ‘I enjoyed the games we played around the campfire,
especially the crêpes with chocolate sauce’.
Lucy Johns - ‘It was nice to see people conquer fears of things like
heights and come together as a team to help them along their way’.
Patrick Faulkner - ‘France was great because it was jam-packed with
once in a lifetime type activities and I was able to enjoy them with all
my friends’.
www.shebbearcollege.co.uk
After the spooky Bodmin Jail we went for a relaxing bike ride on the
Camel Trail from Wadebridge to Padstow. But at the start I had to
change my bike! We cycled 10 miles in total!
Our rooms were based at the Eden Project and they were clean
and cosy to sleep in. I was with Eliza and I always kept it tidy! The
rooms were a nice size to go for a few days! The first activity in the
Eden Project was in the rainforest biome and we had to write on
a worksheet 5 different plants in each section that we found in the
biome. It was very hot in there!
In the second activity we had to go to a specific place and we had
to write a play story based about that place. The ones I saw were
very funny! On the last day of our adventure we went to Tintagel and
visited the castle and did a bit of shopping. It was really fun and we
played stomp!
Truly International Tennis
This week saw a truly international group of our pupils on the
tennis courts, playing against each other with respect and friendly
competiton, something that some world leaders could take a lesson
from. Pupils playing were from Austria, Germany, Italy, France,
Spain, England, Australia and Russia.
More
Wakeboarding
Successes
Congratulations to Mrs.
Wahl (above) who won the
Women’s Open Gold at North
Devon Wake Park on the
Devon leg of the Grassroots
National Wakeboarding Tour.
Well done also to Stanley Hill
(left) who won second place
in his category at the same
event.
Our Form 1 Trip to Cornwall
by Billie Powell
First, we had a look at the fascinating and spooky attraction of
Bodmin Jail that was built in 1779. Some of the things we looked
at were the execution pit, the bakery and we found out what the
prisoners ate.
When the jail was being restored and turned into a museum the
people at Bodmin Jail found lots of keys that unlocked the cells and
doors. They were discovered in the execution pit ... but why? Well,
the people at the jail wanted to hide them so that nobody would find
them, so why not where people get hung!
Visit us at Regional Shows this Summer
If you are planning to visit any of the following shows, please do
come and say hello.
Woolsery Show
Launceston Show
North Devon Show
Okehampton Show
Chagford Show
Holsworthy Show
27th July
30th July
5th August
13th August
20th August
27th August
Issue No 77
3rd July 2015
Weekly Newsletter from the Headmaster
Cricket
The 1st XI made it five wins out of six last Saturday with a hardearned victory over Mount Kelly.
Batting first and following two needless run outs, the side collapsed
to 49-8 before Chris Taitt (28) and Eloise Maxa (13) doubled the
score and with a final total of 109 all out it gave the team at least a
chance of victory.
Although we took two early wickets, Mount Kelly consolidated and
reached 76-2 before they realised that the overs were running out
and more than six runs an over were required.
Accurate bowling from all six bowlers used helped to keep things
tight and late wickets for Tatenda Shuttleworth-Richardson (3-18)
and Chris Taitt (2-9) saw the team secure a 13-run victory.
The 1st XI had another convincing win at Truro this week, beating
the home side by a massive 149 runs in the 30 overs-a-side match.
Daniel Da Costa top scored with 97 but there was support from all
the other batsmen who all chipped in to set a target of 220 for Truro
to chase. Then, excellent opening spells from Jabez Weale and
www.shebbearcollege.co.uk
Connor Roberts put the home side way behind the clock and that
then paved the way for Chris Taitt (3-16) and Eloise Maxa (4-16) to
rip through the middle and lower order to give the team their third
victory in seven days.
Andy Bryan
OS v Pupils Cricket
The 1st XI took on one of the strongest OSA sides of recent years
and were involved in a thrilling, high-scoring match.
Early wickets for Chris Taitt, who finished with the impressive figures
of 6-36, saw the OSA on the back foot early on, but Peter Bowes and
Olly Wickett scored freely and with some difficult chances put down,
they helped take the final score to 199 all out in their 30 overs.
Much depended upon the major run scorers for the 1st XI this
season, Jared Lovell and Dan Da Costa, and although both started
well, two excellent catches by Bailey Miles saw them heading back to
the pavilion and despite a late flourish from Joe Gobara and Connor
Roberts, the side finished on 177 - 23 runs short of victory.
Andy Bryan
Issue No 77
3rd July 2015
Weekly Newsletter from the Headmaster
www.shebbearcollege.co.uk
Picture this ...
Rounsefell Dinner
5th Form Prom
Author Craig Simpson
Issue No 77
3rd July 2015
Weekly Newsletter from the Headmaster
www.shebbearcollege.co.uk
Picture this ...
Shebbear College, Shebbear, Beaworthy, Devon EX21 5HJ Telephone: 01409 282001
www.shebbearcollege.co.uk
Email: info@shebbearcollege.co.uk
29th June 2015
Everybody needs skilled neighbours
Research commissioned by the Edge Foundation about UK public perceptions of
vocational qualifications reveals that skilled trades such as plumber are ranked higher than
professions such as law and medicine as useful neighbours.
Most valued neighbours
• Plumber
• Electrician
• Doctor
• Builder
• Mechanic
• Carpenter
• Police officer
• Gardener
• Nurse
• IT technician
Least valued neighbours
• Actor
• Politician
• Psychologist
• Carer
• Footballer
• Musician
• Florist
• Lawyer
• Taxi driver
• Seamstress
To download the full report, go to: www.vqday.org.uk/news/everybody-needs-skilledneighbours
Digital apprenticeships
iCredo Digital, which works with the UK’s leading tech start-ups, digital media & mobile
agencies, online retailers and gaming companies, is offering higher level apprenticeships
starting in August 2015 for students interested in:
• IT systems and networking
• Digital marketing
• Software and web development
• Creative media
• Cyber security
For more information, go to: http://icredodigital.com/blog/8/digital-apprenticeships
Tomorrow’s Engineers Week
The Tomorrow’s Engineers website has been updated and includes case studies,
information for students and careers advisers along with resources and ideas for in-school
activities. For more information, go to: www.tomorrowsengineers.org.uk/home
Careers in Sport
The Careers in Sport website has been updated and includes job profiles, a directory of UK
sport courses and qualifications, information and advice about researching and finding
careers in sport and details of forthcoming national sports roadshows. For more
information, go to: www.careers-in-sport.co.uk
Europass
Europass is a useful source of information and advice for students interested in studying
or working in a European country. Topics covered include:
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Learning in Europe
Working in Europe
Volunteering and exchanges in Europe
Living in Europe
For more information, go to: www.europass.cedefop.europa.eu
UCAS international teachers’ and advisers’ conference - June 2015
Topics at this recent UCAS conference included:
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The UCAS application cycle
Bridging the gap – university pathways for international students
Demystifying league tables
Employability – how UK universities prepare students for career success
How to apply for a student visa
Understanding fee status
Applying to Oxford or Cambridge
Admissions tests
UK conservatoires – an alternative route of study for gifted performers
Getting into engineering
Getting into law
Studying at the London School of Economics
UK medical schools and the medical selection process
Writing effective personal statements and references
UCAS update and vital statistics
To download the conference presentations, go to:
www.ucasevents.com/ucas/frontend/reg/tOtherPage.csp?pageID=648966&eventID=1418
&eventID=1418
Higher education in Australia and New Zealand
Study Options, the only organization in the UK that focuses exclusively on Australian and
New Zealand higher education, has moved to new offices.
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Bristol office – 83 Alma Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2DP
London office – 19 Eastbourne Terrace, Platform 1, Paddington Station, W2 6LG
In addition to providing information about higher education opportunities in Australia and
New Zealand and organizing a series of information events and exhibitions to meet
university representatives, Study Options helps students through the application process
including arranging visas.
For more information, go to: www.studyoptions.com.
Sky Academy Careers Labs
Sky Academy Careers Labs are full-day career experience workshops at Sky’s HQ in West
London which give 16 to 19 year-olds the chance to take part in practical workplace
challenges and learn about careers in media, business and technology. Participants will
work with Sky staff to explore and understand careers within the industry and undertake
practical challenges. For more information, go to: https://teachers.sky.com/careers-lab
Volunteering opportunities
VSO is offering 3 month volunteering opportunities in Africa or Asia with the International
Citizen Service. Participants will get the chance to experience another culture, challenge
themselves, develop their potential and work on genuine development projects that will
have a lasting impact. For more information, go to: www.vso-ics.org.uk
My Future: Getting Ahead
Speakers and contributors at this workshop for students at Dulwich College on Sunday 5th
July 2015 which focuses on future careers and skills include:
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Deep Valecha, self-made millionaire, businessman and entrepreneur
Jon Sen, writer and director, on creativity and traits needed to succeed
Samira Lindstedt, leading coach and mentor, who will run sessions on
presentation skills and how to be ‘exceptional’
Simon Gompertz, BBC Finance Correspondent, who will outline what to expect
when entering the workplace (TBC)
LifeSkills (created with Barclays) will run workshops on what employers want
Jeremy Berhmann, career and entrepreneurship coach, speaker, author and
facilitator of epic adventures
The National Citizen Service, which will run a session on citizenship and adding
value to CV/personal statements
WhatUni?, which will run a session on choosing the right course and university
For more information, go to: www.myfuturewise.org.uk/courses_and_events.aspx
Inspiring Futures Annual Training Course: 26th and 27th August 2015
Designed as a comprehensive overview of careers and higher education work in schools,
the two day course in Camberley covers the following topics:
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What lies ahead for school leavers?
Managing a careers department
Supporting students (and their parents) – the information, advice and guidance
pyramid
Information sources to support careers and higher education research, planning
and decisions
Use of psychometrics in career guidance
Effective guidance discussions and action planning
Work related learning
Social media and careers
Higher education – an overview, personal statements and references
Alterative pathways at 18 +
Developing your programme
For more information, go to:
www.inspiringfutures.org.uk/schools/school_staff_events/cpd/annual_training_course.aspx
Jonathan Hardwick: Professional Development Manager, Inspiring Futures
 0788 5194 354
 jonathan.hardwick@inspiringfutures.org.uk
ISCO Membership is managed by The Inspiring Futures Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation which, for over 70 years,
has been working with young people in partnership with schools in the UK and internationally, providing impartial and
expert career guidance that includes, psychometric profiling, personal interviews, work-related learning and skills
development activities, information events, workshops and conferences and much more.
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