Careers
Vision:
Guilsborough Academy’s vision for Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) is for all students to understand themselves and the opportunities available to them in order that they may access appropriate and ambitious ‘best next steps’.
CEIAG helps prepare students for the opportunities and responsibilities of adult working life and, as such, has a vital contribution to the school’s aims to provide an outstanding education for our students, delivering the very best in teaching, learning and leadership. Effective CEIAG underpins our ethos of “Learning without Limits”.
The CEIAG programme is particularly focused on the following areas of the academy improvement plan:
RESPECT: All learners to develop outstanding attitudes towards others in our community
ASPIRATION: Embed the lifeskills curriculum to expand student horizons and meet the needs of our community
RESPONSIBILITY: All stakeholders contribute to a positive working environment. Students are educated, encouraged and supported to take responsibility for their community
EQUALITY: To continue to develop opportunities beyond the curriculum which raise the aspirations of all our students
Careers Newsletters
TeRM 1 2026-27
Following the success of last year’s event, Year 7 Career Quest Day will take place on Wednesday 3 March 2027. Students are encouraged to spend the day work shadowing a parent/carer, older sibling, relative or trusted family friend, giving them an exciting opportunity to observe life in the workplace, learn about different careers and begin thinking about their own aspirations. This is a work-shadowing day rather than work experience, and students unable to arrange a placement will take part in careersrelated activities in school. Parents/carers should complete the Career Quest Day form by Friday 15 January 2027 (see previous email for further info).
Launch of Year 10 Work Experience
We have launched our Year 10 Work Experience programme. Work Experience Week will take place from Monday 17 May to Friday 21 May 2027.
Students are responsible for finding their own placement and we encourage them to start looking as soon as possible. Placements do not have to relate directly to a future career choice. The key aim is for students to experience a real workplace, build confidence and independence, meet new people and develop valuable employability skills.
Once a placement has been agreed, students must enter the employer's name, contact details and business address onto Unifrog by Monday 22 February 2027. Unifrog will then contact the employer directly to collect the additional information required, including risk assessment and Employers' Liability Insurance details. All students can access Unifrog using their school Microsoft login.
Key dates
Placement deadline: Monday 22 February 2027
Work Experience Week: Monday 17 May to Friday 21 May 2027
If your child is struggling to find a placement, please encourage them to come and see me in A1. I am very happy to help them explore ideas and possible opportunities.
Year 11 Post 16 Options
With Post-16 open events now taking place, Year 11 students should be actively exploring their options for next year, including sixth forms, colleges and apprenticeships. Attending open days and evenings is a really important part of this process, giving students the chance to compare courses, entry requirements, facilities and the overall environment before making their choices. Parents/carers can find further information, advice and useful links in our Post-16 Options Sway.
Thrive Forward Launch to Y12
We are delighted to be taking part in Thrive! Forward, a fully funded programme from Market Harborough Building Society designed to help young people build confidence and develop important life skills. Throughout the year, Y12 students will take part in assemblies, workshops and activities covering financial education, employability skills, wellbeing and resilience, delivered by specialist charity partners including WizeUp Financial Education, Mind, Everyone’s Invited and Young Enterprise.
Year 13 UCAS Discovery Fair Visit
Our Year 13 students attended the UCAS Discover Fair at Stadium MK, giving them a valuable opportunity to speak directly with universities and other providers, ask questions and firm up their choices ahead of submitting their UCAS applications. Our internal deadline is Friday 4th December 2026, ahead of the main UCAS deadline of 13th January 2027, ensuring students have plenty of time for applications to be checked, references added and final submissions made.
Degree Apprenticeships: Expert Advice
We were delighted to welcome Dale Willis from My Great First Job, who shared his expertise and practical top tips with students on how to successfully secure a degree apprenticeship.
Some of Dale’s key advice included:
Use LinkedIn and keep your profile up to date.
Look beyond the government apprenticeship website when searching for vacancies. Research companies directly by Googling employers within the sector you are interested in.
Bring more to the table than your grades. Be ready to talk about what you have done outside of education to demonstrate your genuine interest and passion for your chosen career sector.
A really valuable session, encouraging students to be proactive, curious and prepared when searching and applying for degree apprenticeship opportunities.
Year 12 Team Building Day
Our Year 12 students enjoyed a fantastic day with Wise Up Team Building. Through a range of activities and challenges, students are developing their teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills, while getting to know each other and building positive relationships along the way. It’s great to see our students stepping outside of their comfort zones, working together and supporting one another.
If you want to get in touch about anything Careers related, please email Mrs Brennan at careers@guilsborough.northants.sch.uk
You can find out more about the award here: https://cswgroup.co.uk/home/services-to-education/investor-in-careers/.
Student Entitlement:
At Guilsborough Academy, we are committed to helping you understand yourself and the opportunities available to you. Our Careers Education, Information, Advice, and Guidance (CEIAG) programme is designed to support you from Year 7 to Year 13, ensuring you can make informed decisions about your future.
What You Can Expect:
1. Personal Growth: We will help you develop self-knowledge and skills to plan and manage your future.
2. Integrated Learning: CEIAG is part of your curriculum, showing how your studies relate to future careers.
3. Impartial Advice: You will receive high-quality, independent careers advice to make informed choices.
4. Equal Opportunities: We promote equality and challenge stereotypes, ensuring everyone has access to appropriate opportunities to help you find and access your best next step/s
5. Community Links: We work with local businesses and employers to provide real-world career insights.
Your Support System:
• Career Coaching: One-on-one sessions with a qualified Careers Advisor.
• Work Experience: Opportunities in Year 10 and Year 12 to gain hands-on experience.
• Resources: Access to a dedicated careers hub and online tools like Unifrog.
• Parental Involvement: Your parents/carers are encouraged to participate in your career planning and we provide information targeted at them too.
Our Commitment:
We aim to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks, ensuring you receive a stable and comprehensive careers program. We continuously ask for your feedback to help improve our CEIAG programme to provide the best support for your career journey.
You can view our CEIAG policy at the bottom of this page.
Staff:
The academy's Director of Careers is Mrs Vicki Brennan.
If you would like any more information about our careers programme please contact Mrs Brennan using the details below:
Contact Details
Email: careers@guilsborough.northants.sch.uk
Telephone number: 01604 740641 ext. 235
Other key members of staff in our Careers Team are:
Steve Flanagan - Head of Life Skills and Enterprise - flanagan@guilsborough.northants.sch.uk
Angie Wood - LEBC Careers Adviser awood@guilsborough.northants.sch.uk
Policies can be found here
Guilsborough Academy is proud to have achieved the Quality in Careers Standard in March 2025.
We are ensuring that our provision continues to improve, using the feedback provided by the awards assessor.
You can find out more about the award here: https://cswgroup.co.uk/home/services-to-education/investor-in-careers/.
Student Entitlement:
At Guilsborough Academy, we are committed to helping you understand yourself and the opportunities available to you. Our Careers Education, Information, Advice, and Guidance (CEIAG) programme is designed to support you from Year 7 to Year 13, ensuring you can make informed decisions about your future.
What You Can Expect:
1. Personal Growth: We will help you develop self-knowledge and skills to plan and manage your future.
2. Integrated Learning: CEIAG is part of your curriculum, showing how your studies relate to future careers.
3. Impartial Advice: You will receive high-quality, independent careers advice to make informed choices.
4. Equal Opportunities: We promote equality and challenge stereotypes, ensuring everyone has access to appropriate opportunities to help you find and access your best next step/s
5. Community Links: We work with local businesses and employers to provide real-world career insights.
Your Support System:
• Career Coaching: One-on-one sessions with a qualified Careers Advisor.
• Work Experience: Opportunities in Year 10 and Year 12 to gain hands-on experience.
• Resources: Access to a dedicated careers hub and online tools like Unifrog.
• Parental Involvement: Your parents/carers are encouraged to participate in your career planning and we provide information targeted at them too.
Our Commitment:
We aim to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks, ensuring you receive a stable and comprehensive careers program. We continuously ask for your feedback to help improve our CEIAG programme to provide the best support for your career journey.
You can view our CEIAG policy at the bottom of this page.
Staff:
The academy's Director of Careers is Mrs Vicki Brennan.
If you would like any more information about our careers programme please contact Mrs Brennan using the details below:
Contact Details
Email: careers@guilsborough.northants.sch.uk
Telephone number: 01604 740641 ext. 235
Other key members of staff in our Careers Team are:
Steve Flanagan - Head of Life Skills and Enterprise - flanagan@guilsborough.northants.sch.uk
Angie Wood - LEBC Careers Adviser awood@guilsborough.northants.sch.uk
Policies can be found here