Careers Education Information Advice & Guidance
Careers Education, Information Advice and Guidance
Part of our Barbara Priestman vision is to develop wonderful adults, hence we want to ensure young people are most effectively prepared for the next stages of their life
Careers Curriculum
Barbara Priestman Academy is committed to ensuring that the statutory duties related to careers education are fulfilled.
Our Careers Leader here at Barbara Priestman is Lynn Harrison, and you can contact her on 03339991453.
Incorporated in our Careers Education programme we will ensure that independent guidance is:
- Presented in an impartial manner.
- Includes information on the range of education and option choices.
- Is given in the best interests of the young person.
The Careers program includes discrete careers lessons, careers education sessions, careers days, career guidance activities (group work and individual interviews with Together for Children Careers Advisor), information and research activities, work experience, work related learning and individual learning activities.
The Careers curriculum follows the core aims of the Careers Development Institute (CDI)
The Six Learning Areas – The CDI’s Career Development Framework. For more information, please visit the Career Development Institute’s website.
The curriculum is key stage appropriate and will be differentiated to meet the needs of young people within each pathway.
Barbara Priestman Careers & Work Related Learning Journey
Year 7
Year 9
Key Stage 4
Gatsby Benchmarks
As a school we are committed to achieving all 8 benchmarks and ensure that our Careers education programme is structured to ensure all young people receive high quality careers education to meet their needs and in order to prepare for the future.
Engaging with employers
Are you an employer or training provider?
Barbara Priestman Academy strives to empower our young people by providing unbiased advice so that they can secure the best outcome for themselves with regard to the next steps in their lives.
We are committed to working with employers and training providers to arrange opportunities for informing our young people about approved educational qualifications, apprenticeships, and employment opportunities.
Providers have the opportunities to give information via a range of avenues which can include; assemblies, careers fayre, educational visits, workshops, and transition visits.
Any training providers or employers wishing to request access to school to present to pupils should contact:
Lynn Harrison
Lead for Careers and Work Related Learning
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Preparing for work
At Barbara Priestman we value the contribution that work related learning (WRL) can offer to our young people.
What is WRL?
WRL is defined as planned activity that uses the context of work to develop knowledge, skills and understanding useful in work, including learning through the experience of work, learning about work and working practices, and learning the skills for work. (H04552 WRL Keystage 4 (publishing.service.gov.uk))
Why Do We Value WRL?
WRL is not just to be seen as learning about jobs but also learning about work ethics, equipping young people with skills (both hard and soft) for the work place, ensuring transition occurs smoothly and helping to reduce barriers to entering the world of work.
Opportunities exist for young people from all year groups to become involved in WRL.
The Gatsby Benchmarks
The Gatsby Benchmarks define what world class careers provision in education looks like and provide a clear framework for organising the careers provision at school or college. WRL contributes to many aspects of the Gatsby Benchmarks. You can see an outline of the 6 areas below.
The Six Learning Areas – The CDI’s Career Development Framework. For more information, please visit the Career Development Institute’s website.
WRL can provide opportunities to:
- Use real-life contexts that improve motivation and attainment.
- Improve young people understanding of the world of work, the economy and the community.
- To improve the transition of young people from school to adult and working life.
- Promote greater awareness for young people about the world of work, the development of key skills and employability.
- Develop a range of appropriate and relevant activities which assist in raising all young people’ aspirations and achievement and which are of the highest possible quality and are regularly monitored.
- Relate skills attitudes, concepts and knowledge learned in school to applications in the wider world.
- Develop young peoples’ personal and social skills in relationships in a range of contexts.
- Improve employability through work-related learning.
- Enable young people to use their initiative and work with a wider range of people.
The school offers a wide range of activities that contribute towards work-related opportunities in order to help prepare young people effectively for adult and working life.
These include:
- External work experience. Recently we have had placements at Hope Wood Academy, Grace House, Sainsbury’s, Home Grown and we are continuously looking for other opportunities.
- Internal work experience, known at BPA as ‘Job Carving’. Examples of this include:
- Classroom assistant roles.
- Teacher support.
- Kitchen assistant.
- Tuck Shop sales assistant.
- Volunteering, both internal and external. Our young people have enjoyed working as litter pickers in the local community, visiting local care homes, linking with a local primary school and supporting a local church.
- Careers lessons.
- Enterprise Groups. All our young people are engaged in the enterprise programme where they gain experience of setting up and running a small business. Goods made are then available for purchase.
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Life after Barbara Priestman Academy
Young people who leave Barbara Priestman go onto study at a wider range of destinations. Click on the report below to find our where our 2023 leavers progressed to.
In recent years, following on from BPA, our young people have engaged in the following next steps:
- East Durham College
- Sunderland College Directions Program
- Sunderland College
- Gateshead College
- Springboard Futures
- Choices College
- ESPA
- Route 2 Work
- Volunteering (care home, charities)
- Open University
- Employment
- Gained Driving Licence
- Pursued hobbies
- Gained further independence
Alumni
A young person’s connection to BPA does not always end when they move on. We welcome some of our ex-students into school to talk to current students and share their experiences.
We aim to invite our alumni into sixth form at least once each year, but usually more often.
Success Story from a 2021 Leaver:
Daniel is now working at Northumbrian Water. Daniel is Autistic and has a diagnosis of ADHD and as a Year 7 young person had an overwhelming fear of travelling on public transport, nausea and germs. He had a positive behaviour plan and needed lots of support and adult supervision.
With support and encouragement Daniel developed strategies to manage anxiety and fear of traveling on public transport and became an independent traveller in year 12 and carried out the role of Independent Travel Training Ambassador. Daniel was a Peer Mentor for Sport and worked with KS3 young people to motivate and inspire them.
Daniel went on to pass his Driving Test and left Sixth Form achieving Maths and English vocational qualifications in sport and construction leading to College Course in Construction and then an Apprenticeship.
Daniels mum emailed recently to share his achievements and how proud she was of Daniel who is now part of the Alumni group and shares his experiences with other young people.
If you are an ex-student of BPA and would like to be added to our list of alumni please email Lynn on [email protected]
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