Purpose

Somercotes Academy is committed to providing students with the skills and attributes needed to make choices about their education and future employment. The Academy will enable students to make informed decisions which are appropriate to the individual student. The Academy will enable students to make well thought out and balanced decisions about education, employment and their careers in both the short term and long term.

Students will have access to high quality advice, guidance and information helping them realise their ambitions from teachers, trained careers advisors, employers and other educational providers.

Aims

Somercotes Academy aims to ensure students are given high quality information and guidance to ensure that students are able to make informed choices about their learning pathways and future employment opportunities beyond their time at the Academy.

• Enable students to understand what opportunities are available to them in both education and employment
• To enable students to make informed decisions about their chosen learning path ways and employment opportunities both locally and nationally
• Empower students in making their own decisions about their learning pathways by raising aspirations and expectations by promoting equality and challenging stereotypes

Entitlement Statements

Student Entitlement

Somercotes Academy will support students to develop their learning and employment decisions by focusing on the Gatsby Benchmarks

• A stable careers programme.
• Learning from career and labour market information.
• Addressing the needs of each student.
• Linking curriculum learning to careers.
• Encounters with employers and employees.
• Experiences of workplaces.
• Encounters with further and higher education.
• Personal guidance.

Parent/Career entitlement

• Parents will be informed and updated each academic year outlining the careers provision at the Academy.
• Information on our website about the careers provision.
• Discussions with Academy staff at parents' evenings about careers and the opportunities available.
• Encourage parents to use the Start Profile website with their child. Parents will also be informed that they can use this site to help guide their own careers.

Delivery of provision – Careers Programme

The Delivery of careers provision at Somercotes Academy is a holistic approach which aims to match opportunities to the individual student.

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In Years 7 to 11 there is an expectation that students will have an experience of a work place during this time.

In Years 12 and 13 there is an expectation that students will have an experience of a work place during this time.

Place within the Curriculum and Tutorial Support system

All subjects are required to identify in their schemes of work when and where careers will be delivered in their lessons. Teachers are expected to deliver lessons with students, in all years which link to careers and educational opportunities.

Examples of how careers can be delivered in curriculum areas:

• Employers or educational providers coming into lessons to talk to students.
• Using the Start Profile website to have discussions about certain job roles linked with the topic being studied.
• Using the Start Profile to show videos of employers and employees talking about careers and different industries.
• Discussions in registration or assemblies.

Monitoring and tracking of young people

Students will be tracked on how they are engaging with the careers provision and Careers Leaders will use this to target students depending upon their needs.

Careers Leaders will use data collected from the Start Profile website and questionnaires to inform Academy and MAT senior leaders about careers provision.

Monitoring, review and evaluation

All students will be tracked on the Start Profile to identify how they are meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks.

A questionnaire will be completed by all students during the academic year. This will show the progress the Academy is making in enhancing their careers provision.

The feedback of teachers and parents will be sought to evaluate the success of the careers programme. This feedback will be used to improve the Academies careers programme.

A report and review of the Academies Gatsby benchmarks should be completed at the end of each term and shared with the senior leadership in the school and the designated governor.

This information should be used by the Academy to identify students who need further intervention.

Management of Provision

Management

• All governors have been trained on Careers and the Gatsby Benchmarks
• Somercotes Academy has a designated Governor for Careers with a focus on the Academies provision and to encourage involvement of local business.
• The CEO and MAT team and Senior Leadership team are focused on the provision of careers.

Staffing

All teaching staff are required to provide opportunities in their lessons about careers and educational opportunities. All teaching staff are required to register on the Strat Profile Website and record when they have completed a careers related activity.

Provision of external and Independent careers guidance

Independent careers guidance is available from Careers Consultants LTD. There are lessons throughout the students' education which will be led by the Careers Consultant.

Other formal and informal partnerships

The Trust has an informal partnership with Grimsby Institute of Further Education to provide help, support and guidance of post 16 opportunities throughout their time at Somercotes Academy.

Information resources

Somercotes Academy will be using the Start Profile website. Start will help students' to connect with their future career potential, develop their employability and help them to explore future career and study options at school or at home.

Students will have their own account for Start at school, but it is accessible anytime on computers and compatible mobile and tablet devices.

Students will personalise their profile on Start with details about their skills, qualities, interests and work preferences. This provides a starting point for them to explore information matched to their personal preferences and interests. As they update their profile, Start will personalise this information, helping them to navigate the thousands of jobs, courses, providers and opportunities available. Start will help students to understand where they are on their journey and what's important as they make their choices at GCSE, post-16 and post-18.

The Start Profile website will enable students

Year 7-8

• Students explore and establish their suitability to careers and understand the KS4 subjects that are important to them
• Students understand the factors important to making informed decisions including learning style and career aspirations
• Students build a picture of their career aspirations and subject choices as well as start to evidence understanding of key employability skills

Year 9 - 11

• Students explore their post-16 options and their intended choices relate to preferred learning style and future career aspirations
• Students and parents understand the application process and entry requirements for their intended choices
• Students capture the experiences and achievements that will help them to stand out on paper and in person

Year 12 - 13

• Students explore post 18 options and develop a deeper understanding of their progression and career preferences
• Students research and compare options, and make decisions based on personal suitability and the availability of options
• Students prepare for future employment, refine their personal profile and start to demonstrate the application of their skills