Careers Education Information Advice & Guidance

1                Statutory Duty

Tewkesbury Academy publishes details of its Careers Programme on the school’s website for students, parents, carers and other stakeholders.

In line with the Department for Education’s statutory guidance, the Governing Body ensures that all students have access to a planned programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance from Year 7 to Year 13.

Our careers programme is aligned with the Gatsby Benchmarks and supports students in making informed decisions about their future education, training and career pathways. Independent careers guidance is:

• Presented in an impartial manner.
• Inclusive and tailored to the needs of individual students.
• Designed to promote the best interests of each student.
• Informed by current labour market information.
• Inclusive of the full range of progression routes, including further education, higher education, apprenticeships, technical and vocational qualifications, training and employment opportunities.
• Tewkesbury Academy is committed to ensuring that students encounter a wide range of education, training and employment providers, participate in meaningful encounters with employers and workplaces, and are well prepared for their next steps after school.

2                Rationale

Careers Education and Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) makes a major contribution to preparing young people for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life, in order to help them make a successful transition to adulthood by:

• Supporting young people to plan and manage their own futures
• Providing comprehensive information on all options
• Raising aspirations
• Promoting equality, diversity, social mobility and challenging stereotypes
• Enabling young people to sustain employment and achieve personal and economic well-being throughout their lives

All young people need a planned programme of activities to help them choose 14-19 pathways that are right for them and to be able to manage their careers and sustain employability throughout their lives.

3                Commitment

Tewkesbury Academy is committed to providing all students in years 7-13 with a planned programme of activities. The programme is delivered through a combination of methods, including the  Personal, Social, Health and Education (PSHEE) programme, Year assemblies, presentations from external speakers the ‘Futures’ programme in the Sixth Form, employer visits, work experience in the Sixth Form, employability workshops, classroom talks and 1:1 sessions with a careers specialist.  Additionally, a number of special events are held such as careers days, STEM activities, UCAS presentations, young enterprise, employability days and mock interviews with invited local employers and governors.  Trips are arranged to local careers and apprenticeship fairs, further and higher education providers and bespoke careers-focused events.

4                Aims

To provide high-quality, impartial careers guidance that enables students to make informed decisions about their future and identify courses, pathways and opportunities that align with their individual needs, interests and aspirations.

To ensure that all students are well prepared and equipped with the knowledge, skills, confidence and resilience needed to progress successfully to the next stage of their education, employment, self-employment or training.

To develop students’ employability skills and prepare them for the workplace by providing opportunities to understand employer expectations, develop professional behaviours, build workplace skills and gain meaningful experiences that support their future career aspirations.

5                Objectives

To ensure that students develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours needed to make successful transitions and thrive in adult and working life.

• To enable students to understand the full range of education, employment, self-employment and training pathways available to them at key transition points, including 14+, 16+ and 18+ and to make informed choices that reflect their individual needs, interests, abilities and aspirations.
• To equip students with the decision-making, planning and self-management skills needed to navigate transitions throughout their education and future careers. To develop the confidence and resilience to adapt to a changing world of work.
• To develop students’ understanding of the wide range of education, training and career opportunities available locally, regionally, nationally and, where appropriate, internationally.  This is to include apprenticeships, technical and vocational routes, further and higher education, employment and self-employment.
• To ensure students have access to high-quality, impartial careers information, advice and guidance through appropriate digital and physical resources.
• To develop strong and meaningful partnerships between the school, employers, local businesses, the Gloucestershire Careers Hub, further and higher education providers, apprenticeship and training providers and other organisations, providing students with a broad range of encounters and experiences.
• To provide students with meaningful opportunities to experience the world of work and develop essential employability and transferable skills, including communication, teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability, professionalism, digital skills and effective self-management.
• To ensure that students understand employer expectations and develop the workplace behaviours, confidence and skills required to become career-ready and make a positive contribution in the workplace.
• To help students understand the relationship between their learning, future careers and the labour market, including local and national employment trends, emerging sectors, skills requirements and opportunities.
• To promote equality of opportunity and challenge stereotypes, misconceptions and barriers that may limit students’ career choices, ensuring that all students can access and benefit from a high-quality careers programme.
• To support every student to progress successfully into a sustained and appropriate destination in further education, higher education, apprenticeships, employment, self-employment or training, while continuing to develop the skills needed for lifelong career management.

6             Implementation

The Associate Assistant Principle has strategic responsibility for the management of CEIAG and the oversight of the Careers Lead and Post-16 Careers Lead who coordinate the day-to-day delivery of the CEIAG programme.

The Associate Assistant Principle and Careers Leads will review this policy biennially and evaluate the provision with all stakeholders including young people and feedback from stakeholders, taking into account the destinations of pupils and the appropriateness of progression routes.

All staff are expected to contribute to CEIAG through their roles as tutors, subject teachers and support staff. Careers Education lessons in Years 7-11 are delivered within the PSHEE programme for KS4 and the Futures Programme for KS5.  The CEIAG programme is evaluated annually by the Associate Assistant Principal, who will be asked to report to the Governing Body.  Impartial and accurate IAG at transition points, such as the Year 9 Options process and the signposting of Post-16 information, is the responsibility of all Tutors, Teaching and Support staff using resources provided by the Careers Leads. One-to-one guidance is given to all students and impartial careers advice is available for students and parents. The needs of students who experience disadvantage and other targeted students are prioritised in relation to individual IAG interviews as well as support to secure suitable work experience placements for KS5. Careers information is available to all students through Unifrog in the Careers Library. There are regular transition meetings between the Careers Leads and The Associate Assistant Principal to evaluate the programme in general.  SEND and safeguarding requirements of our most vulnerable students will be prioritised and discussed.

7          Curriculum (take out Curriculum)

The CEIAG programme includes careers education sessions, career guidance activities (group work and individual interviews), information and research activities (using software) and work-related learning (including one weeks’ work experience in Year 12.

Business links are extensive and local apprenticeships continue to grow. There are strong industry connections in a variety of areas such as engineering, cyber and technology, healthcare, hospitality, retail and early years.  Mock interviews take place in Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 where students have the opportunity to construct application letters and create CVs and cover letters before meeting with a local professional for a formal interview with feedback.

8                Pupil Outcomes

Pupils at Tewkesbury Academy are entitled to receive a programme of work related and career related learning, careers information and impartial advice and guidance, designed to help them to recognise and develop their skills and abilities, know what opportunities are available in the world of work and to make plans to help them achieve their education and career goals.

Our aim is to follow the Gatsby Benchmarking in full to ensure that every student’s experiences meet the eight expectation points during their career at the school.

All careers related interactions and outcomes are recorded on the Unifrog platform and final destination information data is provided to the Local Authority.

Careers guidance and access for education and training providers – GOV.UK