The duty on schools to secure independent careers guidance for all year 7-13 pupils is intended to expand advice and guidance for young people so they are inspired and motivated to fulfil their potential. Schools should help every pupil develop high aspirations and consider a broad and ambitious range of careers. Inspiring every pupil through more real-life contacts with the world of work can help them understand where different choices can take them in the future.

All registered pupils should be able to access independent careers guidance from Year 7 to Year 11.

They must ensure that the independent careers guidance provided is presented in an impartial manner and includes information on the range of education or training options, including Apprenticeships and other vocational pathways.

The guidance given will promote the best interests of the pupils to whom it is given.

The Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance at the Gainsborough Academy is coordinated by Mrs Phillips, Assistant Principal, HOY and SE staff.

These colleagues will be available to provide you with careers education, information and guidance to help you realise and fulfil your potential.

Colleagues are located on the first floor near the library and are available to discuss:

• Further Education – colleges and training in the area including apprenticeships.
• Higher Education – advice on entry into a University and the UCAS process, student finance and alternative HE routes and schemes.
• Labour Market – advice and information on entering the world of work, labour market trends, skills and qualifications suitable for different careers as well as CV and application workshops.

The independent and impartial Advice and Guidance is provided by the Schools Support Adviser for Lincolnshire and colleagues from Complete Careers. Colleagues are attending the Academy at least once a week and is providing advice and guidance on a rolling programme in KS4. Colleagues are also available for one to one meetings.

We regularly review our Careers programme through termly meetings to discuss actions and events based on what has been arranged by the careers staff and also through the Pastoral Teams. The Careers teams now use a specific tracker to capture all events they arrange through assemblies and workshops so that the Senior Leadership team can keep a strategic overview of all careers related activities within the Academy.

The Gainsborough Academy annually review (the next one being April 2021) the careers education on offer through the Compass Tool * which is used to inform planning and identify priorities for the following academic year.

The Academy has produced a careers strategy which is aligned to the Gatsby Benchmarks and includes priorities identified through the Compass Tool.

We currently are broadly in line with national averages of those pupils who leave the Gainsborough Academy not in education, training or employment. This is an area in which we are continually striving to improve. Our destination data is also used to inform trips, visits and external stakeholder involvement within the Academy.