Dr Rachael Pearson, Oakham School’s Head of Careers and Progression, is passionate about helping our students find the career path that suits them. We caught up with Rachael to talk about how she supports Oakhamians in their future ambitions and her own love of learning.
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Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was an English teacher for 14 years and during that time I was responsible for helping sixth form pupils complete their EPQs, as well as doing pastoral work with the UCAS team. I also did a lot of work with Year 11 pupils on their GCSE options. I retrained as a careers adviser at Nottingham Trent, did placements in a variety of schools whilst finishing the course and doing my dissertation, and eventually got a job as UCAS Co-ordinator at Loughborough Grammar School before joining Oakham School in 2021.
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Please tell us more about your role.
My job is quite wide-ranging. On any day I might be working with Form 5 pupils on choosing post-GCSE pathways, answering questions about international applications, and working with pastoral teams to deliver our schoolwide careers provision. Not to mention helping to organise one of the many careers events that we hold at the School.
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Who inspires you?
Ruth Bader Ginsberg, as she was such a pioneering feminist and important cultural figure. I also admire all risk takers: anyone who has the guts to take a chance. My mother always said, “Don’t wait around for someone else to decide your future,” and I think that’s an important lesson to remember.
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What do you enjoy most about what you do?
Finding out what motivates our students and helping to guide them through their careers options is incredibly rewarding. I like the range of pathways that Oakham School students choose to take, and I get very excited to learn about new courses or institutions that might appeal to our pupils.
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Favourite thing about Oakham School?
The range of interests and career paths that our pupils choose is truly impressive.
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Something people don’t know about you?
I love learning new skills and gaining new qualifications. I have studied aromatherapy with the Tisserand Institute, I have made my own jewellery and completed a silversmithing course and I am currently learning Portuguese, having learned French and Spanish at school.
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What are your future plans for your role/department?
In April I am going to study for the Careers Lead Award at NTU – to help make our careers provision as good as it can be.
In 2023, I became a THE (Times Higher Education) Accredited Counsellor, one of the first careers advisers in UK secondary schools to gain this qualification. The careers landscape is ever changing, so I am always looking for ways to update my knowledge, in order to provide the very best advice to our students.
The introduction of the Connected Curriculum this year has changed how we deliver careers sessions to students within the school day and has meant that we have the opportunity to roll out provision for younger students, so I’ll be reviewing what we have introduced so far and how we can keep improving it.
