Careers

Leighton Middle School Careers Guidance and Provider Access Statement

Awaiting new statutory guidance which is due in Spring 2025 following an update to Gatsby Benchmarks in November 2024.

Date of implementation: January 2023 (housekeeping information updated November 2024)

Review date: Annually

Careers leader: R Herbert (Head of Year 8) (contact the school for information by telephone on 01525 374907 or email office@leighton.cbeds.co.uk)

Line manager: N Black (Deputy Headteacher/SLT)

Schools are required to ensure that there is an opportunity for a range of education and training providers to access students in years 7 to 13 for the purposes of informing them about approved technical education, qualifications or apprenticeships.

Leighton Middle School implement a progressive programme that broadens horizons, and scaffolds development of the knowledge and understanding required for students to identify their best next steps, starting from when pupils join in Year 5.

We also use meaningful live online engagement as an option at our school to provide these encounters.

The school work closely with the careers and enterprise company and our local Enterprise Coordinator to ensure we meet the Gatsby Benchmarks. We use Compass, this is tool for schools that quickly and easily helps us to evaluate our careers activity against the eight benchmarks of best practice – known as the Gatsby Benchmarks.

Please find our provider access statement below.

Provider access statement – careers education

View as PDF

1. Aims

This statement aims to set out our school’s arrangements for managing the access of education and training providers to students for the purpose of giving them information about their offer. It sets out:

Procedures in relation to requests for access
The grounds for granting and refusing requests for access
Details of premises or facilities to be provided to a person who is given access

2. Statutory requirements

Schools must provide a minimum of 6 encounters with technical education or training providers to all pupils in years 7 to 13 (see more detail in section 2.1 below).

Schools must also have a policy statement that outlines the circumstances in which education and training providers will be given access to these students.

This is outlined in section 42B of the Education Act 1997, the Skills and Post-16 Act 2022 and on page 43 of guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) on careers guidance and access for education and training providers.

This policy shows how our school complies with these requirements.

2.1 The 6 encounters schools must offer to all pupils in years 8 to 13

Schools must offer:

2 encounters for pupils during the 'first key phase' (year 8 or 9)
- o All pupils must attend
- o Encounters can take place any time during year 8, and between 1 September and 28 February during year 9
2 encounters for pupils during the 'second key phase' (year 10 or 11)
- o All pupils must attend
- o Encounters can take place any time during year 10, and between 1 September and 28 February during year 11
2 encounters for pupils during the 'third key phase' (year 12 or 13)
- o Pupils can choose to attend
- o Encounters can take place any time during year 12, and between 1 September and 28 February during year 13

These encounters must happen for a reasonable period of time during the standard school day. Schools can continue to provide complementary experiences, but encounters outside of school hours won't count towards these requirements.

Schools must ask each provider to provide the following information as a minimum:

Information about the provider and the approved qualifications or apprenticeships they offer
Information about what careers those qualifications and apprenticeships can lead to
What learning or training with the provider is like
Answers to any questions from pupils

2.2 Meaningful provider encounters

Our school is committed to providing meaningful encounters to all pupils.

1 encounter is defined as 1 meeting/session between pupils and 1 provider.

We also use meaningful live online engagement as an option at our school to provide these encounters.

In the context of the provider access legislation, a provider is an organisation that offers approved technical education qualifications or their representative, for example an FE college or training provider.

A provider, to whom access is given, must deliver an encounter that includes the following:

Information about the provider and the approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships that the provider offers
Information about the careers to which those technical education qualifications or apprenticeships might lead
A description of what learning or training with the provider is like
Responses to questions from the pupils about the provider or approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

3. Student entitlement

All pupils in year 8 at Leighton Middle School are entitled to:

Find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities as part of our 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, e.g. through activities and events such as options events, assemblies and taster events

4. Management of provider access requests

4.1 Procedure

A provider wishing to request access should contact: Mr R Herbert, HOY 8 & Careers Lead.

Telephone: 01525 374907

Email: office@leighton.cbeds.co.uk

4.2 Opportunities for access

A number of events, integrated into our careers programme, will offer providers an opportunity to come into school to speak to students and/or their parents/carers:

We’ve provided some examples:

Curriculum opportunities

· HOD for all subject areas outline possible careers activities that pupils can be involved in throughout their curriculum planning.

· HOD will arrange enrichment opportunities that will offer an insight into subject specific careers e.g. Chartered Surveyor workshop in Maths, Female Pilot online talk in Science.

PSCHE careers scheme of work

· Specific scheme of work linked to careers and progression in Year 7&8

Start profile

· Y7&8 use the START profile to explore a range of careers.

· Dedicated form time and homework in Y7&8 to follow careers booklets, watch careers videos and use the START profile.

Other opportunities throughout the school for providers to come in and speak to the children in all year groups.

· Sports leaders – festivals, focussed coaching sessions – training for pupils delivered by a local Sports Development Manager.

· A comprehensive enrichment programme that includes: pupils taking lessons, cross curricular links e.g. Green Trust working with children, performers working alongside Choir/Drama group, pupils leading and supporting learning e.g. in Computing and in the Library.

· Peer supporters – pupils are trained to be able to support others in the school with their worries and concerns and signpost to additional support.

· Appropriate ‘careers’ posters displayed in classrooms for subject staff to discuss – outside speakers to come into lessons to share their experiences with the children

· Careers information on rolling TV screens around the school

· Receptionist opportunity – all pupils in Year 8

· Enterprise project in FFT (Year 8)

· Assemblies – careers focussed – whole school – a range of parents and friends of the school who can come in and share their experiences with the children.

· Upper Schools visiting the Y8 pupils to discuss options and future opportunities.

4.3 Granting and refusing access

Please contact the school to find out the most appropriate times where this provision can be offered to our pupils.

4.4 Safeguarding

Our safeguarding/child protection policy outlines the school’s procedure for checking the identity and suitability of visitors.

Education and training providers will be expected to adhere to this policy.

4.5 Premises and facilities

The school will make the main hall, classrooms or private meeting rooms available for discussions between the provider and students, as appropriate to the activity. The school will also make available equipment to support provider presentations. This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the Careers Leader or a member of their team. Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature at the Library, which is managed by the school librarian. The Library is available to all students at lunch and break times.

The delivery of the careers programme will be from a range of staff across the school and will be monitored by HOY 8. The programme will be delivered in Y7&8 as we are a middle school. As a school we introduce careers related activities across the whole school and pupils from Y5 will have meaningful encounters with a range of employers through assemblies and personal learning days.

5. Complaints

Any complaints related to provider access can be raised following the school complaints procedure (see school website) or directly with The Careers & Enterprise Company via provideraccess@careersandenterprise.co.uk

6. Links to other policies

Safeguarding/child protection policy
Curriculum policy
Complaints policy

7. Monitoring arrangements

The school’s arrangements for managing the access of education and training providers to students are monitored by HOY 8/Careers Lead.

This statement will be reviewed by DHT Pastoral, every 3 years.

At every review, the statement will be approved by the governing board.

The Gatsby Benchmarks and Leighton Middle School

Gatsby benchmark	Requirement	Leighton Middle School evidence
1. A stable careers programme	Every school and college should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by students, parents, teachers, governors and employers.	· A programme within PSCHE and across the school that has the explicit backing of the senior management team, and has an identified person responsible for it – R Herbert/E Benning. · The careers programme is published on the school’s website in a way that enables pupils, parents, teachers and employers to access and understand it. · The programme will be evaluated yearly with feedback from stakeholders as part of the evaluation process. · HOD will monitor their own curriculum areas and implementation of careers education through their curriculum maps.
2.Learning from career and labour market information	Every student, and their parents, 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.	· To reflect the local need for the jobs sector: Pupils will have careers focussed assemblies delivered from a range of professionals: Police, Actor, Fire Service, Builder, nurse – see list of assemblies for further detail. · Tactic youth service assembly for the children and mentoring in school as appropriate. · Parents provided with appropriate information regarding careers education online via the school website and all have access to the start profile that their child accesses in school. ·
3.Addressing the needs of each student	Students have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each student. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.	· Throughout the PSCHE programme staff actively seek to challenge stereotypical thinking and raise aspirations. Across the whole curriculum, HOD plan for careers examples and discussion. · The schools keeps records of the individual advice given to pupils, this is logged by Heads of Year who monitor assemblies and the Head of PSCHE who has an overview of the curriculum area. · The schools collects and maintains accurate data for each pupil on their education, training or employment destinations – The school tracks pupils within our local Upper Schools. · Where appropriate the school seeks to provide opportunities for pupils to take part in activities that will enable them to find out more about careers e.g. enrichment activities and teaching.
4.Linking curriculum learning to careers	All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers – this is an area that staff focus on in their curriculum areas. e.g. STEM subject teachers highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths – speakers are invited in to share their experiences.	· All HOD share careers links that are relevant to their subject area and identify these within their curriculum. · TV screens around the school and posters in classrooms promote a wide variety of careers and examples of how to fins more information about these. · Y8 PSCHE unit of work on career paths and future job opportunities. · Y8 Enterprise project, the pupils work in small groups to develop a food product that they create, market, budget for and sell to make a profit for charity. This is based on the apprentice TV programme idea. · Evening on the Lawns – pupils are able to bid to run a stall to raise money for charity · Y8 receptionist – in house work experience that all Y8 pupils have the opportunity to do.
5.Encounters with employers and employees	Every student 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	· Pupils will have the opportunity in assemblies to meet with employers from a range of industries from Y5 upwards – this is reflective of the local job market e.g. builders, nurses, local firms and so on. · Pupils meet with colleagues from various careers providers. · Pupils will have opportunities to meet providers from apprenticeships and further education providers.
6.Experiences of workplaces	Every student 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.	· Our Y8 have an opportunity to work alongside reception as our Y8 receptionist. · Pupils have opportunities to work as ‘teachers’ when taking part in enrichment activities, they lead as sports leaders (training provided by the local Sports Trust, Stuart Seymour) and peer supporters alongside other school staff.
7.Encounters with further and higher education	All students 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.	PSCHE programme in Y8 discusses work placements, apprenticeships and University places to give pupils an idea of pathways they could follow. This also gave examples of possible employment with career pathways, relevant qualifications and had a focus on early preparation for options in Y9. The school are forging links with FE providers to provide advice and guidance on apprenticeships and FE courses.
8.Personal guidance	Every student should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a career adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made.	Upper School with provide pupils with careers interviews as part of their programme. Middle schools may not meet this benchmark and are not expected to do so.

Start - Careers and further education training website

Start is designed to underpin the school's career programme as a resource accessed by students in Year 7 and Year 8.

Start is a free, online careers platform designed to connect 11-18 year olds with their future career potential. It combines the most comprehensive source of information with a personalised experience and career planning tools. Therefore helping our students to make more informed decisions about their future study and career options, as well as developing their employability.

Start includes:

A student profile: students build their profile and access personalised study and career information.
Modules: activities to guide students through the information on Start at the right time.
Up to date information: engaging content on what to study, where to learn and the world of work.
Locker: an online record of achievement to evidence skills for future applications and CVs.
Employability action plan: Students can set goals and stay in control of their career planning.

Bring Start to life using this Start Overview Film.
Start Overview Film

Below is a link to the Start Website Login Page

Start Profile

All Year 7 and Year 8 pupils have their own individual login for Start. If your child is unsure of their login details please contact Mr Herbert, who will guide you through the process of recovery.