Careers

At Monkwearmouth Academy, we aim to equip the students with skills to face the challenges of the world beyond school and to make them aware of the part they can play in the wider community. The Academy’s CEIAG programme (Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance) exists to prepare students for the choices, changes and transitions affecting their future education, training and employment. The careers programme is concerned with preparation for adult life and with the acquisition of knowledge and the development of skills, which have relevance for the future whilst raising aspirations for all our students.

The aims of our careers programme are to:

► to raise students’ aspirations and to broaden their horizons;

► to inspire and empower students to make informed realistic decisions at key transition points in learning and work;

► to provide good quality independent and impartial careers advice to students which inspires them and motivates them to fulfil their potential;

► to provide advice and guidance which is in the best interests of the student;

► to provide opportunities to work in partnership with employers, training providers, local colleges and others to provide opportunities to inspire students through real-life contact with the world of work;

► to develop enterprise and employability skills including skills for self-employment;

► to support inclusion, challenge stereotyping and promote equality of opportunity.

Every student should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a careers 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. They should be expected for all students but should be timed to meet their individual needs.

At Monkwearmouth, we are working towards meeting the ‘The Gatsby Benchmarks’ as set out by the Department for Education in their statutory guidance. The Gatsby Benchmarks are a key measure of the effectiveness of careers advice.  ​The 8 Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance are:

All young people in England must continue in education or training until 18 years of age.  As part of our careers programme, Year 11 students are provided with a one-to-one guidance interview with a qualified careers’ advisor. Parents are welcome to attend these meetings.  Pupils have the following choices at the end of Year 11:

► Full-time study at a college, sixth form or training provider

► Full-time work or volunteering combined with part-time education or training

► An apprenticeship

► A traineeship

The Academy’s progress towards achieving the Gatsby Benchmarks is evaluated using the online Compass tool. This is carried out on an annual basis by the Careers Leader. The CEIAG development plan is based upon the outcomes of the Compass audit.  Provision is also monitored through regular feedback from students, staff, governors and our partners. This feedback is collected through questionnaires and focus groups following key careers activities and at the end of each academic year.  External provision is monitored and evaluated through the Academy’s quality assurance procedures including observations, work scrutiny, student voice, and if appropriate, parental feedback.

The effectiveness of our careers guidance will be reflected in the higher numbers of students progressing to positive destinations such as apprenticeships, technical routes, sixth form colleges, further education colleges, universities or employment. Destination data (DfE) is used to assess how successfully students make the transition into the next stage of education or training, or into employment and to inform future CEIAG provision.

A designated governor has responsibility for overseeing the quality of careers guidance. The Careers Leader reports to the governor for CEIAG on a termly basis with a one-to-one meeting and a formal written report.

The CEIAG policy is reviewed on an annual basis by the Careers Leader. This is ratified by governors.