St. Julie’s means business

St Julie’s Catholic High School, in Woolton, strives to give its students the skills needed to successfully transition in to the workplace. From debates with the North West’s leading business figures, to pre-apprenticeship days: thinking beyond the school gates is this school’s top priority.

Educate asked its head teacher, Tim Alderman to tell us more about the school’s business philosophy, and why promoting entrepreneurship across the curriculum is so rewarding – for both the school and its students.

Ever since I became head teacher at the school, I was determined that St. Julie’s would be seen as a place where young people would learn about careers not just courses.

We endeavour every year to take part in numerous events as part of the business community of the city.

For example, business people from Merseyside and the wider North West recently took part in a discussion on responsible business at our school.

Representatives of companies including Jaguar Land Rover, Liverpool John Lennon Airport and law firm DWF joined our pupils for the event which was organised by Business in the Community. Also in attendance were several other impressive corporate businesses including Acorn environment services, Lloyds banking group, New Britain Palm Oil, Timpson and Veolia.

It was an excellent opportunity once again for our pupils to quiz a high calibre panel that also included a senior business journalist from the region. Topics covered included questions on sustainability and each company’s environmental record.

In addition to the above, St. Julie’s has already hosted a well-attended careers fair this year, a pre-apprenticeship day at Jaguar Land Rover for year 11 students, organised an engineering programme which is ongoing in association with a global business brand based in Liverpool, plus an ’employability skills’ program with year 10 and 11 students along with partnership work with the ‘Business Class’ programme.

We are already planning a series of activities for the new academic year in Autumn/Winter and this will continue the theme of ensuring that pupils obtain the necessary experience of the real world of business well before they need to consider their potential chosen career path.

@StJulies www.stjulies.org.uk