Post-16 / Careers at Highfields College

Introduction

At Highfields College we ensure every student receives high quality careers education, information, advice & guidance (CEIAG) as an integral aspect of their curriculum. We understand how careers education motivates and inspires learners, allowing them to make informed choices about their future pathways. Our aim is to raise the aspirations of our students, helping them to emerge from school with the information and skills that will allow them to excel in the world of work. We therefore see careers education and guidance as the responsibility of all stakeholders (students, staff, parents/carers and employers).

Key Staff

The member of staff responsible for delivery of careers education and guidance across the curriculum.

A Level 6 qualified careers advisor from a ‘matrix accredited’ company, who delivers 1-1 career advice sessions to students.

Our Careers Programme of Study

At Highfields College we work to ensure all students have access to a wide range of opportunities and experiences that help equip them to make informed decisions about their future pathways. In Key Stage 3 (KS3) we look to raise students’ aspirations and support them in investigating future educational and professional opportunities. CEIAG forms a discrete strand within the Prep for Work & Life programme of study, allowing students the opportunity to gain knowledge regarding future opportunities. All students, in both KS3 and KS4 complete weekly Prep for Work & Life lessons, of which 24 have a specific careers focus. As part of their curriculum, all students are provided with updated ‘Labour Market Information (LMI)’ on an annual basis to keep them informed regarding local, national & global employment trends.  They also learn about technical qualifications and have the opportunity to meet a range of employers from different job sectors.

At KS4 the students are informed of the different Post-16 pathways through a variety of activities with local further education colleges as well as training and apprenticeship providers. Each student’s knowledge and skills are further developed through their curriculum, which includes further education college taster days, application & CV writing support sessions, as well as mock interviews & feedback conducted by local employers. As a school we aim to provide every student with all the information and opportunity to ask the necessary questions to make fully informed decisions about their future. To support this, in addition to the students’ experiences and opportunities through the curriculum already outlined, each learner receives a 1-1 careers advice session with a qualified advisor from Stockport’s Education and Career Advice Service.

Context 

From September 2013, The Education Act of 2011 placed schools under a duty to ensure that all registered pupils in Years 8 to 13 have access to independent, accurate and impartial information, advice and guidance. The curriculum may therefore be subject to amendment due to contextual factors including precedent, economic factors as well as local, national and international Labour Market Information (LMI). At the end of KS4, we ensure that all leavers are able to access appropriate advice and guidance regarding their future pathways, including information and support regarding technical & vocational courses, apprenticeships, A’ levels & re-commencement of their studies with a relevant Post-16 provider.

The Baker Clause

This statement sets out our arrangements for managing the access of providers to students for the purposes of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with the legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education act 1997 (the ‘Baker Clause’). 

Pupil Entitlement Student entitlement Students in Years 7 – 13 are entitled to:

  • find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point. 
  • hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through options evenings, assemblies and group discussions and taster events. 
  • understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses. 
  • there will be a minimum of two encounters for pupils during KS3 and two further encounters for pupils at KS4.
  • These provider encounters will be scheduled during the main school hours with our expectation that providers give a reasonable amount of time to: 

– share information about both the provider and the approved technical education qualification and apprenticeships that the provider offers 

– explain what career routes those options could lead to 

– provide insights into what it might be like to learn or train with that provider, including where possible the opportunity to meet staff and pupils from the provider and answer questions from pupils.

Opportunities with Post-16 providers 

We have strong links with all of our local colleges and they provide a number of opportunities for KS4 students to understand the different pathway options available to them when they leave school. In Year 10, all students have the opportunity to attend a Post-16 provider taster days, which allows them to experience college life and learn about the courses available to them. In Year 11, local Post-16 providers deliver a comprehensive programme of assemblies and form-time presentations. This introduces students to the opportunities available to them as well as important information regarding courses and entry requirements. 

Apprenticeship providers 

All students are provided with information regarding apprenticeships. Presentations are delivered by Greater Manchester Learning Platform and students who wish to pursue this pathway are supported through specific application writing sessions. We also work alongside a number of training providers who support KS4 4 students with their applications. 

Highfields College is committed to delivering careers education of the highest possible standard across the curriculum and to all year groups through a series of activities that are appropriate to students’ stages of career learning, planning and development. 

Gatsby Benchmarks

The government’s new (2017) careers strategy, has at its heart four themes, the first of which is ensuring a ‘high-quality careers programme’ in all schools and colleges. This is to be achieved via the eight Gatsby benchmarks, each of which relate to an area of school activity, and define excellence in that area: 

  1. A stable careers programme 
  2. Learning from career and labour market information 
  3. Addressing the needs of each pupil 
  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 

The first six benchmarks can, in some way, be achieved by input by employers and businesses. Other parts of the strategy include making employers an integral part of the guidance strategy, ensuring people can benefit from tailored support (i.e. individual careers guidance and mentoring, for example, by an employer) and making the most of labour market information. You can see from above that employers will play a huge part in schools achieving the eight benchmarks and sustaining a world class careers programme. 

How can employers get involved? Management of Provider Access

Any employer or provider who is able to support and contribute to our careers education and guidance programme should contact the school Careers Leader, Mr Knott by email at jonathan.knott@highfieldscollege.org.uk

Some of the activities that an employer could get involved with include:

  • assemblies and talks 
  •  meet an employer career events 
  •  small group focus sessions/mentoring 
  •  practice interviews 
  •  projects and challenges in related subjects
  •  work place safaris and visits (site tours) 
  •  talks from employees about the world of work and career pathways 
  • team building exercises and work related challenges

Past pupils – Alumni 

To complement our programme of employer engagement encounters, we also invite ex-students back to Highfields College to talk about their careers. We would love to hold on to our links to past pupils. Please do get in touch with Jonathan Knott (jonathan.knott@highfieldscollege.org.uk). As a start, please tell us what year you left, your next step after year 11 and what your current job is.

How do we measure and assess the impact of the curriculum in our careers programme of study?

  • Destination measures 
  • Student feedback 
  • Employer feedback