Welcome to the Blundell's School website. We trust that you will find it informative and interesting. We also hope that it will encourage you to contact our Registrars in order to gain a prospectus and to arrange for

Young people need support in four main areas to help them make wise choices about their progression through learning and work:

• Careers education – a planned programme in the curriculum that helps them gain the knowledge and develop skills for planning and managing their careers
• Work related learning – experiences within the curriculum and outside school which help them learn about, for and through work
• Personalised support and guidance – help for individuals to enable them to review, plan and manage their learning and progression to the next stage
• Careers guidance – help from specialist advisers with knowledge of opportunities and the pathways to and through them, so they can identify their long-term goals and plan steps to attain them

At Blundell’s we are committed to the provision of innovative and flexible ways to help the students make informed choices about their futures, develop the skills required to enhance their employability and contribute positively to the world they live in.

The Department

The department is situated centrally and open throughout the school day. It offers:

• A well-resourced Careers Library
• IT suite
• Careers office

Text resources (books, magazines and prospectuses), CD’s and computer software (also networked) are available.
Students and parents are encouraged to use the facilities of the department and to take advantage of the professional advice and guidance either by request or referral.
Parents are also kept informed through:

• Forums held prior to the parents meetings in Years 11, 12 and 13
• Mailings from the department
• A web-based newsletter
• Access to the ISCO Information Service

Staff

Miss Sue Norman – Head of Department
Mrs Lucy Chick – Services Liaison
Miss Jardine-Young – Oxbridge applications

The Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy/Marine Liaison Officers visit twice a year.
The school is also a member of ISCO (Independent Schools Careers Organisation), the DEBP (Devon Education Business Partnership) and the Exeter Careers Group.

Information, Advice and Guidance Programme

In Years 9 to 13 this is delivered within the PSD programme with additional opportunities for aptitude and interest testing, careers lunches, lectures, workshops, conferences and conventions.

Year 9 and 10

• Introduction to the department, staff and programme
• Introduction to and use of the information resources available
• KUDOS – software program offering an interest based questionnaire to  generate initial career ideas and linked sites for further research
• ‘Which Way Now’ – Connexions booklet on how to choose options in Year 9
• GCSE options briefing – implications of decisions
• Different career routes

Year 11

• Optional enrolment on FutureWise – the personalised careers guidance and planning service
• Individual guidance interview
• CV preparation
• Work Experience preparation day organised in conjunction with DEBP
• Mock interview
• ‘It’s Your Choice’ Connexions booklet on options post-16
• Options briefing and Academic Fair
• Visit to Careers Convention
• Work Experience placement – post GCSE

Sixth Form

Year 12

• Work Experience presentations
• Career Taster sessions
• ISCO Expanding Horizons courses and other taster/insight courses
• CourseFinder
• Conference - First Steps to Higher Education
• Oxbridge Forum – for parents and students
• Visit to Oxbridge Regional Conference
• Visit to UCAS Higher Education Convention
• Visits to University/College open days
• Workshops for applications to university, college, employment
• Gap Year Fair

Year 13

• UCAS briefing
• Mock interviews
• Sponsorship opportunities
• Student finance, budgeting, household management
• Career taster sessions
• UCAS – Decisions, Confirmation and Clearing

Many students also return to the department for post-A level assistance.

Further/Higher Education

In order to help with choices beyond school much advice is given and discussions take place between students, parents, Tutors, House Staff and the Head of Information, Advice and Guidance. A full range of prospectuses and Careers software is available, students have access to the Internet and College/University Open Days are encouraged. The majority of students proceed to Higher Education and much use is made of the Old Blundellian Club in the advising process. Popular destinations in recent years have included: Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Nottingham, Reading, Southampton and Oxford Brookes. Click here for a list of recent placements.

The Gap Year

Almost 50% of our students take a gap year. Whilst recognising that this may not be of benefit to everyone, a constructive well-planned Gap year can provide a wealth of experience and responsibility. This can enable students to make the most of a college/university course, gain in practical skills, grow up to take a more mature approach and enhance employability.

The department may be reached by email at san@blundells.org.

Further resources

Higher education placements

MottMEC issue 5, June 2007 (PDF, 1 MB), which includes a small report on the 'gap year and university sponsorship' of a couple of Blundell's pupils by Mott-MacDonald.

The Ethos of Scholarship at Blundell's

Any great school should nurture academic performance through encouragement of scholarship and scholarly example. At Blundell's there is a wide cross-section of awards aimed at encouraging balance, breadth and a will to lead from the front through attaining the highest standards. 

Blundell's has foundation arrangements following the precepts of Peter Blundell himself. Four hundred years after his death, local students still go out from this school strengthened by the learning which was the important part of our founder's vision.

Whilst acknowledging that academic performance is of the greatest importance and all pupils must work towards high levels of achievement, Blundell's also has a range of awards to reflect sporting, artistic, dramatic or musical achievement. Whilst at Blundell's the holders should be shining examples within their individual field. Finally, 'all-rounder' awards exist for those who show real capability in several areas, including evidence of reasonable academic potential. These awards suit the sort of Blundellian who will get maximum benefit from our wide range of facilities and educational experience.

Scholars and award holders at Blundell's are expected to give a lead. Each year performance is reviewed. Our programmes are adapted to give a wide vision and scholars should demonstrate a lively interest in the events designed to stretch them. Energy and an enquiring mind are vital to the fulfilment of potential.

Scholarship Applications

All scholarship applicants must be registered prior to sitting the relevant examinations (see Non-Assisted Entry for more details). Scholarship application forms can be found contained within the Scholarship Booklet, which is available by request from the Registrars. Confirmation of Intention forms will be issued to all registered families in the year prior to admission (see Non-Assisted Entry for more details).

All awards are tenable throughout the School for the whole of a pupil's career, though they are reviewed annually and remain dependent upon satisfactory work and conduct.

Methods of Entry

11+ Open Scholarships, Exhibitions and Foundation Scholarships are judged on the result of the Blundell's Entrance Tests in English, Mathematics and Non-Verbal Reasoning. These are taken in January at Blundell's. Awards offered are for Academic and Musical potential.

13+ Open Scholarships, Exhibitions and Foundation Scholarships are taken at Blundell’s in March. Awards offered are for Academic, All-round, Musical and Sporting excellence.

16+ Open Scholarships, Exhibitions and Foundation Scholarships are taken at Blundell's in November. Awards offered are for Academic, All-round, Musical and Sporting excellence.

Full details of the Scholarship Entrance Examinations are published in a separate booklet, which is available from the Registrars on request.

Art & Design at Blundell's

A-level trip to New York: group photo outside the New York Public Library

Over the last 10 years the department has seen a tremendous growth in popularity with now almost 100 taking GCSE and over 50 in the sixth form. We have at present 3 full time staff and one part time, which will be expanded to another full time member in September. The experience within the department enables us to offer expertise in Fine Art, Photography, Printmaking and 3D Design. We are committed to offering the opportunity to study within a creative environment to as wide a range of abilities as possible.

We have an active policy to take all ages outside the classroom to view art and gain inspiration from a wide range of experiences. Visits over the last two years for Y7-8 have included the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, the Mythic Sculpture Garden on Dartmoor, Bovey Tracy Art’s Centre, Paignton Zoo and the Eden Project. The GCSE groups have been to the Saatchi gallery, Tate St Ives and the West of England Academy in Bristol. The sixth form have been to Tate Modern, the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, Millennium Point in Birmingham and we have just returned from a very successful visit to New York where we visited MOMA, the Guggenheim and the International Centre for Photography.

Our hope is that we can create a place where the atmosphere encourages individuals to feel supported and free to discover the world of art.