Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) at Abbey Park School
At Abbey Park School (APS) we are committed to providing our students with accurate and effective Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) to prepare them for the next stage in their education. We want students to be aware of the range of career options that are available and the pathways into them. This might be through a traditional “A” Level, University route, through vocational courses or an apprenticeship.
All enquiries should be directed to John White, Careers Leader at APS, by email at careers@abbeyparkschool.org.uk.
“Leaders want pupils to be ambitious and informed about their future choices. All pupils follow a well-planned programme of careers education. They learn about a broad range of careers and training.” Oftsed Inspection Report, January 2023.
In year 7 and 8 students are made aware of the transferable skills that they are developing and how these can be exemplified. In year 9 students consider the careers options and how their GCSE choices might affect those pathways. Students in these year groups have a “meet the employee” day where they meet a range of volunteers who explain their own career pathway. In June the students also have a vocational education and apprenticeship presentation so they are informed of the alternatives that will be available to them at 16.
In year 10 students consider whether college or sixth form would suit them better, find out about apprenticeships, do a workshop on personal finance and take part in a virtual work experience programme. Students are given presentations by local colleges and sixth forms and have an assembly about apprenticeships. Students have the opportunity to visit Cirencester College and both campuses at New College Swindon. Some students visit the TPAT sixth form based at Lydiard Park Academy. Identified students will have a careers interview with a level 6 qualified Careers Adviser from outside the school.
In year 11 students find out more about the range of options available post 16 and the workplace including their rights and responsibilities and the role of the trade unions. Students take part in a mock interview process and receive feedback which they have a chance to reflect on how they could improve. Students take part in an apprenticeship awareness morning. Students are supported and monitored in their post-16 application process and can choose to have a careers interview with a level 6 qualified Careers Adviser from outside the school.
Students in all year groups are registered on Careerpilot and have an opportunity to develop their careers understanding throughout the year.
We encourage all parent/carers to discuss careers with their children discussing different education pathways into employment and local employment opportunities. The weblinks below link to useful tools that parents can use to facilitate these discussions and local market information that identifies the opportunities and skills gaps in the local area.
We regularly collect feedback from students and employers and are developing methods to collect feedback from parents/carers so we can continue to improve our careers provision at Abbey Park.
We are working towards meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks for Careers Education and regularly review our progress towards them. They are listed below; more information can be found here at the Gatsby website. http://www.gatsby.org.uk/education/focus-areas/good-career-guidance .
The eight Gatsby benchmarks of Good Career Guidance
- A stable careers programme
- Learning from career and labour market information
- Addressing the needs of each pupil
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experiences of workplaces
- Encounters with further and higher education
- Personal guidance
In the linked documents below you can find our provider access policy, a more detailed breakdown of our careers provision and local market information which gives an economic breakdown of the local area.
For Students and Parents/Carers.
Here are collected links to a wide variety of websites and resources that can help you to make informed decisions about your future, whether that is choosing your GCSE options or choosing your FE course, FE institution or an Apprenticeship.
It is never too early on to discuss careers with young people, to challenge their stereotypes and break down their preconceptions. These discussions can have a positive impact on students’ aspirations and their success at school. Research shows that students have a very narrow view of careers and these are often made before the age of seven. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-50042459?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/c40rjmqdqpxt/careers&link_location=live-reporting-story
We welcome support from parents in our careers programme, if you are able to support us in any way please drop me a line on careers@abbeyparkschool.org.uk. We welcome visitors from outside school who are willing to talk to students about their own experiences and careers.
Our number one resource for both parents and students, which we use in school, is Career Pilot. This is a locally based careers advice website which is funded through a number of local Universities and HE Providers. Students should register using their personal email address as the account belongs to them and moves with them until they are 21.
www.careerpilot.org.uk
Click the link below to download the Apprentice Parents Pack from Ask Apprenticeships which addresses many of the questions that students and parents/carers often ask.
https://amazingapprenticeships.com/parents/
Another website with information about apprenticeships can help dispel some of the myths about them as well as the key benefits including that you will be earning whilst you are learning.
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/apprenticeships/what-is-an-apprenticeship
If you are in the process of selecting your GCSE option choices there is good advice in the webinar on the Adviza website. There are also past webinars on many other topics.
https://www.adviza.org.uk/past-webinars
If you have any further queries about careers please email me on careers@abbeyparkschool.org.uk.
Post GCSE Study
Students in this area are fortunate to be served with a variety of good quality establishments to continue their education in. We recommend that students attend as many open events as they can so they are able to make informed choices about where they want to study. All open events will be treated as authorised absence.
You can find out more about the options available by looking at the webinar on the Adviza website.
https://www.adviza.org.uk/past-webinars
Most students will attend one of the local colleges or sixth forms. We also have a small number of students with a particular interest in sport who attend Hartpury College. All of these institutions offer a range of courses including “A” levels, “T” levels and other vocational courses. More information can be found on their websites.
www.newcollege.ac.uk
www.cirencester.ac.uk
www.theparkacademiestrust.com/sixthform/
https://www.gwacademy.co.uk/sixth-form
https://www.commonweal.co.uk/sixth-form/
https://www.hartpury.ac.uk/
There are other more specialised local training providers that offer a variety of training courses and apprenticeships such as Green Labyrinth.
www.greenlabyrinth.co.uk
Whilst there is not currently a University in Swindon we recommend that students consider studying at this level. You can study for a degree at New Swindon College if you prefer to stay local. The student loan plans have changed this year. The key thing to remember is that it does not make much difference what you borrow, repayments are based on what you earn. There is a good guide to the new plan 5 student loans here.
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/student-loans-england-plan-5/
If you are interested in a specific degree course it is definitely worth while checking the entry requirements via the UCAS website.
www.ucas.com/further-education/thinking-about-university
Published on 22nd November 2023
Review date 1st November 2025