‌Key staff involved in the policy

1. Introduction

   Good career guidance is critical if young people are to raise their aspirations and capitalise on the opportunities available to them. Every young person needs high-quality career guidance to make informed decisions about their future. Good career guidance is a necessity for delivering technical education reforms and is a vehicle for social justice: those young people without social capital or home support suffer most from poor career guidance. The Good Career Guidance Report identifies a set of eight benchmarks, known as the Gatsby Benchmarks that schools can use as a framework for improving their careers provision.

   1. A stable careers programme: Every school and college should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by pupils, parents, teachers and employers.

   2. Learning from career and labour market information: Every pupil, and their parents, should have access to good-quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed adviser to make best use of available information.

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

   4. Linking curriculum learning to careers: All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. For example, STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths

   5. Encounters with employers and employees: Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes

   6. Experiences of workplaces: Every pupil should 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 pupils should 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 pupil should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a careers adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all pupils but should be timed to meet their individual needs

2. Our Vision

    

   The Policy and programme set out in this document aims to fulfil our vision of:

    

   “To create confident, ambitious and resilient individuals, prepared for life”

   From this vision we have derived 3 main strategic objectives we aim to meet over the next 3 years:

    

   Objective 1	Objective 2	Objective 3
   Develop and embed a strategic approach to careers leadership and planning, informed by the recommendations from the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) Peer Review, to ensure continuous improvement and long-term sustainability of the careers programme.	Develop and embed a progressive careers learning journey, ensuring careers activities are sequenced, mapped to intended learning outcomes and integrated across the curriculum to support informed decision-making and successful transitions for all students.	To further develop the academy's evaluation of careers programme impact through the systematic collection, analysis and reporting of destinations and sustained destinations data, enabling targeted interventions and continuous improvement of careers provision.

3. Policy Scope

   This policy covers Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance given to students in Key Stages Three, Four and 5.

    

   The policy also applies to Year 11 students after they finish their examinations in June of their final year and before they start at their next place of education, employment or training. Though not necessarily in school regularly and attending lessons in July and august of Year 11, the policy is still applicable.

    

   The policy has been reviewed in line with the recently published DfE guidance document ‘Careers guidance and access for education and training providers – Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (May 2025 update).

    

   2.4 This policy accepts the 8 Gatsby Charitable Foundation’s benchmarks as set out in the DfE guidance.

   This policy covers the legal duty of schools to ensure that a range of education and training providers can access pupils in Year 7 to Year 13 for the purpose of informing them about approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships.

    

   1. This policy refers to events and opportunities in both Key Stages and in all years and these events will impact upon all students at the school.

       

   2. All members of staff at King Edward VI Sheldon Heath are expected to be aware of the importance of Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) in the education of students; CEIAG is not the sole responsibility of the Careers Lead.

       

   3. It is important therefore that students leave school aware of themselves as individuals, aware of the opportunities available to them and able to make some decisions about their own life. Theyshould be prepared for the transition from full time education to the world beyond. It is to these aspects of personal and social development that this policy will contribute.

    

4. Aims

   KESH Academy aims to create a secure and caring environment in which children can experience success and are prepared for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life; Academy staff work to provide a relevant and engaging careers’ curriculum which meets the differing needs and requirements of all students.

    

   The Academy’s core aim is to create confident, ambitious and resilient individuals, well prepared to navigate through the opportunities and demands of life after KESH. Careers Education aims to support students in making an effective transition from learning at the academy to adulthood and the world of work through the development of knowledge, skills and understanding essential for future training and employment. The core aim of Careers Education is to ensure that young people fulfil and exceed their potential, are proud of who they are, are committed to lifelong learning and leave well-equipped to navigate their way through the challenges of the 21st Century; positively contributing to society both economically and socially.

   The Academy’s aims include:

   • improving educational standards through using contexts that improve motivation and attainment for all students;

   • ensuring that students follow courses and programmes which are appropriate to their longer-term aspirations and needs;

   • supporting students in making informed decisions which are appropriate for them;

   • providing students with well-rounded experiences;

   • developing personal characteristics known as “Soft Skills”, such as social skills, communication, independence and resilience;

   • inspiring and motivating students to develop themselves as individuals and live as independently as is possible;

   • learning about the world of work and thus being better prepared for the transition from education and training to work;

   • improving students’ understanding of the world of work and its demands;

   • improving the quality of provision and guidance by providing an insight into the factors which can inform career choice;

   • improving the quality of transition from school to adult and working life; and

   • Improving students’ awareness of the different career paths available to them.

      

     These aims will be met by:

   • meeting all the Gatsby benchmarks; and

   • meeting all statutory requirements for careers education.

5. Curriculum Provision

   The Academy provides a balanced and broadly-based curriculum which prepares students for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life, which includes preparation for working life. The Academy offersa range of activities to help prepare students effectively for adult and working life. These activities complement subject teaching, contribute towards the development of students’ key skills as well as contributing to lifelong learning opportunities.

    

   Careers Education enables each curriculum area to make a full contribution through:

   • the development of programmes of learning that recognise the importance of preparing students for adult and working life;

   • ensuring that all students have access Careers Education activities which are appropriate to their needs;

   • the use of appropriate teaching and learning strategies; and

   • ensuring maximum understanding for students of the various aspects of working life.

    

6. Roles and responsibilities

The school has a series of statutory duties:

• All registered pupils at the school must receive independent careers advice in Years 7 to 11 and again in years 12-13.

• This careers advice must be represented in an impartial manner, showing no bias towards a particular institution, education or work option

• This advice must cover a range of education or training options

• This guidance must be in the best interests of the pupil

• There must be an opportunity for education and training providers to access pupils in Year 7 – Year 11 in order to inform them about approved technical qualifications or apprenticeships. Details can be found in the Provider Access Policy.

• The school has a clear Provider Access Policy setting out the manner in which providers will be given access to pupils. This policy, together with the online Provider Access Request Form, is published on the Academy Careers webpage.

• The school will base its careers provision around the Gatsby Benchmarks. A summary of these can be seen in the introduction.

• All students from years 8-13 must have six encounters with a provider of technical education or apprenticeships. The Statutory guidance has timed these six encounters to inform consideration of post-14, post-16 and post-18 options and progression to the next stage of education or training and are as follows:

• Two encounters for pupils during year 8 or 9 that are mandatory for all pupils to attend.

  • Two encounters for pupils during year 10 or 11 that are mandatory for all pupils to attend to take place any time during year 10 or between 1 September and 28 February during year 11.

  • Two encounters for pupils during year 12 or 13 that are mandatory for the school to put on but optional for pupils to attend,

     

    The Governors and the Principal are responsible for ensuring that the aims of this policy are effectively met.

    The Vice Principal (Curriculum) is responsible for:

• ensuring a curriculum provision that meets the aims of this policy;

• for the monitoring and evaluating of the curriculum provision and its impact on student outcomes.

  The named Careers Leader is responsible for:

• the management and co-ordination of the various aspects of careers education including our

  Careers Advisors;

• the range of activities and opportunities available in each key stage;

• measuring, monitoring and evaluating the effectivenessand benefits of the Careers Education

  plan;

• the assessment procedures and strategies for student evaluation of activities and learning outcomes;

• the systems to secure balance, progression and continuity; and

• ensuring appropriate channels of communication at senior management level.

   

  Individual subject staff are responsible for:

• ensuring that their programmes of learning contribute to careers education;

• identifying appropriate learning outcomes: skills, attitudes, concepts, knowledge and the strategies to achieve them;

• clarifying how the activities help progression and learning about, for and through work; and

• indicating the scope for students to set their own learning objectives.

  Monitoring and Evaluation

  This policy will be reviewed and monitored at various levels and at different times by key groups on an annual basis. The key priorities from the review are incorporated into the Careers Education Development Plan on an annual basis. The following provision is reviewed by the Careers Leader:

• Annual review of partnership activities.

• Review of careers events.

• Provision within PSHE/ SMSC lessons

• The effectiveness of the overall careers programme.

• The Academy’s adherence to the Gatsby Benchmarks through Compass, an online self-evaluation tool for schools on a termly basis, completed alongside our BEP advisor.

  Appendix 1: Statement of student entitlement

  1. At all Key Stages students can expect to …

• access a planned programme relevant to their year group;

• access a qualified impartial and independent careers adviser for personalised advice and

  guidance;

• recognise their likes, dislikes, influences, strengths and preferences in relation to career decisions;

• have information about the world of work and how the labour market is changing;

• be given information about further and higher education, training, traineeships and

  apprenticeships and employment routes;

• take part in activities which challenge stereotyping and raise aspirations;

• develop skills and qualities to improve their employability;

• develop enterprise skills;

• be well prepared for different transitions;

• help to develop financial capability skills;

• develop and strengthen their personal presentation skills for selection processes;

• signposting to relevant up-to-date and impartial sources of careers information and advice;

• not have limitations imposed on their aspirations based upon their social, economic or ethnic background.

  1. Key Stage 3

• begin to develop an awareness of their individual skills, strengths and preferred learning styles in relation to post 16 pathways and future career goals;

• be able to access careers resources via the Academy’s SharePoint;

• set targets and review their progress;

• receive Careers information and on-going support from staff such as their form tutor;

• take part in a Pathways event where you can access information about different curriculum areas and the implications of studying specific subjects in Key Stage 4;

• 1:1 interviews about subject options at Key Stage 4; and

• participate in at least one "meaningful" workplace encounter (e.g., a site visit, a project mentored by an employer, or a job-shadowing day) to help contextualise curriculum learning.

   

  1. Key Stage 4 (in addition to KS3 ongoing provision)

• experience careers education, focused on their development, labour market awareness, educational pathways and employability skills, as part of a Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education programme, through tutor group time.

• be offered at least one individual appointment with a qualified, independent, impartial careers adviser;

• devise an action plan towards their career goals;

• have listened to talks on different careers;

• have been given the opportunity to speak to representatives from various sectorsof the world

  of work;

• been given impartial advice and guidance on post-16 education, employment and training and

  apprenticeship options;

• develop presentation and interview skills;

• be offered the opportunity to take part in taster days/ sessions;

• have visited or spoken to representatives of further or higher education institutions, such as universities;

• have opportunities to evaluate individual achievements;

• participate in at least one additional "meaningful" workplace encounter in a more hands on approach (e.g., a site visit, a project mentored by an employer, or a job-shadowing day) to help contextualise curriculum learning.

• have been given the opportunity to have a meeting with a qualified, independent and

  impartial careers guidance adviser.

   

  1. Sixth Form

• be offered at least one individual appointment with a qualified, independent, impartial careers adviser;

• participate in an enrichment and tutorial programme focused on their personal development

• be given the opportunity to set targets and review their progress with on-going support from

  their tutor and subject teachers;

• develop independent research skills;

• meet university representatives;

• have the opportunity to meet apprenticeship providers;

• be given the opportunity to visit universities;

• All Year 12 students will undertake a dedicated week of work experience. This will be supported by a preparation programme and a post-placement evaluation to record skills gained;

• receive information on higher education taster days, apprenticeship vacancies and job opportunities;

• understand the UCAS process and be able to research different universitiesand courses using online resources;

• receive information and support with financial planning for university, work and training;

• write a personal statement for a UCAS, apprenticeship or job application;

• have been mentored through the university application process or supported with job or training applications;

• have access to information on how to apply for internships, sponsorships or Gap Year placements; and

• be given the opportunity to take part in enterprise and challenge activities.