January 2023 - we have recently appointed a new Director of Careers and will be working hard to review and improve our already excellent Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance.

Please bear with us while we update the information on this page, and keep an eye out for opportunities to have your say.

If you have any comments or queries about CEIAG at Guilsborough Academy, please contact Miss Philippa Hunt, Director of Careers on 01604749178 or hunt@guilsborough.northants.sch.uk

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It is important that all students are fully supported and guided through the process of planning their futures. With a programme of education, information, advice and guidance for all students from Years 7 -13, we believe our students are well prepared for their futures. Staff at Guilsborough play an active role in preparing them. We have a comprehensive programme of careers education that is delivered through Careers Week, careers fairs, visits, trips and assemblies and also within individual departments and through tutor time.

All students will:

• Develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their abilities and affinities
• Gain a greater knowledge of the range of opportunities open to them
• Take part in work related activities in and out of school
• Understand the labour market and the requirements and expectations of employers
• Learn to make decisions wisely about their future
• Be fully prepared to manage change and be fully supported through key transition periods
• Learn how to improve their own employability: how to find work, how to get work and how to progress their careers

1. A stable careers programme

With ‘Learning Without Limits’, we aim to raise children’s aspirations and challenge each one to be the best they can be. We call this our Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) programme. Each year, we design an exciting careers calendar of CEIAG events. We gear the events around the employability skills most sought after by employers. These might include

• Links to employers
• Talks
• Workshops
• Skills sessions
• Trips

We design each of these to support our students in achieving their aspirations. They will usually experience at least six careers activities per academic year – often more.

You will find an outline of our intended careers calendar for 2021-22 here.

Please note - our careers calendar is dynamic, and we often make changes as new opportunities arise.

We hold numerous inspirational life skill days throughout the year.

The programme includes

• Tutor sessions and life skills lessons
• Keynote speakers
• Annual Futures Conference
• Speed interviews
• Mock interviews and assessment centres
• CV and Job application writing sessions
• Mock workplace scenarios
• Work experience
• Alumni and employer coaching
• 1:1 careers interviews
• National careers week activities
• Educational trips and visits

2. Learning from career and labour market information

We’re a proud member of the South East Midland Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP). Our membership affords us access to local labour market information, helping us to build a network of employers and education institutions. These enable us to provide students with bespoke careers guidance based on the local labour market.

We invite local employers, colleges, parents and alumni to host talks and workshops – each well-placed to explain local trends within the local labour market.

At our annual futures conference, a representative of SEMLEP provides an opening keynote speech and offers guidance to parents and carers regarding local employers and education providers.

3. Addressing the needs of each pupil

Every child is unique. Each will have its own successes, aspirations and challenges. That’s why the careers education we give them must be unique too. We match the guidance we give them to their skills, ambitions, temperament and stage of development.

Students select options on our Life Skills days depending on their interests and aspirations. Their career actions plans are bespoke, aspirational and are built upon the narrowest context of each individual student.

4. Linking curriculum learning to careers

Every department has a careers champion to identify appropriate external speakers or workplace visits. For example, our maths department have enjoyed visits from engineering and other STEM-related employers.

We also design our schemes of learning with employability and life skills in mind. Our teachers support their students to develop their problem-solving, conflict resolution, oracy and presentation, literacy and numeracy skills - all vital for their first career steps.

5. Encounters with employers and employees

Our careers calendar includes workshops, speed interviews and talks from a range of employers from both the local community and nationally. Speakers and guests are booked depending on local labour market information and student voice surveys.

We have also built a strong alumni community, with many students and parents/carers coming back to Guilsborough to discuss current employability opportunities.

6. Work experience

The importance of work experience

Students inevitably benefit from researching, sourcing and experiencing a work experience placement. They frequently find the experience memorable, rewarding and instrumental in setting their future aspirations.  As a result, many go on to find part-time employment, references or secure higher education placements.

Our work experience programme

Preparation -

Our programme begins with tutor workshops and talks from older students about how to get the most out of the experience.

Students then source their placement and practice interview skills. This might involve attending small group workshops or 1:1 coaching sessions with a member of the careers team.

During the experience –

Students gain a varied range of experiences, unique to the industry and placement provider. Often they will undertake a mixture of job shadowing, on the job training and real work activities. Students will have a  daily meeting with their work experience mentor to check on their progress.

Following the experience -

Students engage in reflection activities and practice drawing on their experiences to answer recruiter questions and to write applications.

Providing work experience during the pandemic has posed a challenge for schools nationally. Luckily, a number of organisations and employers have risen to the challenge and provided virtual work experience placements for students considering a range of careers.

Students have attended virtual STEM work experience placements and military immersion days. In 2021-22 will hope to roll out our work experience programme for all students in year 10 during term 6.

7. Encounters with further and higher education

Pupils typically receive talks from further and higher education institutions through assemblies, workshops and at our annual Futures Conference. Our aim is to ensure that all students access further and higher education institutions in every key stage. This is usually in year 9, 10 and 12.

We have built strong relationships with many local colleges and universities, including

• Tresham College
• Northampton College
• Rugby College
• University of Northampton
• University of Leicester
• De Montfort University

8. Personal guidance

Students in Year 11 receive a 1:1 careers interview and develop a futures action plan with our independent careers advisor. Most students choose to book follow-up appointments to gain additional coaching and support with their next steps.

Careers interviews include the following activities:

• Signposting to careers information
• Exploring post-16 and post-18 pathways
• Linking students with prospective employers or further education institutions
• Upskilling students with interview skills
• Practicing interviews
• Advising on entry routes and careers pathways
• Liaising with parents/carers to support with advising their child

Every pupil has the right to impartial quality careers advice and guidance. We employ a Fully Qualified external Careers Adviser through the Matrix Accredited Careers Company All Together http://thealltogether.co.uk.

Guilsborough Academy and the Gatsby Benchmarks

In 2014, The Gatsby Charitable Foundation provided schools with a guideline for implementing, delivering and monitoring outstanding careers provision.  The eight Gatsby Benchmarks are based on best national and international research and define all elements of an excellent careers programme.
 

1.      A stable careers programme 

2.      Learning from career and labour market information

3.      Addressing the needs of each pupil

4.      Linking curriculum learning to careers

5.      Encounters with employers and employees

6.      Experiences of workplaces

7.      Encounters with further and higher education

8.      Personal guidance

We have completed the Compass Evaluation. This compares our practice with specific benchmarks. We use the results to improve our provision even further. Below is the most recent evaluation (July 2018) of our provision, demonstrating how we compare with other schools in the UK.

Benchmark	GA Achieved 2018-2019	GA Achieved 2020-21	Nationally achieved	GA Targets 2021-22
Benchmark 1 A stable careers programme	94%	94%	21%	Systematic feedback from parents
Benchmark 2 Learning from career & labour market information	100%	60%	45%	Face to face delivery to students
Benchmark 3 Addressing the needs of each pupil	54%	63%	20%	Keeping systematic records of each individual students progress   Collect data for 3 years with alumni
Benchmark 4 Linking curriculum learning to careers	100%	56%	38%	No way of measuring  - no visits
Benchmark 5 Encounters with employers & employees	100%	46%	52%	Futures conference and bits but limited from pandemic
Benchmark 6 Experiences of Workplaces	100%	62%	47%	Virtual experiences
Benchmark 7 Encounters with further and higher education	100%	95%	21%	To meaningful experiences to universities no possible
Benchmark 8 Personal guidance	100%	75%	57%	Online engagement with 1:1 careers interviews Year 13  - lack of engagement online

Formal Accreditation

Guilsborough Academy is a member of Career Mark, a Licensed Awarding Body for the Quality in Careers Standard — the national Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) award.This programme is formally evaluated external by Career Mark. We’re proud to hold the award and continue to develop and improve our programme based on changes to current labour market information and national guidance.

         

 

Employers

Are you a prospective employer who would be willing to support our pupils with meaningful encounters in school during one of our careers days? Then we’d love to hear from you.

There are many ways in which you can share your experience and help build our students’ knowledge of employability skills, the workplace, the labour market and job search skills. We have a host of careers events for all key stages that we’re always looking to develop further.

We use the following high impact partnership activities to help our students prepare for the world of work -

• Employer Talks
• Workplace visits
• Mentoring
• Enterprise activities
• Work experience and job shadowing
• Mock interviews and CV preparation
• Business breakfasts
• Assemblies

As an employer, you may have concerns about skills gaps and the work-readiness of some young people.

We’re a member of the SEMLEP Careers and Enterprise Network, part of the national Careers and Enterprise Company programme. 

Through employer engagement at all ages, we aim to ensure that young people leave our school with the skills, competencies, knowledge, appropriate qualifications and attitudes that the students and the employers need.

Can you spare the time to help our students as they start to decide on their career path? Then, please email our Mr Flanagan (flanagan@Guilsborough.northants.sch.uk).

Visits from former students

Corporate

If you provide workshops, careers insights or offer CEIAG related services to schools and colleges, please contact our Head of Enterprise and Life Skills, Mr Flanagan (flanagan@guilsborough.northants.sch.uk) to discuss upcoming opportunities.

We look forward to hearing from you!

The academy's Careers Leader is Mr S Flanagan, Head of Enterprise and Life Skills. If you would like any more information about our career's programme please contact Mr Flanagan using the details below;

Contact Details 

Email: flanagan@guilsborough.northants.sch.uk 

Telephone number: 01604 740641 

 

Other key members of staff in our Careers Team are;

The All Together  - Commercially Sourced Careers Adviser