Careers

Believe

Achieve

Succeed

Careers

Providing the highest quality careers information, education, advice, and guidance is central to our vision at Arbour Academy. We are dedicated to ensuring that every student is equipped with the skills, knowledge, and qualifications needed to pursue a fulfilling career.

Our careers programme begins in Key Stage 3, where we start exploring options and raising aspirations in partnership with a wide range of post-16 and post-18 providers, as well as careers educators. Aligned with the Gatsby Benchmarks, our approach ensures that students receive high-quality guidance and real-world experiences to support their journey.

All young people are required by law to continue in education or training until they are 18, and we are committed to helping them progress to the most suitable post-16 pathway—whether that’s sixth form, further education college, an apprenticeship, or a traineeship.

Careers education is embedded within the curriculum to help students develop essential employability skills and prepare for their future. In Key Stage 3, students work towards the ASDAN Personal Development qualification, which builds confidence, independence, and resilience. In Key Stage 4, students engage in the ASDAN Experiencing Careers in the Workplace programme, which provides valuable insights into different industries and career pathways.

We offer a carefully tailored careers programme for every year group, incorporating careers education in lessons, visits to universities and colleges, employer engagement days, and careers fairs. Our strategy is designed to develop core employability skills, including problem-solving, communication, and enterprise, ensuring students are well-prepared for the future.

At Arbour Academy, we take great pride in supporting students post-16, ensuring they move on to the right destination and succeed in their chosen pathways.

Ewan Martin is our dedicated Careers Lead, he is passionate about providing students with meaningful experiences that inspire ambition and confidence. His work reflects our school’s core value: "We do things differently HERE."

Provider Access Statement

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Introduction

This policy statement sets out the school’s arrangements for managing the access of providers to the school for the purpose of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.

Pupil entitlement

All pupils in Years 7 to 13 are entitled:

To find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point;

To hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through options events, assemblies and group discussions and taster events;

To understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses. 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 7 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.  Meaningful online engagement is also an option, and we are open to providers that are able to provide live online engagement with our pupils.

Gatsby Benchmarks

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The careers and employability programme here at Arbour Academy consists of a range of activities in the following areas:

Careers Education: Planned programmes in the curriculum giving students knowledge and skills to help them to plan and manage their own career.

Career Information: Including qualifications, skills, occupations, labour market information (LMI), pathways and progression routes.

Careers Advice and Guidance: Independent and impartial careers advice and guidance provided by qualified careers advisors.

Work Related Learning: Experiences within and outside the curriculum to help students learn about specific careers and work place behaviours.

The programme ensures coverage of the Gatsby Benchmarks and the CDI framework.

                                    Benchmark                                  Requirement 
A stable Careers Programme Every school and college should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by students, parents, teachers, governors and employers.
Learning from career and labour market information Every student, and their parents, should have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed adviser to make best use of available information.
Addressing the needs of each pupil. Students have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each pupil. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.
Linking curriculum to careers All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths
Encounters with employers and employees Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes.
Experience of work places Every pupil should have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks.
Encounters of further and higher education All pupils should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace
Personal guidance Every pupil should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a career adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all pupils but should be timed to meet their individual needs.

Labour Market Information

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College and 6th Form Information and Guidance

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Below are links to several local colleges and sixth forms that Arbour students have previously gone on to attend.

Using the links provided, you can find information about the courses on offer, the dates of upcoming open days/evenings and how to apply for the college of your choice.

Taking a look at these post-16 options can really help with:

· Understanding how college and sixth form are different from school.

· Understanding about the different application processes at each sixth form or college.

Destination Data

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Apprenticeships

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What is an Apprenticeship?

Earn while you learn and kickstart your career!

An apprenticeship is a fantastic way to gain hands-on experience, earn a wage, and work towards a qualification—all at the same time! You’ll be employed in a real job, training alongside experienced professionals while studying to develop industry-specific skills. Many successful business leaders started their careers as apprentices, proving that this pathway can lead to incredible opportunities.

👉 Find out more by following the attached link to the government website. 

Why Choose an Apprenticeship?

With an apprenticeship, you will:

✅ Receive training for a specific job
✅ Work alongside skilled professionals
✅ Earn a salary with holiday pay
✅ Have dedicated study time (usually one day a week)
✅ Complete assessments to gain recognized qualifications
✅ Open doors to exciting career progression

 
Apprenticeship Levels
Apprenticeships are available at different levels, each equivalent to a stage of education. You can start at any level, depending on your qualifications and experience.

Some apprenticeships may:
📌 Require specific GCSEs, such as English or Maths
📌 Offer extra training in English and Maths to help you reach the required level

Apprenticeships are a great way to build skills, gain experience, and secure a bright future in your chosen industry. Why not explore the possibilities today?