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Careers Leader

Name: Daniel Trueman

Email: daniel.trueman@winsforacademy.org.uk

Telephone: 01606 592300

Careers Advisor

Name: Karen Wray

Email: mailto:careers@winsfordacademy.org.uk

Telephone: 01606 592300

View the Policy

Follow the link and you will find all the latest policy documents.

View the Policies Page

Review Date

The Careers section of the website is reviewed and updated yearly. Next Review July 2023. The Careers education is reviewed annually by the Head of Careers, the Careers Adviser and the Enterprise Co-ordinator.

Welcome to Careers

Start in Cheshire & Warrington
Careers Live Website

 

In November 2020 the Winsford Academy gained the full Quality in Careers Award. We were externally assessed and all aspects of careers education, advice & guidance was scrutinised. The report highlighted specific areas of CEIIAG within school.

 

“All students Years 7 to 11 have meaningful encounters with a full range of providers of further and higher education. This is achieved through a mix of in school activities such as assemblies, workshops and out of school visits and off-site activities.   The school have developed excellent links local Colleges, universities, and Higher Horizons to offer a breadth of opportunities and achieving 100% of the criterion for this Gatsby Benchmark.”

 

Schemes of Work for subject areas that were shared with me, clearly show how the curriculum uses experiences and employers to help students understand and learn the subject but helps with their career planning and employability skills.   The Geography department organised workshops delivered by Jet2 about the Travel and Tourism Industry, Food Technology completed Master Chef organised by a local college and employers, the PE department worked with the Royal Marines and the Humanities department worked with a local Museum to create a gallery of photographs.”

“ “The school is passionate about helping students to develop their skills, experiences, and knowledge to help support their academic achievement.   School staff particularly the Careers Leader work closely together and with external providers and links to identify students’ needs and provide opportunities to meet those needs.”

The Academy is committed to delivering high quality Careers Education, Information, Advice & Guidance. It recognizes the work done through assemblies, PHSE, Form Tutors and Departments in ensuring we invest in the career prospects of the pupils and work together with external providers and local employers and hear first hand experiences of their employees.

 


Careers Curriculum Intent

Careers education and guidance programmes make a major contribution to preparing young people for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life.

A planned progressive programme of activities supports them in choosing KS4 & KS5 pathways that suit their interests and abilities and help them to follow a career path and sustain employability throughout their working lives.

The Winsford Academy has adopted the Careers Guidance and statutory requirements issued by the Department of Education in December 2017. We are using the Gatsby Benchmarks  to assess, review and develop our Careers Education programme.

The Winsford Academy offers a comprehensive and structured CEIAG provision for all pupils Y7-11.

Our Careers Adviser is Karen Wray. Karen has worked  as a Career Adviser within Cheshire for many years and has an excellent understanding of the local labour market, the courses offered by the local providers and has huge experience of post 18 options.

If you would like to request a meeting or want information on Careers please email Karen on careers@winsfordacadaemy.org.uk or Mr Trueman.

There is also additional support from the Local Authority for some pupils regarding transition.

Please see Mr Trueman or Mr Bearcroft regarding this option.


Our Careers Programme

Careers is delivered whole school through Form Time activities and subject specific lessons.

There are also PHSE timetabled lessons to cover additional topics.

We also work in close partnership with our local 16+ providers. Transition is important in both Y6 and Y11 and we work hard to ensure that pupils know the pathways open to them when they leave the Academy and the courses available at the different colleges. There are taster visits in Y10 and all colleges visit in the first half term of the year to speak to pupils about their Open evenings and courses.

There are also lunch time clinics in the academy where colleges offer advice to pupils on courses, levels and post 18 progression.

Local Colleges

  • Warrington Vale Royal
  • Sir John Deane’s
  • Cheshire College
  • Reaseheath College
  • Crewe UTC

At the Academy we work in partnership with  Cheshire West and Chester LA to ensure that all pupils have a place at a college or 6th Form,  an apprenticeship or a job with training  for the following September.  This is their September Guarantee.

We actively encourage pupils to take advantage of the National Citizenship Service. We promote it within school as helping pupils develop the softer skills that employers and education providers look for in young people such as team building, resilience and solution focused.

 

From Y9 pupils have the opportunity to undertake their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and then move onto the Silver Award. This gives pupils the opportunity to develop themselves as leaders but also to put into practice many employability skills so valued by employers from working as part of a team to communication  skills.

We have a close connection with Higher Horizons and Chester University, both of whom offer the school and its pupils an array of additional provision including University visits, specialised teaching from local Professors and personal development support including Humanutopia, Steps to Success and Enterprise days.

We work with local employers who regularly take on local apprentices and arrange after school visits to the employers. We are always looking for additional employers to help support our Careers programme in and out of school. We are currently working with such as Tiger Trailers, Morrisons and KC Auto’s and Jet2.com.

We measure the impact of the Careers programme through  termly completion of the Compass Tool with the Enterprise Co-ordinator , Pupil Voice, both KS3 & KS4 and through analysis of the Destinations data.

We have also been externally verified by  Inspiring IAG in November 2020 gaining the Quality in Careers full award.

The  Careers section of the website is reviewed and updated yearly. Next Review July 23.

The Careers education is reviewed annually by the Head of Careers, the Careers Adviser and  the Enterprise Co-ordinator.

Aims

In Y7 we aim to introduce the concept of carers career planning and to give pupils the opportunity to explore a range of industry sectors and careers within those industries.

Activities

  • Step Up programme
  • The World of Work
  • Re-cycling project – jobs in the Green Economy
  • U-Explore Start Profile

Career Education is being embedded through Form Time activities. Pupils make their Option choices in Y8 and it is important that they understand the range of qualifications offered by the Academy as well as the subject choices.

Activities

  • The Step Ahead programme
  • U-Explore Start Profile
  • Chester University Trip
  • Options Advice and Guidance

Pupils have started their GCSE Options and it is important that they can understand the link between a good education and a fulfilling career.

Activities

  • Step On programme
  • visits to employers and specific University events
  • Enterprise Activity Day
  • Make It Event
  • Humanutopia programme
  • Steps to Success

Pupils in Y10 are beginning to think about their next steps and this is something we actively encourage. Pupils are encouraged to talk about Career plans and to do some follow up research, all of which is recorded and evaluated by the pupil and the adviser at their next meeting.

Activities

  • Step Forward programme
  • IAG appoitments
  • ‘The Big Bang’ event
  • Visits to local employers and local employer visits to the Academy organised within Departments.
  • Taster Days offered by the local post 16 providers

This is the year for decision making and applications for Post 16. Pupils are provided with opportunities to listen to and meet staff from our partner providers and are actively encouraged to attend Open Evenings and apply for courses.

Activities

  • Step Into The Future programme
  • Assemblies from all local post 16 providers.
  • Apprenticeships assembly and follow up sessions
  • IAG
  • CV writing/ Application forms
  • National Citizenship Service

How the school measures and assesses the impact of the careers programme on pupils

We measure the impact of the Careers programme through  termly completion of the Compass Tool with the Enterprise Co-ordinator , Pupil Voice, both KS3 & KS4 and through analysis of the Destinations data.

We have also been externally verified by  Inspiring IAG in November 2020 gaining the Quality in Careers full award.

Careers Library

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Careers Bulletins

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Careers Curriculum Intent

Careers education and guidance programmes make a major contribution to preparing young people for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life.

A planned progressive programme of activities supports them in choosing KS4 & KS5 pathways that suit their interests and abilities and help them to follow a career path and sustain employability throughout their working lives.

The Winsford Academy has adopted the Careers Guidance and statutory requirements issued by the Department of Education in December 2017. We are using the Gatsby Benchmarks  to assess, review and develop our Careers Education programme.

The Winsford Academy offers a comprehensive and structured CEIAG provision for all pupils Y7-11.

Our Careers Adviser is Karen Wray. Karen has worked  as a Career Adviser within Cheshire for many years and has an excellent understanding of the local labour market, the courses offered by the local providers and has huge experience of post 18 options.

If you would like to request a meeting or want information on Careers please email Karen on careers@winsfordacadaemy.org.uk or Mr Trueman.

There is also additional support from the Local Authority for some pupils regarding transition.

Please see Mr Trueman or Mr Bearcroft regarding this option.


Skillometer

Skillsometer can help you discover what jobs you might like to do in the future. You will be presented with a series of statements. Select the emoji that shows how you feel about each statement. You will be given suggestions of jobs linked to what you most enjoy doing.


Careerometer

Careerometer can be used to explore and compare key information about occupations, help you learn about different occupations and identify potential careers.

It provides access to a selection of UK headline data relating to pay, weekly hours of work and future employment prospects for different occupations, as well as description of the occupation.

Simply type in the title of the job you are interested in and the widget provides a series of options from which you can select the most relevant to you. You can then look up another two occupations and compare. You can also select ‘display the UK average’ and compare the information with the occupation you have selected.