Careers Leader: Mr Tom Gaunt (Assistant Principal) t.gaunt@bishopsgarth.outwood.com 01642 586262

Introduction

Outwood Academy Bishopsgarth’s Careers Programme is committed to developing a whole school approach to providing all students with up-to-date, impartial, independent and varied careers, education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) as defined by the CDI framework and the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks. Our guidance and support aims to guarantee students have clear, aspirational and realistic goals for their future study. This it turn secures increased motivation towards studies, higher self-esteem, greater attainment at GCSE, and ever improving staying on rates at college, leading to all our learners securing meaningful and engaging employment.

We are determined to further develop our strong partnerships with training providers and employers to secure placements for our students and seek to ensure that our students have the skills that they, and the country, require. The development of the workplace skills will increasingly be supported by our curriculum and specific events, and we are starting to introduce employer engagement sessions within curriculum subjects.

*Through our Careers Programme young people will secure:

1. Encounters with employers, with workplaces and with further and higher education
2. Information about jobs and how the curriculum connects careers
3. A plan tailored to individual needs and supported by guidance*

We are committed to the vision laid out in the DfE January 2018 document “Careers Guidance and Access for Education and Training Providers” in that:

our academy has begun to offer every young person at least one meaningful encounter with employers per year, from Years 7 to 11
our academy has appointed a named person to the role of Careers Leader
our academy has published details of its careers programme so that parents can see the timetable for events (this document)
our academy has begun using the Gatsby Benchmarks to improve careers provision, aiming to ensure that all of them are met by the end of December 2020
What we have published online (*included within this section)

Our ‘Access to Providers’ Policy (see foot of this page)
the name, email address and telephone number of our Careers Leader*
a summary of the careers programme, including details of how students, parents, teachers and employers may access information about careers*
how the school measures and assesses the impact of the careers programme on students*
the date of the school’s next review of the information published*

The Eight Gatsby Benchmarks for Good Careers Guidance to be in place by 2020

1. A stable careers programme
Our school will have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by students, parents, teachers, governors and employers.

2. Learning from career and labour market information (LMI)
Every student, and their parents, will have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities, that is relevant to our local area, supported by an informed adviser to make best use of available information.

3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
Students have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each student. Our school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.

4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
All teachers will link curriculum learning with careers where possible. STEM subject teachers will highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths where lesson opportunities present themselves.

5. Encounters with employers and employees
Every student will have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace, in particular within curriculum lessons, at least one per year.

6. Experiences of workplaces
Every student will have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks.

7. Encounters with further and higher education
All students will understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace

8. Personal guidance
Every student will have opportunities for guidance interviews with a career adviser, who is trained at Level 6 or higher, whenever significant study or career choices are being made. These interviews will be expected for all students but should be timed to meet their individual needs.

Careers Programme

CEIAG Assemblies
Each term all year groups have a minimum of one CEIAG assembly. Term 1 is an introduction to CareersInc, our impartial, external careers advisors, and what they offer. Term 2 is an aspirational assembly led by our careers coordinator and in Term 3 there is a further education/higher education focus. There are several other assemblies that run throughout the year led by various external providers for various year groups with a focus on aspirations, further and higher education, careers and professions.

Careers Lunchtime Drop-Ins
Each half term we have a scheduled lunchtime where local Post-16 and Apprenticeship providers are able to set up information stands and talk to students across all year groups.

CareersInc
CareersInc, our commissioned external careers advisors, offer students high quality, independent and impartial careers, education information advice and guidance supporting them to make informed choices about which post-16 courses suit their academic needs and aspirations.

Access to Information About Careers

Students can access careers information in many ways at Outwood Academy Bishopsgarth including:

Attending an interview in the careers room located within the Library
Drop in sessions with Career Inc
The use of careers software which is available to all students
Careers information with subject lessons, coming soon.
Careers Advisor Colleagues

Review and Measurement of Impact

The academy is in the process of working towards The National Quality Standard for Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)

We review the success of out careers programme by looking at the destinations of our existing Year 11 students with a target of 0% NEET (students not in education, employment or training).

The careers information on this website will next be reviewed in March 2022.

Information for Year 11 about the Awarding of Grades in Summer 2021

There are a number of providers and key websites that you may wish to research. Click on the images to the right of the screen and/or follow the links below.
If you have any questions please use the form at the bottom of the page and we will be in touch with you asap.

What we know so far

• Schools are shut until further notice. The Government has reviewed the initial 3 week phase and taken the decision to implement the social distancing and lock down guidance until at approximately 7th May

• All exams, including GCSE and A Levels have been cancelled. The current guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) on how grades will be calculated can be found here DfE Exam Guidance. It is therefore vital that you continue to complete work set by your teachers including any exam questions or coursework. Based on the current Government guidance on how grades will be calculated please see the letter below which outlines this.

• We appreciate that some Post-16 providers may be asking you to submit your latest GCSE predictions. If this is the case then please use your Prasing Stars 3 information. It is important to let you know that Ofqual have told us that the assessed grades for your GCSE grades need to be confidential and teachers will not be allowed to share these grades withstudents. Therefore, please do not ask us for these grades or your Praising Stars 4 information. We have been asked to send them directly to Ofqual in June.

• Prom – we will hold a prom for you, whenever that may be. You have all worked incredibly hard throughout your time with us and we look forward to celebrating with you – it will be even more special following the hard times we currently face.

• We will keep you informed. Your parents/carers will receive updates via text message and our facebook/twitter pages are regularly updated too.

• Links to providers:
  Middlesbrough College
  You can email the team at Middlesbrough College via this address: schoolsteam@mbro.ac.uk.
  Stockton 6th Form
  Stockton Riverside and Bede Sixth Form
  Egglescliffe
  Careers Inc
• Application process for post 16. The providers we have spoken to have said that the application process itself hasn’t changed and that online applications are still to be made. In terms of interviews, it may well be that a telephone interview is held in the first instance with the opportunity to visit and have a more formal interview when providers are back up and running. There are some interview tips here

A Guide on how do I decide on a career path?