SHIREBROOKACADEMY

CAREERS EDUCATION,

INFORMATION, ADVICE ANDGUIDANCE

LAST REVIEWED: / September 2014
REVIEWED BY: / Tracy Horton
NEXT REVIEW DATE: / September 2015

Contributors:

T HortonPersonal Development co-ordinator

D HollowayCareers Adviser (Derbyshire County Council)

G HandLRC Manager and Work experience co-ordinator

Reference:

The Education Act 2011 – the duty to secure independent and impartial careers guidance for young people in schools. Statutory Guidance for Head Teachers, School Staff, governing bodies and Local

The Education Act 2011 – new expectations for Careers Education

DCSF 2010 Careers Education Framework 7-19

DCSF 2010 Quality, Choice and Aspiration (the IAG Strategy)

ACEGFramework for Careers and Work related education, April 2012

Review Cycle:

This policy document takes account of the following policy documents:

  • Staff Development
  • Personal, Social and Health Education/Citizenship
  • Special Educational Needs
  • Assessment, Recording and Reporting
  • Work related learning
  • Equal Opportunities Policy

Organisation

All members of teaching staff have a pastoral role and a curriculum role.

Groups which meet regularly and consider issues are:

  • Student Services group (heads of year)
  • Multi-agency meetings

The following staff have specific roles within the implementation of careers guidance and work related learning at ShirebrookAcademy.

  • Nick StaffordVice Principal
  • Tracy HortonCo-ordinator for the personal development programme
  • Gareth HandCo-ordinator for work experience in Year 10 and LRC Manager

The following networks support and inform the CEG and IAG processes in Academy:

  • Bolsover, Staveley and Chesterfield Learning communities
  • Derbyshire County Council Work Experience Cluster group

Aims of the Academy

ShirebrookAcademy aims to:

give all our young people the opportunity to learn in a way which meets their individual needs;

offer a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum;

build a partnership between students, teachers, parents and the community, and breakdown barriers which may exist between them;

encourage young people to appreciate human achievement, the importance of each individual and the value of living in a society which draws from many different cultures;

help each person develop her/his full potential and offer guidance and counselling;

make learning experiences interesting, varied and appropriate;

value and encourage academic and all other forms of achievement;

fit our young people with the skills, attitudes, concepts and knowledge which will equip them to live fulfilled lives in an ever changing society.

Introduction

Careers education and guidance and personal development make a major contribution to preparing young people for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life. This helps young people make decisions and manage transitions as learners and workers. With the introduction of more flexible routes for 14-19 year olds, it is vital that young people have the knowledge and skills they need to make informed choices. The ShirebrookAcademy careers programme:

  • contributes to strategies for raising achievement, especially by increasing motivation;
  • supports inclusion, challenges stereotyping and promotes equality of opportunity;
  • encourage individual awareness and development and of their own particular needs with regards to their own well being;
  • encourages participation in continued learning, including higher education;
  • helps to develop enterprise and employability skills;
  • helps to reduce drop out from, and course switching in, education and training;
  • helps to contribute to the economic prosperity of the students and their communities.

The programme has three components –Information, education and guidance. They are interrelated and depend on each other for their effectiveness. Each is required to support and complement the other.

Information – gives students an impartial view of the occupations and education/training routes available. Becoming skilled users of careers information helps students to manage subsequent transitions after they have left Academy.

Careers Educationhelps young people develop the knowledge and skills they need to make decisions, manage transitions in learning and move into work.

Careers Guidance enables young people to use the knowledge and skills they develop to make well-informed realistic decisions about learning and work, with a focus on individual choice.

The wider personal development curriculum also aims to develop students’ self-esteem and emotional well-being and help them to form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationships, based on respect for others.

The Broad Aims for Careers Education and Guidance

Developments in learning and work make it essential that young people take a more active role in their career learning. (It is, for example, better that young people develop the skills to investigate opportunities than that they are simply made aware of them.) Consequently, the programme emphasises individual participation. It is built on three aims. These are that young people should be able to:

  • understand themselves and the influences on them – Self Development
  • investigate opportunities in learning and work – Career Exploration
  • make and adjust plans to manage change and transition – Career Management

Careers Education and Guidance at ShirebrookAcademy

All students are entitled to be fully involved in an effective CEG programme and understand the process. They will have the opportunity to:

be empowered to make their own well informed decisions through impartial advice and guidance;

access up to date and unbiased information on different careers, colleges, sixth forms, training programmes and work;

have access to individual guidance by appointment;

understand their rights and responsibilities;

devise and take ownership of their own career action plan;

experience work related learning, which includes:

  • Learning Through Work (Work Experience Programme)
  • Learning For Work
  • Learning about Work

The content of the taught programme is based on the learning outcomes outlined in the ACEG Framework for Careers and work-related education 2012. Careers Education and Guidance retain the same amount of curriculum time as in 2010/11, and retain their importance in supporting students to achieve in school and make successful transitions at 16.

Structure and organisation

Most of the formal teaching of careers education takes place on super learning days, when the normal timetable is suspended for a year group to work with form tutors on personal development themes. The personal development scheme of work incorporates the careers education topics. Super learning days and other activities relevant to careers education are as follows:

Year 7 (Summer Term)

Students work through the Make it Real game, looking at patterns of local employment and the relationship between skills, qualifications and job roles.

Year 8 (Summer Term)

Students work through the Real Game, where they are given a job role and have to calculate a budget that allows them to live an affordable lifestyle. The Real Game offers many opportunities for students to consider different types of work, different qualification levels, and the concepts of skill and quality. As part of the day students meet people in various types of employment to ask them about work/life balance. Equal Opportunities is also introduced as a theme.

Year 9 (Spring Term)

Students work through a day of lessons based on decision-making and subject choices for KS4. They are introduced to the DCC careers adviser, and have time to explore careers information resources in the LRC and online. This day is followed up with individual support from form tutors and other staff in Academy to ensure students implement good decisions about their KS4 studies.

(Summer Term)

All Y9 students take part in Industry Day, where they work in small groups with a range of local employers, training providers and college staff to explore different occupations through hands-on activities. As a follow up activity students are encouraged to reflect on their learning and skills, and undertake further research into their own careers ideas.

Year 10 (Autumn Term)

The Year 10 super learning day is based around work experience and helps students to develop practical job-search skills through the theme of finding work experience placements. There are also lessons on self assessment of skills and qualities, and stereotyping.

Also in Year 10 students have ICT lessons which include producing letters and CVs to send to potential placement providers

Work experience placements take place for the whole year group in July. Preparation work and de-brief activities are planned to help students make the most of this opportunity

Year 11 (Autumn Term)

Students are informed of post-16 opportunities and financial information during the super learning day, and also complete action plans which are used by the Head of Year and DCC Careers advisor to identify students who would benefit from individual guidance.

A day in October is spent for the whole year group at West Notts College, to help students develop an understanding of FE study, and to feel confident about applying to any FE provider for their post-16 education.

Students can self-refer for individual guidance via their form tutors, or by using the Careerss drop-in service in the LRC at lunchtime, one day a week.

All students are able to access the Careers adviser at the lunchtime drop-in service, or at Target Review days. Colleges and training providers are also invited to target review days. In addition there may be other visiting speakers during the year who attend assemblies or lunchtime sessions to inform students of specific options, e.g the armed forces, colleges, local bank.

The Careers adviser also visits Y10 and Y11 Intervention groups to work with students in targeted groups, in liaison with intervention group leaders.

Assessment

No formal assessment is made. However, the Assistant Principal monitors the academic progress of students during the year. This includes the following:

compiling a list of target and forecast GCSE grades for each student in every subject;

compiling a list of national curriculum target levels for all students in Key Stage 3;

passing on the results of the academic monitoring process to the Careers adviser.

Target Review Day

Parents/carers are invited into Academy twice a year to discuss their sons/daughters progress.

During the interviews on target review day tutors discuss the following with parents/carers:

  • the progress made against set targets (target national curriculum levels for KS3 and target GCSE grades for KS4);
  • attendance and punctuality;
  • career options. Students are asked to identify what they have done towards their career planning ;

Colleges, training providers and the Careers service attend target review days to offer advice. Information, leaflets and applications forms are available to students and parents on the December target review day.

Interviews with the DCC Careers service

Students are entitled to appropriate guidance to meet their individual needs. If they attend an interview they will complete an action plan which states what they intend to do once they have left Academy. The action plan is written by the Careers adviser. Copies of the action plans are kept by the adviser and the student.

The process for interviews starts in Year 10 and continues through Year 11 and students are identified for career interviews by:

1The head of Y10 identifies students who would benefit from early intervention, for example students with low ability or who have potential to become NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training at 16). These students are offered individual interviews or seen in small groups in Y10

2students are also seen in groups in Y10 to ensure they are aware of different progression routes

3In Y11, students complete a questionnaire about their ideas, and this information is used alongside Academy assessment data to prioritise students for interviews with Careers advisers

4The personal development co-ordinator offers individual guidance interviews to students who are not interviewed by DCC Careersadvisers

5Students may refer themselves via the head of year or personal development co-ordinator. An appointment with the Careers adviser will then be arranged

6the Careers advisers discuss their role and purpose to Year 11 during super learning days.

Interviews are run throughout Y11.

  • The Careers adviser will record whom he has seen and identify students who will need a second interview. Action plans are passed to the head of Y11 and the PD co-ordinator.
  • If a student is away or fails to turn up to an interview an alternative time will be arranged by the Head of Year.

High Ability

The High Ability programme is designed to increase awareness of further and higher education amongst our students. The staying on rate for ShirebrookAcademy has been well below the national average. The structure and programme includes the following:

  • there is a Academy co-ordinator for High Ability students
  • links with local colleges (Chesterfield and West Nottinghamshire colleges) to provide ‘taster’ courses on further education courses such as ‘A’ levels;
  • links with universities including the University of Derby, Sheffield Hallam University, University of Sheffield, Nottingham Trent university and the University of Cambridge.

Targeted support

For those students identified as being at risk of NEET, further interventions are arranged as appropriate for each student. This could involve referral to MAT guidance workers, or referral to support workers in the Raising Aspirations project (A Bolsover District council project). This support could include personalised curriculum in KS4, visits to colleges and training providers, contact with parents, and ongoing contact as the student leaves school.

Equal Opportunities

A policy of equal opportunities allows for all students of all abilities to receive advice and access to resources relative to their needs and aspirations. The level of language used on worksheets and activities is aimed to make most students comfortable with the demands of the subject matter.

Under the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (DFE 1994) (0-25 July 2014), statemented students over the age of fourteen and their parents should be involved with the Academy, the careers service and other contributors in drawing up a transition plan to help the students move from Academy to adult life. This is carried out by the SENCO who arranges the meetings with the relevant people.

Students who need extra help are identified early in Key Stage 4 and are interviewed by the Careers adviser. If at any stage it is felt that extra advice is needed then the careers adviser for special educational needs is called upon.

A tailored programme of work experience is offered to Y10 students who may struggle to access a mainstream employment environment.

Resources

Physical

Most careers education and guidance is taught by form tutors in their form rooms in Years 7 to 11. Some lessons are delivered by Careers advisers and some by representatives of colleges, employers and training organisations. The LRC Careers information and ICT rooms are also used.

The LRC is well equipped and contains the following:

(i)a suite of networked computers. Software includes Kudos, and Internet Explorer for careers websites;

(ii)a wide variety of videos/CDs;

(iii)reference books and information sheets such as Occupation, Working in Series etc;

(iv)information on companies and career pamphlets stored using the careers classification index;

(v)information on colleges, Academies with a sixth form and training providers;

(vi)Personal development information on housing, health issues, relationships, the law and free time;

LRC access

All materials/resources/books housed in the LRCare available to all members of the Academy community. This includes all resources relating to careers education and guidance and work related learning.

Where difficulties exist in accessing LRCbased information the following solutions will apply:

  • where physical difficulties make visits to the LRC problematic, special arrangements will be put in place to facilitate visits. The first point of contact for such arrangements will be the LRC Manager. Special arrangements may include; escorted visits, physical assistance, mapping routes to the LRC or other action appropriate to the access problem;
  • where possible catalogues/materials/resources will be made available online and may be accessed remotely from the LRC using the Academy’s computer network;
  • on request, the LRC Manager will visit staff/groups of students to discuss their requirements. Arrangements will then be made for staff/groups to have a range of materials delivered in their classroom (on loan) for a fixed period of time.

Quality assurance of lessons delivered on Careers in PSHE

The Quality Assurance policy will state that as part of the Academy programme for monitoring lessons, including PD which incorporates careers education and guidance, will be observed on a regular basis.

Career Mark

Shirebrook Academy is committed to achieving the standards in careers education and guidance contained in the Career Mark award, and has successfully achieved revalidation of the award in 2012. The process of portfolio building ensures that quality assurance systems for both education and guidance are in place.

Finance

CEG is resourced from the Personal Development budget

LRC resources are funded from the LRC budget

Other activities such as HE trips are funded from a separate Intervention budget

Work Experience is a separate budget heading, this covers the cost of health and safety checks carried out by Derbyshire County Council.

Health and Safety

The Academy has a Health and Safety policy that the department follows. Risk assessment sheets for visits are filled in by the CEG co-ordinator and passed to the Health and Safety Manager.

Evaluation

The careers programme is evaluated in a number of ways. These are as follows:

informally during the lessons by teachers