Careers

The Bay CE School Careers Programme 2020/21 (Secondary)

We have an inspiring Careers programme designed to develop students’ employability, career management and learning skills. Our students have benefitted greatly from the support of excellent links with post-16 providers and employers. We are very proud of the progress of so many of our students (Alumni page coming soon).

The Gatsby Benchmarks are a framework which provide our students with 8 guidelines that define the best careers provision in schools and colleges;

Gatsby Benchmarks
A stable careers programme	Our careers programme is delivered through our: PSHE programme PixL Edge Personal Development Framework Active tutorial programme Subject promotion of specialist careers Additional opportunities eg guest speakers and business links
Learning from labour market information	We are very much aware of the changing nature of the world of work and the importance of developing key, transferable skills. For this reason we actively embrace the challenges of LORIC (Leadership, Organisation, Resilience, Initiative and Communication) through the PixL Edge Apprentice Programme, We review our curriculum each year to ensure it meets the needs of the students and the community, with a balance between GCSE and vocational subject areas
Addressing the needs of each pupil	Every student had a Careers and Employability Plan which they build upon throughout their school life. Hosted in their Student Achievement file, they build up an evidence portfolio around this and review each year. Annual surveys allow us to monitor changes and aspirations and adapt our schedule of speakers, assemblies and external input accordingly.
Linking learning curriculum to careers	The Careers Programme is also embedded across the school through the curriculum links. Teachers are responsible for promoting their subjects and the relevance of the curriculum by adding real life context to lessons and linking subjects to careers and the real world. Cross-curricular skills are also developed enabling students to become lifelong learners.
Encounters with employers and employees	We have traditionally enjoyed excellent links with local employers, businesses and organisations. The Young Enterprise programme and business links have been valued. Whilst this has been somewhat restricted during recent months, we hope to offer opportunities again in the future.
Experiences of workplaces	The experience of the working world is invaluable. We encourage all students to undertake some form of work placement, shadowing observing and learning from others. In the current contect, such opportunities will be limited for some time. We will however encourage placements to take place at weekends / school holidays in the future.
Encounters with further and higher education	We are rebuilding some excellent links in for Christ The King, IOW College, HTP, The Island VI Form, Cowes Enterprise, UKSA, Portsmouth, Havant & South Downs, Brockenhurst and Highbury Colleges
Personal guidance	The Morrisby Careers platform is a wonderful opportunity for our students to find out about themselves, undertaking an aspirations survey which results in a career analysis and report designed especially for them. Morrisby.com

Click here to view The Bay CE Secondary School Careers Timeline

Tutors guide their students through the post-14 preference process and follow up conversations and interviews take place with senior teachers. In year 10, following our careers and post-16 opportunities review, we host progression interviews with senior staff.

One to one guidance interviews are conducted by our independent Careers Adviser Ian Riley (Diploma in Career Guidance, Level 6) from Island Futures – www.iow.gov.uk/IslandFutures

Every student is treated individually and students are supported with their decisions and the application process. Students are prepared for each transition point and the choices they make during assembles, options evenings, small group sessions and 1-1 interviews.

Students in years 10 and 11 will have at least one impartial career guidance interview with Ian Riley as well as consistent support from the Careers Department. Parents and carers will be notified of their child’s careers appointment in advance and will receive a summary of the discussion.

We do like students to be really prepared by the start of year 11 and ready for the Autumn term of further education visits, applications and interviews. For this reason, the majority of school ‘input’ is undertaken before year 11 to allow students the time to focus on their academic study. However, further progression interviews take place and our students continue to be supported by Island Futures.