Every college should have an embedded program of career education and guidance that is known and understood by learners, parents, teachers, employers and other agencies.

Every college should have a stable, structured careers program that has the explicit backing of the senior management team, and has an identified and appropriately trained person responsible for it. – The careers program should be published on the college’s website in a way that enables learners, parents, college staff and employers to access and understand it. – The program should be regularly evaluated, with feedback from learners, parents, college staff and employers as part of the evaluation process.“

Where are they Covered?

Boston Spa Academy has an established careers strategy and year plan broken down by year group, each with a specific focus, interview program, form time activities, project outcomes and internal/external career activities and engagements.

Every learner, and their parents (where appropriate), should have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed adviser to make best use of available information.

During their study program, all learners should access and use information about career paths and the labour market to inform their own decisions on study options. – Parents should be encouraged to access and use information about labour markets and future study options to inform their support to the learners in their care.

Where are they Covered?

Each student receives 2 careers meetings throughout their program of study with a dedicated careers advisor.

Fortnightly tutor time sessions Y7-11 and weekly sessions at Y12-13 follow a progressive program with clear focal points/sessions on LMI and local job information (e.g.Year 10 half term 2, Year 12 half term 1 and 2).

Career pathways is interwoven into each year group form time program (e.g Y7 Jobs of the Future, Y8 Why is STEM important?, Y9 What do they do?).

Students in all are given the opportunity to interact with employers and apprenticeship providers (e.g. BSA Careers Fair – Nov 15th 2023, visits to Apprenticeship Fairs in October 2022 and Feb 2023).

Learners have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each learner. A college’s careers program should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.

A college’s careers program should actively seek to challenge stereotypical thinking and raise aspirations. – Colleges should keep systematic records of the individual advice given to each learner, and subsequent agreed decisions. – The records of advice given should be integrated with those given at the previous stage of the learner’s education (including their secondary school) where these are made available. Records should begin to be kept from the first point of contact or from the point of transition. – All learners should have access to these records to support their career development. Colleges should collect and maintain accurate data for each learner on their education, training or employment destinations.

Where are they Covered?

Comprehensive records of all interviews are kept and maintained by the Careers Adviser. All careers interactions are kept on central tracker and monitored on a weekly basis by SLT Careers Lead and Careers Adviser to ensure engagement of all key cohorts.

All students in the academy complete a careers questionnaire in term 1 to ensure career needs/aspirations can be personalised throughout the academic year.

Information on leavers at Year 11, 12 and 13 is comprehensive. Leavers’ destinations are checked at three points throughout the subsequent academic year – November, February and May, after being confirmed in September. The careers team continue to work with Year 11, 12 and 13 leavers after 12 months of leaving, prioritising NEETs and potential NEETs.

Form time careers activities in each year group focus specifically on challenging job stereotypes (e.g. Y7,8,9,12,13 HT2) and building aspirations by investigating careers pathways and sectors, particularly at key transition points such as Y9 GCSE options (December 2023-Janaury 2024), Post 16 options (form time modules, careers fair, 1-1 SLT interviews, EHCBS Open Evening, HE interactions, including Oxbridge, external apprenticeship and technical guidance through Leeds Apprenticeship Hub and Multiverse) and post 18 options (1-1 tutor interviews, HE interactions, Scholars’ Program, external apprenticeship and technical guidance, World of Work Program).

All subject staff should link curriculum learning with careers, even on courses which are not specifically occupation-led. For example, STEM subject staff should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths. Study programs should also reflect the importance of maths and English as a key expectation from employers.

Throughout their program of study (and by the end of their course) every learner should have had the opportunity to experience how their subjects help people gain entry to (and be more effective workers within) a wide range of occupations.

Where are they Covered?

Each subject curriculum is planned to ensure that a range of careers, pathways and transferable skills are routinely taught throughout the year which is complimented by a wide-range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities (e.g. History Club, Law Society), Super-curricular opportunities and external visits and trips.

Key focus weeks identified throughout the year in which all curriculum areas embed careers activities/guidance/opportunities:

• National Apprenticeship Week (February 2024)
• International Day of Girls in Science (February 2024)
• National Careers Week (March 2024)
• International Women’s Day (March 2024)
• British Science Week (March 2024)

In these weeks all teachers will identify curriculum links to the relevant focus profession/opportunity.

In addition, additional curriculum linked careers events will be targeted at specific year groups/students (e.g. Y7-9 Fabulous Forces, Y7-9 Crime Scene to Court Room).

Exercise books have careers links and around the academy classrooms and subject areas display careers advice and guidance.

Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes.

Every year, from the age of 11, pupils should participate in at least one meaningful encounter with an employer

Where are they Covered?

We provide over 20 opportunities internally, externally and online throughout the academic year to ensure every student has at least one encounter with an employer/employee. For example:

• Y7: Step into the NHS Competition, British Forces Broadcasting Service
• Y8: Barclays Life Skills, West Yorkshire Bus Alliance
• Y9: NatWest Careers Sense, British Forces Broadcasting Service
• Y10-13: Various in person and online opportunities including Santander, PWC, NHS, Leeds Creative Skills Festival, 3x regional/national apprenticeship fairs
• Y12: Each student will take part in at least one work experience placement.

Every learner should have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks.

By the end of their study program, every learner should have had at least one experience of a workplace, additional to any part-time jobs they may have.

Where are they Covered?

In addition to the BSA Careers Fair (November 2023), we provide over 20 opportunities internally, online and externally throughout the course of the academic year to ensure every learner has at least one work experience opportunity by the age of 16 and 18.

By the age of 16: various in person and online work experience opportunities including Santander, PWC, NHS, Leeds Courts, Unilever.

By the age of 18: In-person work experience program built into the Y12 careers program, including CV writing, applying for a work experience place and undertaking work experience placement (June 2024).

All learners should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes, and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace.

By the end of their program of study, every learner should have had a meaningful encounter*2 with a range of providers of learning and training that may form the next stage of their career. This should include, as appropriate, further education colleges, higher education and apprenticeship and training providers. This should include the opportunity to meet both staff and learners.

Where are they Covered?

In addition to the BSA Careers Fair, each student in each year group will have at least two in-person interactions with an academic/vocational route:

• Y7/8 – Amazing Apprenticeships, University Challenge (Hull), Careers in Construction (LCB)
• Y9/10 – Leeds Apprenticeships Hub, Why University? (Leeds), Careers in Construction (LCB)
• Y11 – EHCBS Open Evening, Taster Day, LCC and LCB trip, apprenticeship fairs x2 and Apprenticeship exploration event.
• Y12/13 – Various university and apprenticeship talks and workshops with Leeds, Hull, Oxford internally and trips to UCAS exhibition, apprenticeship fairs x2, University of Cambridge, Newcastle and Northumbria.

Selected students in all years will take part in the ‘Scholars Program’, including visits to/from Worcester College, Oxford and Selwyn College, Cambridge.

Every learner should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a careers adviser, who could be internal (a member of college staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level.*3 These should be available for all learners whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all learners, but should be timed to meet individual needs.

Every learner should have at least one such interview by the end of their study program.

Where are they Covered?

Every student will access at least two individual and group careers interviews throughout the course of the academic year:

• Y7 – Career Planning (Nov 2023), Key skills, qualities and attributes (June 2024)
• Y8 – Looking Ahead: Career Pathways (January 2024), Looking Ahead 2 (July 2024)
• Y9 – Options (January 2024)
• Y10 – Post 16 intentions (February 2024), Career Development (April 2024)
• Y11 – Post 16 planning (November 2023), Post 16 application check (January 2024)
• Y12/13 – Monthly 1-1 guidance meetings with tutor, UCAS meetings with P16 Careers Lead, Scholar’s Program, World of Work Group.