Litcham School is fully committed to ensuring that all of our pupils acquire the skills, knowledge and attitudes to manage their learning and career aspirations. Ultimately, we work towards them becoming independent and productive adults who achieve their full potential.
Our careers programme provides high quality impartial advice and guidance, ensuring that pupils are informed of the range of options available to them at key transition points and in future careers, and that they are supported during the decision-making process.
Pupils progress from Litcham School to a range of destinations. We seek to ensure that pupils have high aspirations, and that guidance is impartial and tailored to individual needs. We seek to inform parents of labour market information and to provide them with knowledge of the choices available to their children.
We respect the right of pupils to choose from a range of pathways. Year 11s may choose to move to another school or Further Education college, specialist provision, or into an apprenticeship.
We recognise the importance of pupils developing strong interpersonal and communication skills, including that of oracy, as these are vital skills for entering the workforce. We also aim to develop our pupils’ cultural capital, so that they have social mobility and are never disadvantaged by social situation.
The Department for Education’s Careers Strategy sets out a series of measures to improve careers guidance in England, including new benchmarks for careers education and instigating the requirement to have a named Careers Leader in every school. Our Careers Leader, Mr Clark, is committed to providing a reviewed and evaluated programme of careers education from Year 7 to 11, which meets the eight Gatsby Benchmarks for careers 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 (Gatsby Foundation, 2014).
We adhere to the Department for Education guidance, ‘Careers guidance and access for education and training providers’ (DfE, October 2018), which stipulates that all schools must allow other educational providers access and that we must publish a provider access policy.
Careers Education, Advice, Education and Guidance is a statutory responsibility of all schools. The latest Government Careers Strategy is available here >>
Careers guidance itself is defined by the OECD as “services and activities intended to assist individuals, of any age and at any point throughout their lives, to make educational, training and occupational choices and to manage their careers.
The activities may take place on an individual or group basis, and may be face-to-face or at a distance (including help lines and web-based services)."
(OECD, 2004)
Careers Education takes place mainly through work in lessons and during our PHSE Programme. Careers Information, Advice and Guidance takes place mainly through individual support.
Our Aim
Pupils are entitled to Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) which meets professional standards of practice and is both personalised and impartial. It is integrated into pupils’ experience of the whole curriculum and based on a partnership with pupils and their parents or carers. The programme is structured to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks of good Careers education, raise aspirations, challenge stereotyping and promote equality and diversity.
The careers programme is designed to meet the needs of the pupils at Litcham School to ensure progression through activities that are appropriate to pupils’ stages of career learning, planning and development.
Litcham School is committed to Careers Education as a crucial way of giving all of our pupils the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to manage their own lifelong learning and forge their own careers. We aim to develop our pupils’ skills in three areas:
- Self-development: Our pupils can only fulfil their potential if they understand their own skills and abilities.
- Career exploration: Our pupils can only aspire to careers they know about. Our challenge is to make that knowledge as wide-ranging as possible.
- Career management: Our pupils need the basic skills necessary to take their first post-16 steps with confidence, secure in the knowledge that they have made the correct choices.
The CEIAG programme provides pupils with a wide range of experiences to help them progress effectively through their education and on to successful careers.
All students at Litcham School have access to the Unifrog careers platform. On this platform they can access an updated careers directory, How to guides, up to date apprenticeship opportunities and much, much more.
Working relationships to support our careers programme
An annual partnership agreement is negotiated between the school and Beacons East who provides our external, independent Careers Advisor.
The school works with an Enterprise Adviser.
Firm links have been established with a range of employers, particularly through the provision of work placements for all Year 10 pupils. Employers visit the school to run work-related activities with pupils and to speak to pupils about a range of employment sectors.
Apprenticeship information is shared with pupils. In addition, employers offering apprenticeships visit the school.
Strong links also exist with universities, further education colleges, apprenticeship providers and training providers, who often come into school to speak with pupils. Any provider wishing to request access should contact the Careers Leader in the first instance (See Provider Access Policy below).
We actively work with a wide range of providers and employers, including:
Beacons East Norfolk County Council
BNI Wensum Synergy Trust (Reepham High School and College)
BNI Vancouver UEA
Anglia Ruskin University Norwich University of the Arts
New Anglia LEP BAM Nutall
Breckland District Council Litcham School Work Experience Network
Speakers for Schools Education and Employers
Brilliant Club DWP
Resources
Funding is allocated in the annual budget-planning round in the context of whole-school priorities and particular needs in the CEIAG area. The Assistant Headteacher with oversight of CEIAG is responsible for the effective deployment of resources.
Monitoring, review, evaluation and development of CEG
Our partnerships are reviewed regularly. The following provision is reviewed by the Assistant Headteacher with oversight of CEIAG:
- Annual review of partnership activities with Beacons East.
- Review of all careers events.
- Feedback on the effectiveness of the CEIAG programme is sought through analysis of pupil feedback sheets from IMPACT days and the Pupil Council.
- Review of the school’s adherence to the Gatsby Benchmarks through Compass +.
- Termly review through LEP
Litcham School Provider Access Policy
Click here to download the Provider Access Policy
SOME ESSENTIAL WEBSITES FOR CAREERS RESEARCH
Apprenticeships Norfolk: One stop shop providing everything you need to know about apprenticeship opportunities in Norfolk. www.apprenticeshipsnorfolk.org
Bestcourse4me: Explore ideas by career area or subject choice. Very useful section entitled ‘don’t know what career you want!’ www.bestcourse4me.com
Careers Box: Largest online careers film and video library. Real people with real jobs helping young people, students and teachers. www.careersbox.co.uk
Complete University Guide: Excellent uni advice alternative to UCAS. www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk
Gap Advice: Independent gap year travel advice, information, help and ideas on projects and placements. www.gapadvice.org
Help You Choose: Information, advice and careers guidance website for young people in Norfolk supporting year 8/9 options, 6th Form & College courses, apprenticeships and much more. www.helpyouchoose.org
I can be a… Website designed to educate you in the massive spectrum of opportunities available in Norfolk & Suffolk. Provides you with information about the most important industries in the East as well as a direct links with key companies. www.icanbea.org.uk
icould: Inspirational website offering encouragement and careers discovery though film. www.icould.com
National Apprenticeships: Everything you need to know about accessing apprenticeships, qualifications and training. www.getingofar.gov.uk
www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeshipsearch
National Careers Service: Online careers advice offering guidance via web chat/phone/text/e mail at any time. Useful tools on improving skills e.g. choices at 16, job profiles, skills checker, CVs, cover letters, interview techniques and much more. www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk
Not going to uni: Advise and support for people who have decided not to go to uni. www.notgoingtouni.co.uk
Pods4jobs: Access to a fantastic video library showcasing hundreds of jobs across a wide range of sectors. www.pods4jobs.co.uk
Prospects: Advice on careers, work experience, internships and course planning. www.prospects.ac.uk
PUSH: The leading independent guide to UK universities, student life, gap years, open days, student finance…www.push.co.uk
The Student Room: Student community providing advice on exams stress/preparation and next steps. www.thestudentroom.co.uk
UCAS: University application and advice on higher education courses. www.ucas.com
What Uni.Com: Independent advice and support on choosing the right uni and course suited for you. www.whatuni.com
ULAS: Website which provides our students with a format for writing CV’s and personal statements. https://ulas.co.uk
