Blue Coat Academy

The Careers Programme at Blue Coat Church of England Academy

Intent Statement

‘All students are able to navigate their options to make informed choices regarding their future destinations. Students have a clear understanding of the options available to them and they aim high. Students develop the skills needed to be successful throughout their life leading to meaningful employment with job satisfaction and have the skills and abilities required to be able to adapt and evolve throughout a working lifetime to achieve better jobs and gain greater earning potential.’

Strategic Vision

All students at Blue Coat Academy will experience a scaffolded careers programme enabling them to be fully equipped to make informed choices regarding their future destination. Students will have a clear understanding of the options available to them and have the skills to navigate the best route for them to be successful throughout their lifetime. The careers programme will be working towards the Gatsby Benchmarks.

The Aims of the Careers Programme:

All students will receive a full and meaningful careers programme by the time they leave, this may be delivered through a variety of ways including PD lessons, future days, form-time, visits/trips and external guests.
Students will receive personalised careers guidance in KS4, students that continue into KS5 will receive further guidance and support.
Students in Year 9 can book appointments to support with their options process if required. All other years may drop in at break time and lunch time.
Our named Independent Careers Advisor is Carol Facey.
We recognise and support all pathways and possible routes our students. We offer personalised support for routes into education, training, apprenticeships and employment.
We use our destination data from our Year 11 and Year 13 students to inform our careers programme and provision
It is our aim to gather student voice feedback; therefore, the future skills questionnaire will be completed annually by students, and this will be used to review the provision and amend the careers programme where necessary. Student feedback will also be gathered periodically throughout the year.

Dedicated Careers Team

Futures and Progress Lead (Miss T Simmonds)
Assistant Principal (Mrs N McKeon)
Inclusion Lead (Behaviour and Welfare) (Miss K Addison)
Careers and Enterprise Co-ordinator (Mrs Athwal)
Independent Careers Advisor (Mrs Facey)

Our Independent Career Adviser (Aspire Careers Consultancy) can both be contacted via the school telephone number 01922 720558 or by email careers@bluecoatacademy.org

Details of our careers programme is available by clicking here.

Additional or Targeted Sessions for Students

In-Comm F1 Launch Day
King’s Trust Mosaic Mentoring
Road Safety
Royal Navy STEM
Anne Frank Black History Month Online Session
Drive 2 Arrive
In-Comm Pre Apprenticeship Programme
Walsall Manor Hospital – Careers/Apprenticeship Visit
King’s Trust Enterprise Challenge
Hooked Theatre Workshop – Vaping, Cigarettes and Nicotine Addiction
Careers Fair
Ladder Foundation Apprenticeship Construction Fair
Year 10 Work Experience Day
Year 10 Apprenticeship Taster Day

The following links are to external websites which provide information about futures, careers and Higher Education:

Aspire to H.E.

We are working in partnership with the University of Wolverhampton, who work with local schools and colleges and are committed to improving access to higher education for everyone in the Black Country, and Telford and Wrekin. Our partnership has enabled the launch of Unifrog and we some targeted additional intervention to raise aspirations.

Aspire to HE Privacy Statement

Blue Coat Church of England Academy are committed to ensuring our careers provision educates, informs and provides advice and guidance to enable students to make informed choices regarding their future. We encourage students to consider future pathways as soon as they start with us in Year 7. We provide regular opportunities through PD days, form time and focus days to provide opportunities that link to the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks and help guide students to the future or career of their choice.

Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) and Work Related Learning (WRL)

Careers Education: Careers education is the delivery of learning about careers as part of the curriculum. Opportunities are provided through PD days and form time

Careers Information: information that supports career and learning choices including knowledge of labour market information (LMI), such as salaries of various professions, employment rate in various professions, available training programs, and current job openings.

Careers Advice: information about education and work opportunities to students. Careers advisors give information about opportunities, future careers, progression pathways as well as helping with CVs, UCAS choices, personal statements and application forms. Opportunities are provided by our independent careers adviser. All year 11 and year 13 students will receive at least one guidance appointment. These can be requested via form tutor or using the careers email address.

Careers Guidance: refers to services and activities intended to assist students to make education, training and occupational choices and to manage their careers. Opportunities will be made available through focus days/weeks, workshops and targeted activities as well as form time and PD day input to support students to plan for their future progression and pathways and make informed choices considering the range of options available to them.

Work-related Learning: Planned activity that enables students to develop skills, knowledge and understanding related to the workplace, including learning work experience, learning about work, workplace encounters, employment rights, working practices and learning the skills for work. Opportunities will be made available through focus days/weeks, workshops and targeted activities as well as form time and PD day input.