Careers Programme / Gatsby Benchmarks
Careers Programme
Ancora House School believes that every young person needs high-quality career guidance to make informed decisions about their future.
In 2013, The Gatsby Foundation commissioned Sir John Holman to set out what career guidance in England would be like if it were 'good' by international standards, resulting in the Good Career Guidance report. The eight benchmarks set out in the report serve as a framework for improvement in careers provision and have been adopted as part of the Government’s Careers Strategy and statutory guidance for schools and colleges. In addition, The Careers & Enterprise Company now supports the implementation of the benchmarks in schools and colleges with a national network of support and resources.
Ancora House School works with The Careers and Enterprise Company. We have a dedicated advisor who acts as a "critical friend" to ensure we are meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks and providing all our students with high quality careers advice and guidance.
One of the main focuses at Ancora House School is to ensure that throughout their time at Ancora, we are helping to equip our students with the knowledge, skills and attributes to progress onto further education, training or employment. The curriculum is adapted to suit the needs of our learners. We have a whole school approach, with careers embedded within the curriculum.
The CEIAG programme will be individualised to the students. Where appropriate, some aspects of the programme will be delivered in small groups.
The careers programme will be delivered in a range of ways: one to one guidance interviews, small group sessions, guest speakers from different career fields, through supported visits to colleges, training providers and other local providers. Students may also be supported to attend career fairs in their local area. Learners will be supported to use online resources. Ancora House / Community School will endeavour to gain continued support for the young person’s CEIAG when they are discharged from our unit.
The CEIAG programme aims to:
- Develop students understanding of their own skill and abilities
- Look at students strengths and areas for development
- Help to develop decision making skills
- Assist the understanding of the variety of pathways open after year 11 and beyond
- Provide employability skills like CVs, interview skills and support with producing personal statements
- Offer support to access useful websites and online tools
- Where appropriate, give relevant CEIAG information to parents/carers
Below is a summary of the Careers Programme and how we endeavour to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks.
The Gatsby Benchmarks
Our Career Programme
- A STABLE CAREERS PROGRAMME
- College and training provider visits and taster sessions
- Employer encounters
- Careers week
- Apprenticeships week
- Careers and Transition team input from the very beginning of their Ancora School journey
- LEARNING FROM CAREER AND LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION
- Links with Young People’s Service and Department for Work and Pensions
- Employer visits
- Local Labour Market Information
- Previous student talks and workshops
- Resources online, books and displays
- ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF EACH STUDENT
- Support and sessions with careers and transition team
- Regular individualised careers advice by our level 6 qualified careers advisers
- Regular careers education sessions included in each student’s timetable
- Engagement with Young People’s Service or Local area equivalent i.e Career Connect
- Strong Links with local organisations such as Storyhouse theatre, Chester Zoo, Youth Federation and The Prince’s Trust
- Attendance at all students Discharge Planning Meetings, education review meetings and EHCP review meetings
- LINKING THE CURRICULUM TO CAREERS
- Embedding careers, life skills and workability skills into the school day
- Employer visits and guest speakers from a variety of curriculum areas i.e STEM, the arts, Young Enterprise
- Careers fairs
- Curriculum linked careers webinars
- Books and Posters in subject classrooms
- ENCOUNTERS WITH EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES
- Volunteering/work experience/virtual work experience
- Visits from and to employers
- Transition events
- Webinars
- Networking by careers and transition team
- Attendance at Careers and enterprise events and career network meetings
- EXPERIENCES OF WORKPLACES
- Taster sessions
- Careers week
- Apprenticeships week
- Guest speakers
- Workplace visits
- Volunteering/work experience where appropriate
- ENCOUNTERS WITH FURTHER EDUCATION AND HIGHER EDUCATION
- Visits to future providers
- Careers sessions run by High Education providers
- Referrals to other suitable organisations for information and guidance
- Taster sessions
- Extended supported transition plans
- Networking and offering individualised student support to future providers
- Support from with Ancora Careers and transition team and where applicable our SENDCo
- PERSONAL GUIDANCE
- Regular individual, impartial careers guidance from our Level 6 qualified Careers advisor
- Regular contact with external qualified careers advisors from Young People Service or Local Authority equivalent
- Input from our transitions team
- Tutorials
- Supported transition visits to work placements and/or further education providers
- Trauma Informed Education Passport provided to future providers for all students with or without and EHCP
- Individualised Transition Support Plan
- Opportunity to take part in Enrichment curriculum to support careers and workability knowledge and skills
- Support with Applications, CV’s and interviews
THE BAKER CLAUSE
Introduced as an amendment to the Technical and Further Education Act 2017, the Baker Clause stipulates that schools must allow colleges and training providers access to every student in years 8- 13 to discuss non-academic routes that are available to them.
We have always encouraged our learners to explore all pathways open to them and invite a range of education and training providers to work with our young people.
Relevant Websites
www.doit.org (volunteering opportunities)
www.stem.org.uk (Science and Mathematical careers)
