Careers Education Information and Guidance

Introduction

The purpose of this information is to provide an overview of careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) for Jack Hunt School.  Jack Hunt School is committed to providing a CEIAG programme for all students in Year 7 to 13 and works in partnerships with many organisations to support this.

Student Needs

The CEIAG programme is designed to meet the diverse needs of all students at Jack Hunt School.  The programme ensures progression that is appropriate to the student’s stage of career learning and development.  The CEIAG programme plays a key role in achieving our aspiration of no students be classified as NEET at the end of Year 11 and 13.

Entitlement

Students in years 8, 9, 12 and 13 receive a one-hour timetabled lesson each week of Personal Development Education and one hour a fortnight in Years 10 and 11.  Where possible this is delivered by specialist teachers.  The aim is to promote equality and opportunity for all through impartial education and guidance, considering local and national developments, for example, the 8 Gatsby benchmarks (see below) to determine provision.  (Full details of the PDE programme for each year are in the PDE Section of the school website).

All students should have opportunities and access to guidance, either internal or external.  Jack Hunt School offers 1:1 independent guidance interviews with an external careers and educational consultant for all students in Year 11.  Internal support is offered through specialist PDE staff within school.

A number of information and careers based events are organised to support students across all year groups. These include career fairs, promoting open evenings, information for students and parents, parent evenings, university visits and external guest speakers and organisations.

In the Sixth Form Jack Hunt School prioritises goal setting and forward planning.  Students are given the opportunity to meet external speakers, either virtually or in person from a variety of Apprenticeship providers, Higher Education Institutions and workplaces.  The school is supported in offering higher education information and guidance by the National East Anglian Collaborative Outreach group. Students are also supported in careers education by Growth Works and our local Enterprise Advisor.   Students have access to virtual work experiences and Higher Education opportunities through Globalbridge, which provides personalised experiences for each learner.  We also have strong links with local external organisations including Peterborough City Hospital, Anglian Water, Greenwoods Solicitors and Moore Stephens where many of our students undertake face to face work experience and we organise alumni visits and trips to universities for Year 12 in the Summer Term.  Students are encouraged and supported to undertake their own research and make their own decisions about their futures.  

We have linked closely to Causeway Education’s OSCAR programme which provides invaluable support for our Sixth Form students.  They provide mentoring for students, training for staff and an online support system, built using the latest research to help support UCAS applications and references.

The Gatsby Benchmarks

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

We aim to provide approved providers of apprenticeships and technical education for all students;

• Two encounters for pupils during the ‘first key phase’ (year 8 or 9).
• Two encounters for pupils during the ‘second key phase’ (year 10 or 11).
• Two encounters for pupils during the ‘third key phase’ (year 12 or 13) that are optional for pupils to attend.

Management

CEIAG is managed by our PDE Curriculum Area Leader, Steph McCracken (smccracken@jhs.pkat.co.uk), and our careers leader, Fasiha Ashiq (fashiq@jhs.pkat.co.uk).  They link closely with a member of the Senior Leadership Team.  We use an independent careers advisor to support student advice and guidance.  The Careers Advisor provides career interviews with individual students, all Year 11 students receive an independent careers interview and then other interview slots can be arranged through a referral when there is a need.  As well as this we have an internal programme of mentoring in which key staff mentor Year 11, 12 and 13 students; this programme supports students through preparation for exams but also in terms of career advice. 

Work Experience

The CEIAG programme includes careers guidance activities and work-related learning and enterprise activities.  All 330 students in Year 10 complete a two-week work experience as part of their curriculum offer.  There are also other opportunities for work experience or volunteering through the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, student leadership activities with primary schools.

Quality Assurance

Jack Hunt School completes an annual Compass Audit tool in partnership with the Skills Service.  In addition to this, Jack Hunt School seeks the support of external agencies to ensure provision is current and meeting the needs of our young people to meet our aspiration of having no young people who are NEET (Not in Education Employment or Training) at Post 16 and Post 18.  We also meet with the Targeted Youth Support Service Team from the Local Authority who gives advice on our CEIAG offer to ensure we are achieving the Gatsby benchmarks.  We attend Peterborough Data Sharing Group which meets to discuss careers provision and opportunities around Peterborough in order to ensure there is a reduction in NEETs.

Training

Jack Hunt School recognises that CEIAG is not the sole responsibility of a few staff.  CEIAG is part of the whole school CPD programme and all staff receive annual training through full staff meetings.  Delivery of the careers programme is monitored as part of the whole school monitoring process.  The partnership agreement with our independent careers adviser is renewed annually and the CEIAG programme is reviewed annually by the PDE Team, PDE Curriculum Area Leader and Assistant Headteacher.

Impact Information: