Updated: February 2024
Rationale:
High quality careers education and guidance in school or college is critical to young people’s futures. It helps to prepare them for the workplace by providing a clear understanding of the world of work including the routes to jobs and careers that they might find engaging and rewarding. It supports them to acquire the self-development and career management skills they need to achieve positive employment destinations. This helps students to choose their pathways, improve their life opportunities and contribute to a productive and successful economy.
As the number of apprenticeships rises every year, it becomes increasingly important that all young people have a full understanding of all the options available to them post-16 and post-18 including wider technical education options such as T-Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications.
Commitment:
Edward Peake CofE (VC) Middle School is committed to ensuring there is an opportunity for a range of education and training providers to access pupils, for the purpose of informing them about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. The school is fully aware of the responsibility to set pupils on the path that will secure the best outcome which will enable them to progress in education and work and give employers the highly skilled people they need. That means acting impartially, in line with the statutory duty, and not showing bias towards any route, be that academic or technical.
The school endeavours to ensure that all pupils are aware of all routes to higher skills and are able to access information on technical options and apprenticeships (The Department of Education, July 2021: “Baker Clause”: supporting students to understand the full range of education and training options, and the Provider Access Legislation, January 2023).
Aims:
This policy for access to other education and training providers has the following aims:
- To develop the knowledge and awareness of our students of all career pathways available to them, including technical qualifications and apprenticeships.
- To support young people to be able to learn more about opportunities for education and training outside of school before making crucial choices about their future options.
- To reduce drop out from courses and avoid the risk of students becoming NEET (Young people not in education, employment or training).
Pupil Entitlement:
The school fully supports the statutory requirement for pupils to have direct access to other providers of further education training, technical training and apprenticeships. The school will comply with the new legal requirement to put on at least six encounters with providers of approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships. These encounters occur over Key Stage 3, 4 and 5, beginning at Year 8. The pupil entitlement section of this policy will be updated as the school grows to accommodate further year groups.
All pupils in year 8 at Edward Peake are entitled to:
- Find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities, as part of our careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point
- Hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships.
- to understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical
courses including apprenticeships.
For pupils of compulsory school age these encounters are mandatory and there will be a
minimum of two encounters for pupils during the ‘first key phase’ (year 8 to 9) and two
encounters for pupils during the ‘second key phase’ (year 10 to 11).
These provider encounters will be scheduled during the main school hours and the provider
will be given a reasonable amount of time to, as a minimum:
- share information about both the provider and the approved technical education
qualification and apprenticeships that the provider offers - explain what career routes those options could lead to
- provide insights into what it might be like to learn or train with that provider
(including the opportunity to meet staff and pupils from the provider) - answer questions from pupils.
Meaningful provider encounters
One encounter is defined as one meeting/session between pupils and one provider. We are
committed to providing meaningful encounters to all pupils using the Making it meaningful
checklist.
Meaningful online engagement is also an option, and we are open to providers that are able
to provide live online engagement with our pupils.
Development
This policy has been developed and is reviewed annually by the Careers Leader and Headteacher based on current good practice guidelines by the Department for Education.
Links with other policies
It supports and is underpinned by key school policies including those for Careers, Child Protection, Equality and Diversity, and SEND.
Equality and Diversity
Access to other providers is available and promoted to allow all pupils to access information about other providers of further education and apprenticeships. The school is committed to encouraging all pupils to make decisions about their future based on impartial information.
Management of Provider Access Requests:
Procedure:
Requests for access should be directed to Mrs K Rodgers, Assistant Headteacher and Careers Leader outlining their offer to our Key Stage 3 pupils using the details below:
Telephone: 01767 314562
Email: careers@edwardpeake.beds.sch.uk
Opportunities for Access:
We are developing opportunities throughout our years 5-8 at school in order offer providers an opportunity to come into school to speak to pupils and/or their parents/carers:
Granting and Refusing Access:
Providers will be granted access on the following basis;
- Communication between providers and Mrs Rodgers
- Photographic identification is presented and worn
- Clear benefits to our community are determined
Providers will not be granted access on the following basis;
- No trail of communication is evident between provider and Mrs Rodgers
- Sufficient identification cannot be presented
- Benefits to pupils do not out way the learning in the classroom
Safeguarding:
Our safeguarding/child protection policy outlines the school’s procedure for checking the identity and suitability of visitors.
Education and training providers will be expected to adhere to this policy.
Premises and Facilities:
The school will provide an appropriate room or assembly hall to be agreed. Any rooms provided will have a laptop, projector and screen provided. Computer rooms or Chromebooks can also be arranged. The Careers Leader will organise this, working closely with the provider to ensure the facilities are appropriate to the audience. Appropriate safeguarding checks will be carried out. Providers will be met and supervised by a member of the Careers Team who will facilitate.
Live/Virtual encounters
The school will consider live online encounters with providers where requested, and these may be broadcast into classrooms or the school assembly hall. Technology checks in advance will be required to ensure compatibility of systems.
Parents and Carers
Parental involvement is encouraged, and parents may be invited to attend the events to meet the providers.
Management
The Careers Leader coordinates all provider requests and is responsible to the headteacher.
Complaints:
Any complaints with regards to provider access can be raised following the school
complaints procedure or directly with The Careers & Enterprise Company via –
provideraccess@careersandenterprise.co.uk
Monitoring review and evaluation
This policy is monitored and evaluated annually by the senior leadership team.
