Our Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance programme will help you to:

• Understand yourself, your interests, likes and dislikes, what you are good at and how this affects the choices you make
• Find out about different courses, what qualifications you might need and what opportunities there might be
• Develop the skills you may need for working life
• Make realistic, but ambitious, choices about courses and jobs
• Develop a plan of action for the future
• Understand the different pathways after Year 11 including training, further and higher education and jobs
• Be able to make effective applications for jobs, training and further and higher education
• Develop your interview skills
• Improve your confidence

You will receive:

• Interviews with the Careers Adviser
• Careers lessons
• Form time activities
• Guided tutor time
• Access to the careers library – information is available in books, videos, leaflets and online
• Work experience
• Careers based Assemblies and projects, meant to guide you and inform you about the range of options you have for further education and future career possibilities
• Conferences: Getting Ahead and Aim to Attain, where volunteers will help you learn about key skills and employ-ability concepts, interview know-how's etc
• Guidance on the range of Further Education options, with equal emphasis on University and Apprenticeship choices. 
• Other subject lessons linked to careers

You can expect to be:

• Fully supported throughout your time at Bishop Challoner, whatever your interests or chosen pathways
• Given careers information and advice that is up to date and impartial
• Treated with respect by all visitors to the school who are part of the careers programme

• Every year students in Year 10 at Bishop Challoner Catholic Federation of School undertake a week of work experience.
• In Year 12 students undertake a week of work experience.

Students are encouraged to find their own placements according to their interests and future career aspirations. We traditionally work with The Switch, who carry out the necessary checks referring to Health & Safety and Employer’s liability insurance.

Labour Market Information (LMI) describes all kinds of information used to make labour market decisions. LMI can be a compilation of detailed statistical data on jobs and salaries, employers and employees, sectors, current employment conditions and future trends.

London Labour Market Website:https://data.gov.uk/dataset/7cbebf0a-4af6-4a23-81be-f63b04e3d901/london-labour-market-skills-and-employment-indicators

• Both Year 10 and Year 12 cohorts are given the opportunity to participate in a reflective assembly after the completion of their Work Experience Week. They also complete a survey to help them reflect once again on the benefits of their Work Experience. This also allows us to measure the impact of the project on our pupils and address concerns in the future.
• After the students and parents have been informed, guided and have made their choices for the GCSE subject options, they will be asked to fill in a survey which will inform us on the efficiency of the provided services and the effectiveness of the process.
• Every one of our Year 10, 11 and 12 provide feedback on their careers interviews, which helps us improve year by year.
• Staff regularly provide verbal feedback on their level of knowledge and involvement in offering careers advice, which informs us on when career-based CPD sessions are needed.
• We track the Sixth Form placements of the students leaving us at 16 and 18.

Bishop Challoner Catholic School provider access policy statement

Under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997 and the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022 we have a duty to provide pupils in Years 8-13 with access to providers of post-14, post-16 and post-18 education and training. This policy statement sets out how we manage access requests from these providers.

What are pupils entitled to?

Pupils in Years 8 to 13 are entitled to:

• Learn more about technical education qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities, as part of a careers programme which informs pupils of the full range of education and training options available to them at each transition point.
• Hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities on offer, for example, technical education and apprenticeships – this can be achieved through options evenings, assemblies, group discussions, and taster events.
• Understand how to apply to the full range of academic and technical courses available to them.

All pupils in Years 8 to 13 will receive at least six encounters with accredited providers of technical education and apprenticeships. These encounters will be divided accordingly:

• During the first key phase (Year 8 to Year 9) all pupils must attend two mandatory sessions by accredited providers
• During the second key phase (Year 10 and 11) all pupils must attend two mandatory sessions by accredited providers
• During the third key phase (Year 12 and Year 13) there will two sessions by accredited providers – these will be optional for pupils to attend

What opportunities are provided to allow access to pupils?

Via our school careers programme, we offer providers numerous opportunities throughout the school year to speak to pupils and/or their parents.

These sessions will be scheduled during the school’s main opening hours.

During these sessions, at a minimum, providers will be given enough time to:

• Share information about the provider and the approved technical qualifications and apprenticeships they offer.
• Explain what career routes these qualifications and apprenticeships could lead to.
• Provide insights into what it might be like to learn or train with that provider.
• Answer pupils’ questions.

Which providers have previously been invited to the school?

In previous terms and academic years, the school has invited the following providers to speak to pupils:

• Barclays
• JP Morgan
• The Met Police
• Ethos Sports

Who should providers contact to discuss events and options?

Providers can speak to our career’s leader, Tim Gladstone, to discuss possible attendance at relevant events.

Our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy sets out the school’s approach to allowing providers into school to speak to our pupils.

What are the rules for granting and refusing access requests?

We will grant access requests that meet the following criteria:

• Those seeking access need to be DBS checked: When arranging appointments/ site/visits DBS details need to be provided prior to individual(s) arriving on site. [Should individual(s) have no DBS clearance available, and depending on the nature of the visit, they may be allowed on site pending the completion of a risk assessment and must be supervised at all times.]
• Access requests must offer a credible contribution to pupils’ understanding of career pathways and empower them to make informed decisions.
• Access requests must not impact too heavily on staff members’ workload. Staff should not be expected to deliver material or prepare material for companies seeking access.

We will refuse any access request that:

• Contradict the catholic ethos of the school, this to be determined by the EVC and headmaster where appropriate.
• Fail to show a clear, well defined, benefit to pupils understanding of careers pathways and choices.
• Fail to follow the schools safeguarding processes or in any way put pupils within the school at risk.

What can providers expect once a request has been accepted?

Once we have approved a provider, we will work with them to identify the best method for providing access to our pupils.

We will make the theatre, classrooms and library available to host discussions between providers and pupils. We will also make presentation equipment, such as smart board and screens, available to providers.

Arrangements will be discussed in advance between our careers leader and a nominated member of the provider’s team.

Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus and other relevant course literature with the school librarian at the school library.

How are complaints regarding provider access managed?

If you have a complaint relating to the school’s provider access arrangements, you can raise it in line with the school’s Complaints Procedures Policy or you can contact The Careers and Enterprise Company directly on provideraccess@careersandenterprise.co.uk.

Approval and review

This policy statement was approved by the Quality of Education and Student Welfare Committee on 26.3.24

The next review will take place on 20.9.24