Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)

Assistant Headteacher (Personal Development) and Careers Lead: Mr. Paul Sunley

Email: p.sunley@beaconacademy.co.uk Tel: (01472) 328888

The school careers team is available in the academy every day and is available for students during the working day.

We work in partnership with EQUANS and their engagement officer: Emma Davison

On this page you will find information for pupils, parents, teachers, employers and other stakeholders.

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Careers Plan 2023-24

Strategic Careers Plan – Beacon

Careers Entitlement Statement – Beacon

Our Careers Policy & Provider Access Statement can be found in the policies section of our website.

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Beacon Academy is committed to providing a planned programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) for all students in Years 7-11 which will be detailed in the careers plan (see above). All staff at Beacon Academy share responsibility for preparing children for future careers. We aim to ensure that our students are self-confident and have the necessary skills to be “career-ready” when they leave.

At Beacon Academy our vision is that all students are equipped with the high aspirations, skills and qualifications to set them on their pathways to global opportunities by the time they leave in Y11. Students will have a planned programme of careers education and guidance supported by further opportunities for enrichment.

Aims and Purpose of CEIAG at Beacon Academy

The main aims of careers provision at Beacon Academy are to:

  • Prepare pupils for life post-education.

  • Develop an understanding of different career paths and challenge stereotypes.

  • Develop an understanding of the differences and similarities between school and work.

  • Inspire pupils to chase and achieve their dreams.

  • Help pupils to access information on the full range of post-16 education and training opportunities.

  • Support pupils after leaving school.

  • Offer targeted support for vulnerable and disadvantaged young people.

  • Instil a healthy attitude towards work.

Within our careers provision we will:

  • Provide high quality, independent careers guidance from year 7 to year 11 (as and when appropriate).

  • Ensure that there is opportunity for a range of education and training providers to access all pupils in year 7 to year 11 for the purpose of informing them about the full range of pathways available to them including, approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

  • Use the Gatsby Benchmarks in a way to provide continuous improvement to our careers provision.

  • Provide opportunities for students in year 7 to year 11 to have quality encounters with employers, particularly from STEM employers.

  • Employ a Careers Leader to lead the careers programme in the academy. This is supported by the work of our dedicated CEIAG Link Governor.

  • Keep parents / carers and students updated on all elements of our careers programme as and when appropriate.

 

Careers guidance and access for education and training providers: Statutory guidance for schools and guidance for further education colleges and sixth form colleges (January 2023) provides full details of what is expected. For more information please click here.

All young people in secondary school get a programme of advice and guidance that is stable, structured and delivered by individuals with the right skills and experience. All schools should achieve the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks set out below.

The Gatsby Benchmarks:

  1. A stable careers programme.

  2. Learning from career and labour market information.

  3. Addressing the needs of each student.

  4. Linking curriculum learning to careers.

  5. Encounters with employers and employees.

  6. Experiences of workplaces.

  7. Encounters with further and higher education.

  8. Personal Guidance.

Personal Guidance: Guidance in year 10 and year 11 is provided by a qualified Careers Advisor from the YPSS Careers Service. Students are allocated at least 1 careers guidance meeting on a 1:1 basis in year 11 and vulnerable students are identified in year 10 to start that process early. Where necessary, external, independent and impartial careers services are invited in to address students directly through opportunities in assemblies, form time and open evenings.

Assessing the impact of the programme:

  • Destinations data will inform annual amendments and adaptations to the careers programme.

  • Students complete a careers survey each academic year. Survey results are reviewed to assess the impact of the careers programme at the end of the year.

  • Students complete a questionnaire following key events, which will provide valuable feedback on the impact of the programme.

  • We keep a comprehensive provision map of all activities undertaken by each student over their time in school. This allows us to assess the provision we have put in place for students at an individual level.

  • We welcome feedback from students/parents/employers/partners/businesses and our own teachers to help us assess the impact of the programme.

CEIAG Provision Improvement Strategy: Beacon Academy uses Compass+ (the career benchmarking tool) to assess our current provision against all 8 benchmarks of the Gatsby Benchmark initiative. Our progress against these benchmarks is reviewed regularly throughout the academic year. We aim to meet all benchmarks with a score of 100% every year.

Key developments for us:

  • Benchmark 5 – We are looking to expand the range of opportunities that we have in place, to engage with employers and employees, with a particular focus on targeting students with relevant and meaningful encounters.

  • Benchmark 6 – We are always keen to expand on the range of opportunities for students to conduct work experience placements that align well with their needs and aspirations.

Information on this page is reviewed annually and will be updated following the first governors meeting of the academic year.