Careers & Personal Development
Careers Leader – Mr Andrew Blackbourn blackbourna@louthacademy.co.uk
Careers advisor – Mr Vince Agorini
Careers Governor – Mr Richard Coles
Enterprise Champion – Sophie Chapman Colleague Engagement Advisor Lincolnshire Co-op
Introduction
High quality careers education and guidance in school is critical to young people’s futures. It helps to prepare them for the workplace by providing a clear understanding of the world of work including the routes to jobs and careers that they might find engaging and rewarding. It supports them to acquire the self-development and career management skills they need to achieve positive employment destinations. This helps students to choose their pathways, improve their life opportunities and contribute to a productive and successful economy.
Vision
To set every student up for Success: Enhancing Aspirations and Career opportunities to enable them to make their next best step.
The intent of our careers curriculum at Louth Academy, is to provide a stable careers programme, which will prepare students for entering the ever changing world of work. Every student is encouraged to make the most of the opportunities available and are supported in making informed decisions about their future. Careers education is developed throughout a student’s time at the school and is always supportive of their aspirations, strengths and skills. The focus of the support is aimed at destinations associated with our local context, ambitions of our students and stablility in careers education.
Aims and Purpose
The aims and purpose of the Academy’s careers education is;
- To support students in making informed choices about their learning pathways and future employment, beyond their time at the Academy, that is suitable and ambitious for them.
- Give high quality information and guidance to enable students to understand what opportunities are available to them in both education and employment;
- Empower students in making their own decisions about their learning pathways by: raising aspirations and expectations, promoting equality and challenging stereotypes.
- Provide students with a range of well-rounded experiences.
- Develop student characteristics and social skills such as communication, resilience, leadership and self-regulation.
- Prepare students for living and working in Lincolnshire and beyond.
- Ensure Academy compliance with the Gatsby Benchmarks and Baker Clause.
Careers & Personal Development at Louth Academy is not just a single subject. The Curriculum Area covers PSHE (personal, social, health and economic), Careers and many aspects of Work-Related Learning in addition to Careers & Personal Development under this single title. All students in all Years have one lesson a week.
Careers & Personal Development gives students the skills and attitudes to lead successful lives at The Academy and beyond.
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.
In this Curriculum Area, we aim to help students:
- Develop their confidence and responsibility and make the most of their abilities.
- Develop a healthy, safer lifestyle.
- Gain the skills necessary to lead a life with Financial and Economic awareness.
- Enjoy lessons gaining skills necessary for a productive future.
- Take part in activities that allow them to make a contribution to the local and wider communities.
- Develop good relationships and respect the differences between people.
- Know and understand about becoming informed citizens.
- Develop skills of enquiry and communication.
- Develop skills of participation and responsible action.
- Continually develop the skills and practice of all staff.
- Adopt a philosophy of continuous improvement in every aspect of the delivery of all subjects within the curriculum area.
Knowledge & Skills
Within Careers & Personal Development students will have the opportunity to study Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education; Careers and Vocational Education. It is a compulsory subject in Key Stages 3 and 4 with opportunities embedded through all other subject areas across the school to assist in meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks What Good Looks Like - Gatsby Benchmarks and CDI framework New Career Development Framework (thecdi.net).
Personal Development Map 2023-24
| Year 7 | Coping with Transition/ Rules/ Expectations / Bullying Ways we can keep safe British Values Mental Health Careers / National Careers Week Charity and Fair Trade Puberty & Safeguarding |
| Year 8 | Law & Justice Prejudice and discrimination - Educating against hate Social media & Safeguarding Careers Discovery and aspirations Healthy Lifestyle First Aid |
| Year 9 | Body Confidence & Self Esteem Healthy Relationships RSE Careers Aspirations for the future Drug Awareness Radicalisation and hate crime |
| Year 10 | Being a Modern Citizen Politics Careers / Employability Skills Drop down event carers fair - NCW (National Careers Week) Finance Healthy relationships Health and self-examination Work Experience |
| Year 11 | Post 16 Application and Careers 1:1s Revision Skills Mental Health Preparing for the working world - Employability Skills RSE Revision |
Entitlement Statements
Student Entitlement
- Louth Academy will support students to develop their learning and employment decisions by focusing on the Gatsby Benchmarks, these are:
- 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.
In order to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks Louth Academy will:
- Provide opportunities 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;
- Provide opportunities to hear from a range of local providers and employers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through options events, assemblies and group discussions and taster events;
- Provide opportunities to understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.
Every pupil has the opportunity to request a guidance interview with the Academies Careers Adviser whenever significant study or career choices are being made. All year 11 students will have at least one such interview by the age of 16, with priority given to SEND/EHCP students.
The school tailors careers activities and educational goals to the needs of each student, taking account of their prior knowledge and skills, the choices and transitions they face and any additional support that may be needed to overcome barriers to progression. The School challenges the stereotypes and disparities that exist across different courses and jobs to ensure that students from all backgrounds, including those with SEND, consider the widest possible range of careers. This includes using LMI, destinations patterns and employers in a range of jobs to address, for example, gender differences in the take up of STEM subjects or in the proportion of students pursuing apprenticeships.
Parent/Career entitlement
Louth Academy understands the need for parents and carers to be involved in this process. To facilitate this, parents/carers will:
- be sent a letter each academic year outlining the careers provision at the Academies;
- have access to Information on our website about the careers provision;
- be able to have discussions with Academy staff at parents' evenings about careers and the opportunities available, and undertake a questionnaire.
Delivery of provision – Careers Strategy
The Delivery of careers provision at Louth Academy is a holistic approach which aims to match opportunities to the individual student.
Careers Programme.
| Year Group | Term and Topics |
| Year 7 | Term 6 - Careers |
| Who am I? | |
| Exploring possibilities - Dream Job | |
| What is a Career? | |
| What is an entrepreneur? | |
| What is work life balance? | |
| Careers and the future | |
| Year 8 | Term 5 - Careers Discovery and Aspiration |
| What are my interests? | |
| Job Applications: Superhero Cv's | |
| Challenges and rewards of work | |
| Creating the life you want | |
| What does success mean to me? | |
| Careers and the climate | |
| Year 9 | Term 2 - Careers - Aspirations for the future |
| Introduction to careers | |
| Skills and Qualities | |
| Future choices and decisions | |
| Income and Expenditure | |
| CV and cover letter | |
| Year 10 | Term 4 - Careers Preparation |
| Reflecting on my Career Journey. | |
| Exploring Employer profiles | |
| What type of career is best for me? | |
| Prepping to go on work experience | |
| Well being in the workplace | |
| In Person, Hybrid or remote. | |
| Year 11 | Term 1 - Careers - Post 16 Options - Lincs 2 |
| Aspirations | |
| Post 16 options | |
| Personal Statements | |
| Personal Statements | |
| Intro to Lincs2 | |
| Lincs2 Applications |
In Years 7 to 11 there is an expectation that students will have an experience of a work place during this time mainly in Year 10 (undertaking Work experience).
Unifrog – The Complete Destinations Platform
In keeping with our commitment to provide students with outstanding careers guidance and tailored support when choosing their next steps after Louth Academy we use Unifrog; an award-winning, online destinations platform.
Unifrog is the universal destinations platform and is designed to support learners in making the most informed decisions about their futures and has a range of tools that are suitable for all year groups. Each student will have their own account where they can explore all the career and next step options available to them and find information on everything from managing their workload to writing a winning CV. Students have access to a wide variety of video and written content, and interactive quizzes and tests, including:
| Section of the platform | Examples of what students can do | Suitable age range |
| Quizzes | Finding their interests, personality type, preferred work environment, and skillset. | Years 7-13 |
| Exploring pathways | Explore careers, career sectors, subjects, sign up to free webinars, explore MOOCs and courses, and find wider reading materials. | Years 7-13 |
| Recording what you’ve done | Record their in-class and extracurricular activities, record examples of their skills, and see the record of CEIAG events the school has added to their accounts. | Years 7-13 |
| Searching for opportunities | Find scholarships, activities, and bursaries to support their HE journey. Find and compare degrees in the UK and overseas, live apprenticeships, and FE courses. | Years 10-13 |
| Application materials / Making applications | Write their CV, cover letter, Personal Statement, and more. Track their applications and record their Post 16 / 18 intentions. | Years 11-13 |
Students will access the platform by signing in to Unifrog using their email address and password and they can do so from any computer, tablet, or smartphone. We would encourage you to use the platform with your child so you can support them through the process of deciding their next step.
Parents can also have your own Unifrog account. You’ll be able to research careers, attend webinars delivered by employers and universities to learn more about their opportunities, and compare pathways so you can support your child in making an informed decision about their next steps. The sign up code you need is: LUADparents and you can sign up here: www.unifrog.org/code. You can also sign up to Unifrog’s parent / carer newsletter when you first sign in to get expert advice and guidance on supporting your child with their next steps.
Place within the Curriculum and Tutorial Support system
All subjects are required to identify, in their schemes of work, when and where careers have been 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:
- be sent a letter each academic year outlining the careers provision at the Academies;
- have access to Information on our website about the careers provision;
- be able to have discussions with Academy staff at parents' evenings about careers and the opportunities available, and undertake a questionnaire.
Legal and Regulatory Framework
This Policy takes its legal framework from the following legislation and statutory guidance:
- The Education Act 1997
- The Education and Skills Act 2008
- The Education (Careers Guidance in school Act) 2022.
- DfE Statutory Guidance ‘Careers guidance and access for education and training providers. January 2023
- DfE Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth- January 2021
This states that all schools should provide independent careers guidance from Years 8 to 11 and this guidance should be:
- Impartial
- Include information on a range of pathways including university options and apprenticeships
- Adapted to the needs of the student.
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 questionnaires to inform Academy staff and senior leaders about careers provision.
Students with SEND or in recipt of Pupil Premium Funding:
Students who may require additional support with their careers education have access to the following:
- Priority - Personalised 1:1 careers appointments in Key Stage 4 with additional appointments if required.
- Personalised support from the SEND Team if required when choosing Post-16 options.
Monitoring review, and evaluation.
- The Academy’s Careers Lead and SLT will assess the appropriateness of the careers programme on a yearly basis and monitor the success of transition from school to other providers and destination data.
- Louth Academy will use the online ‘Compass+’ audit tool to perform a termly review of its careers provision and measure achievement against the Gatsby benchmarks.
- A ‘Future Skills’ questionnaire will be completed by most 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 (parents evening) 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 Academy's Gatsby benchmarks should be completed at the end of each term and shared with the senior leadership in the school and the designated governor.
- The impact of the careers programme will be measured through a number of methods, including:
- Destination Report and Data for Year 11 Leavers.
- Feedback from students on their experience of the careers education, information, advice and guidance received.
- Feedback from staff on careers lessons/events and work experience programme.
- Gathering feedback from key stakeholders including employers, partners and parents.
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;
- Louth Academy has a designated Governor for Careers with a focus on the Academy's provision and to encourage involvement of local business;
- The CEO of Lincolnshire Gateway Academies Trust and the Trust team are focused on the provision of careers and it is an agenda item on Principal meetings
- There is a Gatsby board who meets termly which includes
- A Vice Principal from Louth Academy
- The Curriculum Leader for Citizenship and Careers
Staffing
All teaching staff are required to provide opportunities in their lessons about careers and educational opportunities. All careers related activities undertaken in lessons, will be added to Compass+ over the course of the year. What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?
The following websites are useful;
Democracy:
Human Rights: www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk Animal Rights & Welfare: Miscellaneous: www.crisis.org.uk - homelessness. www.truetube.co.uk - for clips that support and extend the topics studied. www.bbc.co.uk/newsround - for up-to-date news. Parent & Student Information Evidence shows that families play a key role in decision-making processes and helping guide their career path. Should you adopt a hands-on role? What is the best advice you can give your child? When do you need to get involved? It is never too soon to think about your child's potential career, skills, and interests, and we encourage all parents/carers to start these discussions from as early as Year 7. The most important thing we can do to support our child is to keep communicating and provide the tools to guide them in making their own choices. Below are some suggestions about how to support your child. How you can help your child: Practical ideas to help your child: All Year groups: In terms of career choice, we should: Subject related career links: Art and Design Business Studies Computer Science English Geography History Math Media Studies Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) P.E. Performing Arts Science Technology (Design and Technology) Parents’ guides Apprenticeships Democracy: www.parliament.uk Human Rights: www.unicef.org.uk Animal Rights & Welfare: www.peta.org.uk Miscellaneous: www.fairtrade.org.uk
Guide to T-Levels
www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk
www.oxfam.org.uk
www.amnesty.org.uk
www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk
www.redcross.org.uk
www.savethechildren.org.uk
www.un.org
www.animalaid.org.uk
www.rspca.org
www.wwf.org.uk
www.crisis.org.uk – homelessness.
www.kickitout.org – racism.
www.truetube.co.uk – for clips that support and extend the topics studied.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround - for up to date news.
www.thinkuknow.co.uk - a website dedicated to preventing child exploitation online from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) centre.
www.talktofrank.com - this supports the topic of Drug Awareness which Year 9 study.
