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Careers Education

School Vision

At City Academy, we want our young people to have every opportunity to fulfil their future career aspirations without facing any inequality. Therefore, we believe it is of paramount importance for students to be equipped to make informed choices about their next steps when they make choices at 16 or after Sixth Form at 18. To this end, our young people need to have a secure knowledge about their future education, training, and employment opportunities together with high quality and impartial advice and guidance to support their progression beyond City Academy and within their local community.

Preparing students for the world of work and helping with their employability is a key priority for us and we are committed to providing a planned programme of careers education, information, advice, and guidance for all students in Years 7-11. This will include careers focused PSHE lessons, careers in curriculum lessons, work experience, visits to and from Colleges and Universities, inspirational talks by employers, exploring apprenticeship providers, careers fairs, employability workshops with external providers and other career related events.

The Gatsby Benchmarks are a framework of 8 guidelines that define the best careers provision in schools and colleges. They form part of the new statutory guidance relating to careers education, issued by the DfE (Department for Education) in 2018. City Academy are part of the Bristol Careers Hub which has been formed to enable schools to share the best practice and ensure that we meet the benchmarks.

Careers strategy 2024-25

Careers Statement:

“Students will leave us having received support and guidance from a comprehensive and varied Careers Information and Advice Guidance programme that clearly meets the Gatsby Benchmarks’’.

At City Academy we aim to incorporate these key principles in line with the Gatsby Benchmarks:

  1. All students will have the opportunity to access a stable, well-structured careers programme. A stable careers programme enables young people to make well-informed decisions about education, training, apprenticeship, and employment opportunities.
  2. All students will have the opportunity to access labour market information through pop up stands, regular assemblies and encounters with further and higher education providers. This will enable them to make informed decisions about their next steps after leaving the Academy.
  3. Our school’s careers programme should actively seek to challenge stereotypical thinking and raise aspirations, encouraging wider thinking for our pupils and allowing them to reach their full potential.
  4. We aim to enhance students’ subject learning by linking their curriculum subjects with careers and organising career learning through extra-curricular activities on and off site.
  5. Students should participate in at least one meaningful encounter with an employer every year between Years 7-13.
  6. Every student should have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and at least one well planned period of work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities.
  7. We want as many of our students as possible to access further and higher education having already had meaningful encounters through off-site visits and direct interactions with key roles, such as lecturers, current students of apprenticeships.
  8. Every student will have an opportunity for a guidance interview with FutureSmart Career Advisers.

Careers Resources

High quality careers resources are available to all students via the school website, library, display boards and careers office.  This includes resources about further educational providers, apprenticeships, university courses and job profiles. The school gained a Careerpilot Super User status in 2021 and actively encourages the use of the career website within tutor time, lessons and at home. This website is useful to help students decide on and research careers and the qualifications needed for them.  Please see website links below for further advice and guidance. The National Careers Service also has a dedicated phone line for free career advice: 0800 100900.

All students will have the opportunity to experience careers education through:

  • A KS3 and KS4 PSHE career focused curriculum
  • Annual year 11 Open to Options Careers Fayre
  • Assemblies and lunch time pop up displays from further and higher educational providers
  • Dedicated careers office and dedicated library section
  • Parental support through the website, social media and parents’ evenings
  • Whole year group inspirational events
  • External provider workshops from Into University
  • Interactive virtual and live sessions with employers and employees
  • Meaningful virtual and live encounters with a variety of further and higher educational providers
  • The National Apprenticeships week
  • The National Careers Week
  • Annual Year 9 CLF Raising Aspirations event

Year 7 – What do I aspire to be?

This year students will explore and discover the types of jobs available to them and which ones suit their personal skills and personality. Year 7 students will have the opportunity to experience careers education through:

  • An introduction assembly into the Academy’s careers, advice and guidance programme with a focus on who do they aspire to be in the future and who inspires them.
  • PSHE lessons covering personal skills and qualities, jobs and employment and entrepreneurship skills.
  • Introduction and development of a career profile using the Careerpilot website, finding out about jobs and careers.
  • External providers Into University will deliver an Aiming for Success Workshop

Year 8 – Labour market information and employability skills

This year students will explore a range of employability skills and investigate how the labour market is evolving and how this will affect their career options in the future. Year 8 students will have the opportunity to experience careers education through:

  • An assembly about the Academy’s careers, advice, and guidance programme.
  • PSHE lessons covering sharing my own values; exploring the link between values and different careers; goal setting; explore different job roles and career pathways encouraging high aspirations and challenging workplace stereotypes
  • Introduction and development of a career profile using the Careerpilot website – finding out about employability skills
  • External providers Into University will deliver a Learning and Revision Techniques workshop and will run a Buddy Trip to the University to help inspire students about higher education.
  • Employer’s employability workshop

Year 9 – Knowing your options and choosing GCSE subjects

This year students will be asked to make decisions about their GCSEs options. They will be supported in this decision with an options evening. This is when parents can attend and discuss subject choices with their students’ teachers. Year 9 students will have the opportunity to experience careers education through:

  • A Careers assembly highlighting the importance of careers when students are making decisions on their GCSE option choices.
  • PSHE lessons covering the importance of being a lifelong learner; the options available at the end of KS3 and routes into work and training. Learners will also learn the difference between vocational and academic opportunities and how this helps them progress on their career pathway. Students will also understand the importance of setting ambitious goals, the different work patterns, and the different types of employment available.
  • Development of a career profile using the Careerpilot website – finding out about how careers link to subjects
  • Students will attend a Raising Aspirations event which takes place at City Academy. This will be a mixture of employer and teacher led sessions on employability skills. This is a chance for students to understand the skills that employers are looking for and the skills that they already process.
  • External providers Into University will deliver a Transferable Skills and Careers workshop
  • South Bristol Youth will work with a small group of students on a green jobs project
  • A local digital marketing company Torchbox will deliver their annual digital day at City Academy. We enter the national BIMA digital challenge each year.
  • Bristol WORKS will be delivering employer sessions directly related to the interests of our students.
  • Channel 4 will run sessions in English lessons to highlight opportunities in television for everyone.

Year 10 – Exploring the world of work

This year students will have the opportunity to connect with a variety of local employers from different job sectors and will have the opportunity to experience either virtual or practical work experience. Year 10 students will have the opportunity to experience careers education through:

  • A Careers Pathways assembly to prepare for their Post 16 choices
  • The PSHE KS4 curriculum explores the range of options available to them for career progression through education, training and employment. They will identify how their strengths, interests, skills and qualities are changing and how these relate to future career choices and employability. They will research and seek meaningful work experience placements and how to maintain a positive presence online as well as how to use their initiative. Students will also cover health and safety within a workplace.
  • All students within their PSHE lessons will have Employer sessions with the law firm Osbourne Clarke. These include sessions on work experience preparation, finance literacy and how to present yourself on work experience.
  • Development of a career profile using the Careerpilot website – finding out more about Post 16 options
  • External providers Into University will deliver a Communication in the workplace workshop. Students will also attend a Business Focus trip to Bristol University.
  • Work experience will be for all students from Tuesday 8th July to Friday 11th July 2025.

Year 11 – Understanding career pathways and next steps

This year students will have to make decisions on their post 16 choices. They will be supported on choosing the right career pathway that suits their skills, interests and future job aspirations. Year 11 students will have the opportunity to experience careers education through:

  • A Careers Pathways assembly to prepare for their Post 16 choices
  • Open to Options Careers Event at City Academy
  • The PSHE KS4 curriculum develops their career identity, values in relation to work, and how to maximise their chances when applying for education or employment opportunities. Students will start to apply to Post 16 Providers with guidance, develop Interview techniques and learn how to write effective personal statements and CVS. Students will have meaningful encounters with inspirational speakers to challenge stereotypes in the workplace.
  • Development of a career profile using the Careerpilot website – finding out more about Post 16 and Post 18 options. Guidance given using the Career Pilot Pathway Planner.
  • Small group support for Post 16 application and when transitioning from school to post 16.
  • External providers Into University will deliver workshops and an assembly on post 16 and 18 choices
  • Further education provider visits for our EAL starts and CAB+ Students
  • Apprenticeship support in partnership with Western Training Providers will be available for small groups of students who are interested.
  • One to one Personal Guidance will take place with advisors from FutureSmart.

External Providers and Employers

City Academy welcomes requests from Businesses, Employers, Higher Education, Further Education and Training providers to meet with our students with the purpose to educate and inspire them to believe in themselves and aim high; to support students to achieve outstanding results and advise students on how to become successful members of their local, national, and international community.

Examples of meaningful opportunities you can support our students through are:

  • Assemblies
  • Open to Options Career Fayre
  • Careers and Employability workshops
  • Guest speakers in assemblies who are industry specialists
  • Mentoring and coaching
  • Inspirational workshops
  • Attendance of local post 16 providers at parents’ evenings or careers open events
  • Staff professional development

City Academy looks to provide a range of exceptional experiences from educational providers and employers to complement our curriculum to highlight the opportunities that are available to each one of our pupils.

Management of provider access request

A provider wishing to request access to City Academy should make contact as far in advance as possible and at least a minimum of two calendar months ahead of any dates that an academy is being asked to consider. The academy plans several events, integrated into the school careers programme, that will offer providers an opportunity to come into school to speak to pupils and/or their parents/carers. Details of that programme can be found on each of the academy websites, or by contacting the Operations Manager at the academy.

On deciding which requests can be accepted the academy will consider:

  • Whether the request is suitable for the targeted cohort of students.
  • Whether the request can be incorporated into plans already in place to support students, such as careers assemblies and raising aspirations conferences.
  • Whether the requestor has already had access to the relevant cohort of students.
  • Any existing activities, trips, or visits (to or from the academy).
  • Whether any disruption will be caused to the curriculum or to examinations or examination preparations and staff availability.
  • Appropriate accommodation availability.

Where a request cannot be accommodated, the academy will set out the reasons for this decision. If the request is deemed suitable but not practical due to timing, the academy will work with the provider to identify the next opportunity to accommodate the request.

Premises and facilities

City Academy will, where practical, make the main hall, classrooms, or private meeting rooms available for discussions between the provider and students, as appropriate to the activity. The academy will, where practical, also make AV and other specialist equipment available to support provider presentation. This will be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit. Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature in the academy library area, which is available to students at various times during the day.

Careers Staff

Miss Rachel Martin (Careers and Aspirations Coordinator) [email protected]

Mr Jason Clarkson (SLT Link) [email protected]

Miss Mahalah Katz (Link Governor) [email protected]