Careers Education

The 8 benchmarks are a framework for good career guidance and developed to support secondary schools and colleges in providing students with the best possible careers education, information, advice and guidance.

Our CIEAG Policy and the Provider Access Statement can be found on the policies page of the website.

The following partners support our CEIAG programme events:-

Arval, SSE plc, BMW Group, Study Higher, Bath and Reading Universities, NHS, Ask Apprenticeships, RAU, Education Business Partnership, the Police, Army and RAF.

We also have well established links with local FE colleges and training providers and work closely with the local Careers and Enterprise Company Careers Hub.

Nova Hreod Academy develop, monitor and evaluate CEAIG across the school on a regular basis.

Nova Hreod Academy’s progress towards achieving the Gatsby Benchmarks is evaluated using the online Compass tool (as recommended in Careers guidance and access for education and training providers Jan 2018).  This will be carried out on an annual basis by the Senior Leadership Team. The CEIAG development plan is based upon the outcomes of the Compass audit.

Provision is also monitored through regular feedback from students, parents/carers, staff, governors and our partners. This feedback is collected through questionnaires, forms, verbal feedback etc.  This is analysed by the Headteacher with actions fed back to staff.  Key action points are also included in the annual school improvement plan.

External provision is monitored and evaluated through the school’s quality assurance procedures including observations, student/staff/parents & carers feedback at the end of each event. This is analysed by the Careers Team and Headteacher with actions fed back to staff and other relevant personnel.  Key action points are also included in the school improvement plan.

The effectiveness of our careers guidance will be reflected in the higher numbers of students progressing to positive destinations such as apprenticeships, technical routes, sixth form colleges, further education colleges, or employment.  Destination data is used to assess how successfully students make the transition into the next stage of education or training, or into employment and to inform future CEIAG provision. This is analysed by the Senior Leadership Team with key trends and actions fed back to Governors.

The CEIAG policy is ratified by the Headteacher and Governors and reviewed bi-annually.  

We are always looking for businesses to inspire our students to think more widely about their futures and working life. Allowing students to hear from real life role models means they then see a true demonstration of the relevance and connection of what is taught in the classroom - it helps students contextualise their learning and bring classroom subjects to life, linking this with a specific career field.

There are many ways businesses can help Nova Hreod Academy students realise their potential and pursue the right career path for them. In fact, the more businesses we can involve in our careers programme, the more experiences students have. There is always a project running that we are looking for support from local businesses for. Here are just a few examples of ways you could get involved:

Business Mentoring: This involves supporting students in their CV and application writing, understanding their motivations, choices, goals and action planning to reach their career goals.

Work Inspiration visits: Providing “a day in the life of type experience” to help students to understand the variety and scope of roles within an organisation and the career paths of employees. Many organisations find that young people are often unaware of the full range of potential roles within an organisation. This initiative aims to raise their awareness by providing an overview of the range of jobs that exist, ensuring they are better prepared when they enter the workplace because they will have more realistic expectations, understand what skills are required and be able to make more informed decisions about their study and career choices. For employers, this means higher quality applicants, reduction in recruitment costs and improved retention.

Mock Interviews: In order to make our mock interview sessions as meaningful as possible, we also use external business people to hold the interviews with the young people. The aim is for students to understand how to prepare for an interview and build their interview skills. We also ask that students are allowed time at the end of the interview to ask any questions they may have about you, your job, careers in your industry etc.

Work Experience Placements: We are always seeking businesses who could support our annual Year 10 work experience placement weeks in July.  This allows students to get a real understanding of what it’s like work in a business environment, help them decide if the industry is for them and really steer them in a positive direction. We find a lot of students go on to apply for apprenticeship vacancies with the companies they have worked with.
Other ways in which businesses can support students are:

• Careers talks
• CV workshops
• Participation in Futures Evening

You can contact Mrs Gawthorn for further information.

School staff are encouraged to integrate careers education into their curriculum, linking it with the progression routes for subjects and the relevance of knowledge and skills for various work environments.  This can be achieved through enrichment opportunities such as visiting speakers, employers and alumni, as well as mentoring, workshops and other enterprise schemes.

It is important to tailor this to the needs of each young person, particular those with special educational needs and disabilities.  Equally important is parent engagement in planning and sharing information to support career guidance.

School staff should help learners make information decisions about their education, training and career paths.

Teachers play a crucial part in careers guidance by:

·         Breaking down gender, cultural and socioeconomic barriers

·         Challenging stereotypes and promoting equality

·         Encouraging all students to pursue their aspirations without bias

·         Inspiring students to study their subject beyond school

·         Talking about jobs related to their subject

·         Discussing the relevance of their subject to the wider world

·         Responding encouragingly to questions and concerns about their future

·         Directing students to useful career resources

Please use the CEC Teacher Resources | CEC Resource Directory ,  Unifrog Unifrog - The universal destinations platform. and Career Pilot Careerpilot : Jobs by subject resources to assist you to meet the Gatsby benchmarks and particularly benchmark 4 “linking curriculum learning to careers”

Focus on the 2025 updates which emphasize the importance of encounters with employers and experiences of the workplace for students.  This will mean students are better prepared for their future careers and will improve their overall career readiness.

Remember incorporating careers information and guidance into lessons improves motivation, raises aspirations and makes lessons relevant.  This is an important part of their personal and social development.

Contact Ursula Gawthorn with any questions or email careers@novahreodacademy.org.uk

The SLT will keep you informed of updates to government policy on Careers and the school assesses the impact of the careers programme by surveying students, parents and staff and analyzing data in line with activities that have taken place in school and with employers.