Careers

At the heart of our career and progression programme is the aim that all our students are in a position when they leave Gosforth Academy to build a fulfilling future. Whether your child’s next step beyond school is going on to higher education, an apprenticeship or straight to work, our programme enables students to develop their skills, explore and envisage possible future careers and understand the next steps they need to take in order to secure their chosen progression route.

Our programme delivery

Careers Education is delivered in an embedded way within the curriculum through assemblies, tutorials, subject teaching, PSHE lessons, enrichment activities as well as distinct programmed activities such as speed networking and one to one mock interviews, from Year 9 through to Year 13. We encourage students to engage with the careers and progression programme to explore and discover their interests. Such super-curricular activities also serve to further boost their success within future UCAS, CV or Apprenticeship Applications. An overview of career programme activities per year group can be seen in the links section.

Evaluation & Best Practice

In order to develop and deliver a careers programme that is fit for purpose we use regular evaluation as part of our planning and delivery cycle. Our Career Programme Evaluation Cycle is set out in the links and attachments. Gosforth Academy is part of North East Ambition – Supporting schools to achieve good career guidance benchmarks which is convened by North East Local Enterprise Partnership. The benchmarks are part of a national initiative released by the Department for Education in 2017 to develop best practice for Careers Guidance in schools. The benchmarks underpin our programme to ensure best practice is achieved for the benefit of our students.

Keeping up to date

Every week we publish Progression Notes for our sixth formers accessed via FROG> Departments> Sixth Form Community

Useful Progression sites & Virtual Work Experience can also be accessed via FROG> Departments> Sixth Form Community

Careers Education Resources can be found on FROG > Departments> Careers

Useful Links

Getting/Staying in touch

The Academy’s career and progression programme is developed and delivered with our colleagues, community, education and business partners by a dedicated, qualified Careers Leader Li-Am Carter. We welcome your comments and if you wish to offer feedback or are a parent or business who would like to explore how you can contribute to our programme please email us.

Li-Am.Carter@ga.newcastle.sch.uk

Peter Snowdon, Senior lead for Curriculum Peter.Snowdon@ga.newcastle.sch.uk oversees the school’s Careers Programme and

Director of Sixth Form Karen Blackburn Karen.Blackburn@ga.newcastle.sch.uk oversees the Sixth Form Progression Programme.

Our Careers link Governor is Amy Bonello Amy.Bonello@ga.newcastle.sch.uk

The eight Gatsby benchmarks of Good Career Guidance are as follows:

1. A stable careers programme
2. Learning from career and labour market information
3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
5. Encounters with employers and employees
6. Experiences of workplaces
7. Encounters with further and higher education
8. Personal guidance

Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) is an important part of a student’s progression. We undertake this through our programme and also through one to one advice and guidance sessions delivered by Connexions and specialist qualified staff. The Ofsted Annual Report for 2018-19 makes four significant points which can be found by accessing the link below.

http://www.cegnet.co.uk/news/careers-guidance-is-important-say-ofsted