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The Belvedere Academy

Careers

"The careers education and guidance that students receive very effectively supports them in making choices about their next steps in education or training." Ofsted 2015 

Careers at The Belvedere Academy

The Belvedere Academy is fully committed to ensuring that all of our pupils acquire the skills, knowledge and attitudes to manage their learning and career progression. The Belvedere Academy has already established a range of effective careers guidance activities which we hope will guide and support our pupils to achieve positive destinations such as Further Education, Internships, Apprenticeships, Employment or Social Care Settings.

This careers strategy sets out The Belvedere Academy’s key approaches internally and externally to enhance the current careers guidance activities and participation opportunities already available to our pupils. The aim is to ensure that pupils are fully prepared for and informed effectively about their next steps and can therefore aspire to achieve their full potential. We want to ensure that our pupils have both the aptitude and interpersonal skills to effectively communicate and add value within the community.

We will collaborate throughout this strategy with a range of external agencies to help ensure we will meet all of the mandatory requirements contained within the Department for Educations' New Careers Strategy. These partnerships will include working alongside The Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC), The Growth Platform, The Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Liverpool County Council (LCC), Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE) providers, BeMoreLiverpool and a wide range of local employers and local social care provisions.

High quality careers guidance is offered by Careers Connect  and is a crucial part of improving social mobility. Young people make choices based on what they know and what they think is available to them.

If our young people, their families and supporting professionals are made fully aware of the career pathways and opportunities available to them, they will be more able to make informed choices about life beyond education, qualifications and career pathways which will enable them to achieve their aspirations and goals.

The strategy includes measures to further develop and improve the current provision on offer to pupils and will ensure that The Belvedere Academy meets the requirements set out within the eight "Gatsby Benchmarks", as advised by the Department for Educations' Careers Strategy, by August 2021.

This strategy outlines our school approach to delivering careers guidance to our pupils throughout their journey in education. Careers planning and activities will take place across all year groups from to 7 to 13, through Personal Development, Form Time and Assemblies to ensure activities are appropriate and meaningful, and being guided by the mandatory requirements set by the Department for Education and contained within the Gatsby Benchmarks.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships provide a valuable pathway for individuals to enter the workforce, gain practical skills, and establish a career in a specific industry. They offer employers the opportunity to train and mold a workforce that meets their specific needs, ensuring a skilled and knowledgeable workforce for the future.

An apprenticeship is a structured training programme in which apprentices learn a trade or skill through a combination of on-the-job training and classroom instruction. This method of learning allows individuals to gain practical experience and theoretical knowledge in a specific field while earning a wage.

Click on the links below to access more information:

Background Information

The Careers and Enterprise Company was set up in 2015 to transform careers and enterprise provision in schools and colleges across England. The Careers and Enterprise Company had an initial remit to improve employer engagement, through the creation of the Enterprise Adviser Network and support schools to increase the delivery of activities which would help them build long lasting employer relationships (Gatsby Benchmarks 5 and 6). 

In December 2017 the government’s Department for Education launched the latest version of their "Careers Strategy". This new strategy places the Careers and Enterprise Company at the heart of driving forward careers provision for young people. Their enhanced role is to act as a catalyst in the fragmented landscape of careers and enterprise, supporting programmes that work, filling gaps in provision and ensuring coverage across the entire country.

This new strategy adopted the Gatsby Benchmarks, which were originally developed by the Gatsby Foundation in 2014. These benchmarks were based on international research and helped identify best practice and guidance for education establishments in order for them to deliver high quality careers guidance to young people across England. These benchmarks have also formally been adopted by OFSTED and will now form part of their school inspection process.  

Be More Apprenticeships - Liverpool City Region

The Liverpool City Region Be More portal is an award-winning UCAS-style apprenticeship and careers portal. It seeks to remove some of the barriers which prevent people from taking on apprenticeships and additional training.

It brings together opportunities from across Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and the Wirral to create a fairer, stronger, cleaner City Region where nobody is left behind.

How can LCR Be More help you?

Be More is the one-stop shop for skills and career options in LCR, it cters for both local employers and people looking for learning opportunities. Here is some of the help and support that residents can find on the Be More website and app:

  • Search for an apprenticeship vacancy to learn whilst earning money.
  • Find free internet access and digital equipment and support to help with training and employment.
  • Enrol on a Skills Bootcamp to build your CV and fast track to an interview.
  • Search local job vacancies in LCR's growth sectors.
  • Receive 1-2-1 support from Households Into Work to tackle issues such as mental illness, debt, low confidence and low skills to improve your circumstances.

Be More forms part of Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram's plan to ensure that people in the Liverpool City Region can fulfil their potential.

https://lcrbemore.co.uk/apprenticeship/ 

Careers Newsletters

Careers Newsletter - February 2024

Careers Newsletter - April 2024

Careers Newsletter - June 2024

Careers Newsletter - September 2024

Careers Policy and Strategy 

Our Careers Policy and Provider Access Policy are both available to read on the academy website: https://www.belvedereacademy.net/Policies/ 

The academy Careers Strategy is available to read below:

The Belvedere Academy Careers Strategy 2024

Careers Programme at The Belvedere Academy

The Belvedere Academy Careers Programme 2023-2024

Careers Learning Journey 11-18

Edge Hill University Virtual Outreach Programme

Edge Hill University is offering a timetabled plan of live activities designed to provide information and support to students regarding Higher Education.

Each live session will focus on a specific topic in Higher Education and will be delivered by a member of Edge Hill's Education Liaison Team.

Gatsby Benchmarks

The Gatsby Benchmarks are a framework of 8 guidelines that define the best careers provision in secondary and special schools, and Sixth Form and Further Education Colleges.

The Benchmark Report - The Gatsby Foundation, in collaboration with The Careers & Enterprise Company and Disability Rights UK, have created a new publication which aims to inspire Careers Leaders, teachers and all those working with young people with special education needs and disabilities to use the Gatsby Benchmarks to create a strong career guidance programme for each and every young person.

How we help our students at The Belvedere Academy

To help our students make well-informed choices to enable them to progress into further learning, training or employment, the Belvedere Careers Department works with Career Connect to provide advisory meetings for all pupils in Year 11. Carol Doyle from Career Connect is Belvedere’s Careers Advisor.

Carol is in school every Tuesday and interviews all students in Year 11, giving them the opportunity to discuss their post-16 options, including sixth form, college, or apprenticeships, and can provide support with application forms, CVs and interviews.

Students in Year 8 - 13 are encouraged to make an appointment with Carol to look at their options, including college courses, apprenticeships, employment or university. Parents/carers are welcome to get in touch at any time to discuss their child's plans, or any concerns they might have about careers education. Should students or parents wish to contact her, you can email Carol on  c.doyle2@belvedereacademy.net. Please be aware Carol is only in Belvedere one day a week, when waiting for a response.

Provider Access Policy 

This is available to read on the academy website: 
https://www.belvedereacademy.net/Policies/ 

How We Measure and Assess the Careers Programme's Impact on Pupils

The Belvedere Academy works closely with the Careers and Enterprise Company. This is an external organisation that supports schools to ensure they are following the DFEs newly devised Careers Strategy. The following information is an extract taken from this guidance.

“The careers strategy sets out that every school and academy providing secondary education should use the Gatsby Charitable Foundation’s Benchmarks to develop and improve their careers provision. This statutory guidance has been restructured around the Benchmarks with information on what schools need to do to meet each one. The Gatsby Benchmarks are not a statutory framework but by adopting them, schools can be confident that they are fulfilling their legal duties: the existing duties to secure independent careers guidance and provide opportunities to a range of providers to inform pupils about technical education qualifications or apprenticeships and the new duty to publish information about the careers programme on the school website.”

The effectiveness of our provision is inspected and audited by the Careers and Enterprise Company using the Compass Careers Benchmark Tool. This tool is used by schools and colleges in England to support the analysis and evaluation of careers activity against the eight benchmarks of best practice (known as the Gatsby Benchmarks). The Careers and Enterprise Company coordinate the Audit deadlines. This ensures the development of our career strategy is ongoing to ensure best practice. Belvedere Academy is a member of the Liverpool City Region Careers Hub, in partnership with Growth Platform, connecting education and business to inspire our future workforce together.

Below is the list of published deadlines from the Careers and Enterprise Company for the completion of audits until the end of 2024.

Compass audit deadlines for 2023-2024

  • Friday 31st March 2023
  • Friday 27th October 2023
  • Friday 2nd February 2024
  • Friday 3rd May 2024
  • Friday 5th July 2024

In line with the recommendations set out in Gatsby Benchmark 1, we as a school plan to review the published information on an annual basis, inviting feedback from key audiences. This includes both parental and student voice feedback from our wide-ranging initiatives throughout the year, such as year group work shadowing, guest presentations and career meeting interviews.

This information was reviewed in September 2023. Next date for review is September 2024.

Independent Advice & Guidance for Our Pupils

All pupils can request to speak to a careers advisor.  We employ Carol Doyle, c.doyle2@belvedereacademy.net, an independent careers advisor one day per week via Career Connect.  Carol is able to offer you impartial advice on a range of career pathways and providers.  She can offer advice and guidance as well as support for sixth form, university or college applications.

Information for Parents

Our goal is to help our students achieve theirs. To assist students we have created a full academy careers programme - allowing you to see your child’s journey through their time at Belvedere.

We understand how important careers decisions are, and we want to assist you in supporting your child by providing you with a range of resources that can help you.  If you wish, you can arrange a careers appointment with Carol Doyle, c.doyle2@belvedereacademy.net, our independent careers advisor.  She is also available at Options evenings, Parents’ Evenings and other whole school events. Please email her for an appointment or to schedule a telephone consultation. 

Careers advice for parents is a website that has been set up by careers professionals and recommended by the UK Career Development Institute. ‘Careers Advice for Parents aims to give you an easy-to-read overview of all the essential facts on finding jobs and apprenticeships or choosing further and higher education courses which could make a real difference to your child’s future career prospects.’

National Careers Service helpline for students  0800 100 900 or use webchat

Callers to the helpline will have direct access to experienced careers advisers who can advise on all the different options available to them, including A levels, GCSEs, BTECs, apprenticeships and other vocational options. Other support will be available on topics such as clearing, university, gap years, moving away from home and re-sits.

Students looking for help with clearing or their UCAS application should contact UCAS at ucas.com/contact-us

Parental Guidance

Parental Guidance is another useful website written by members of the Careers Writers Association. The Association consists of highly experienced careers writers of articles, books and web-based materials for the 14-25 age group. Many are also experienced and qualified careers advisers who have worked in schools, colleges and universities in the UK as well as overseas.  Do visit the Find a careers writer pages for more details including special writing interests, and the wide range organisations who have commissioned our work.

The Parents' Guide provides parents and carers with the information they need at key transition points to help their  children create successful futures.

Skills Check

The most important thing you can offer is the knowledge of where to find the right information, so you can do the research into their options together.

  • To begin with, it’s important your child knows what are their strengths, their skills and abilities. You will undoubtedly know what they are good at but it’s difficult to recognise your own skills and strengths. You can use the Skills Health Check https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/skills-assessment  test on the National Careers website to help your child become more aware of their strengths, weakness and career sectors they may be suited to. This is a great starting point and can help your child with researching specific career sectors and understanding more about themselves as an individual.
  • The career choices which the test may offer up can be researched further on the ‘Job Profile’ pages. The National Careers Service have over 800 different types of career options, from accountant to zoologist and everything in between! The descriptions explain the qualifications needed, what the work would be like, average salary and how the industry might change in coming years

Our Careers Team

Title 

 Name

Responsibility

Governor responsible for Careers

Barbara King 

Responsible for strategic support and challenge of careers strategy at governor level.

Head Teacher 

Julie Taylor

Responsible for strategic support and challenge of career leader decisions.

Careers Senior Leader 

Julie Marshall

Responsible for planning and setting the strategic direction of careers provision at The Belvedere Academy.

Careers Leader

Carmel Traynor 

Responsible for the delivery and organisation of careers provision at The Belvedere Academy.

Career administrator 

Caroline Catesby-Evans

Responsible for the administrative support of Career Lead including the co-ordination of career interviews and work experience.

Careers Adviser 

Carol Doyle (Careers Connect)

Responsible for the independent, impartial advice and guidance provided to students in 1-2-1 CEIAG interviews. Responsible for providing support to identified at risk of NEET students.

Enterprise Coordinator 

Mel Aspinal 

Providing support to develop their careers provision at The Belvedere Academy.

Our Current Position

Teaching staff contribute to the delivery of careers guidance through: 

  • Providing advice and discussion opportunities to pupils 
  • Organising and supporting employer visits 
  • Planning, delivering and supporting career exploration during curriculum lessons
  • Planning and delivering cross curricular activities 
  • Providing information to the curriculum areas about how they can link their subjects/topics to careers development
  • Planning the delivery of soft skills into their lessons to support pupil aspirations

Local Provisions contribute to the delivery of careers guidance through:

  • Offering pupils appropriate life beyond education experiences 
  • Providing Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) workshops
  • Offering visits to pupils with a range of needs 
  • Providing volunteer and community inclusion opportunities 
  • Enabling employer encounters and engagements 

Parents contribute to the delivery of careers guidance through: 

  • Attending parents evenings 
  • Attending information evenings 
  • Attending life beyond school events 

Our Objectives for 2023/2024

1. A Stable Careers Programme 

  • To ensure the careers programme is delivered by individuals with the right skills and experience.The school will use qualified careers professionals to offer advice and guidance to pupils and families where appropriate through Careers Connect. 
  • To enable pupils to have an understanding of the full range of opportunities available to them, the skills that are valued within the workplace and to have first hand experience of a work environment.. 
  • To develop and publish a careers programme that will raise the aspirations of all pupils regardless of academic ability and is tailored to meet their individual needs wherever possible. 
  • To ensure our Careers Strategy is fully supported by the Senior Leadership team within school and is approved by the Board of Governors 
  • To ensure there is a clear focus on the activities for pupils it is deemed relevant and appropriate which support enterprise, employability skills, workplace experiences and qualifications which employers’ value. 
  • To regularly evaluate our careers strategy to determine the impact of our careers related activity based on the feedback provided to us by pupils, teachers, employers and where appropriate parents. 
  • To maintain high quality careers provision endorsed by the Careers and Enterprise Company and to review the improvement of our programme by using the Compass evaluation and Compass Careers Dashboard tools. 

2. Learning from Career and Labour Market Information

  • To encourage and increase the use of online careers tools and packages across all year groups where appropriate. Working with our own careers team, key partners, stakeholders, local and national professional bodies. 
  • To utilise and then support the development of labour market information to ensure staff and pupils are informed in their decisions and the advice being given. Work with the Liverpool LEP and the Careers and Enterprise Company to help establish key priority areas which need to be developed. 
  • To promote the values of labour market information to Parents/Carers (where appropriate) to access and understand this information. 
  • To investigate careers and opportunities in learning, work, apprenticeships, internships and how these meet the local and national priorities. 

3. Addressing the Needs of the Pupil

  • To develop mechanisms to report, track and monitor compliance in relation to the Careers Strategy objectives. 
  • To develop accurate tracking systems to ensure pupils are able to keep track of their own journey, record and access the advice they have received and monitor the agreed actions and next steps 
  • To ensure that a programme of activity takes place which raises the aspirations of all pupils and challenges stereotypical thinking in terms of equality and gender. 
  • To ensure that pupils with particular vulnerabilities and those who are at risk are appropriately supported and identified through close working relationships with the full range of educational and support agencies. 
  • To ensure that careers guidance for learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is differentiated, where appropriate, and based on high aspirations and a personalised approach. Careers guidance for learners with SEND should be based on the pupils own aspirations, abilities and needs. 

4. Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

  • To ensure that subject teachers across the whole school support the delivery of careers education and guidance and are able to link the content of curriculum with careers, even in lessons which are not specifically occupation led. 
  • To integrate national initiatives and project opportunities within the curriculum to enhance that range of careers related activity taking place within school through Personal development, form time and assemblies. 
  • To ensure that careers related activities are built in throughout the school year.
  • A focus will be placed on linking careers to all areas of the curriculum through the My Future/My Skills Programme

5. Encounters with Employers and Employees

  • To ensure that the pupils receive at least ONE meaningful encounter with an employer during every year they are at school. 
  • To increase the number of appropriate and relevant activities which are conducted within school with the support of local employers. 
  • To ensure that pupils have the opportunity to improve employability skills and their understanding of and awareness of entrepreneurship 
  • To enable pupils to gain the confidence to compete in the labour market by providing opportunities to gain the practical know-how and attributes that are relevant to gaining employment. 
  • Ensure pupils are aware of LMI. 

6. Experiences of the Workplace

  • To ensure that pupils receive at least ONE meaningful experience of the workplace by the end of year 11 
  • To ensure that pupils on the formal pathway receive at least ONE further meaningful experience of the workplace during years 12. 
  • To increase the number of employer workplace visits which will take place to enable pupils on the formal and semi-formal (if deemed appropriate and meaningful) to gain more of an understanding of the wide range of employment opportunities available within specific industry sectors based in Liverpool.  
  • To strengthen our links with local employers and support our Enterprise Adviser to facilitate careers related activity within school 

7. Encounters with Further and Higher Education

  • To ensure pupils receive at least THREE meaningful encounters with FE Colleges, specialist FE Colleges and/or social care providers by year 13. 
  • To ensure pupils have been provided with information about the full range of apprenticeships available in the Liverpool area. 

8. Personal Guidance

  • Ensure all pupils, where appropriate, have had careers guidance with a professional and impartial careers adviser by the end of Year 11 
  • Ensure all pupils, where appropriate, have had at least TWO discussions with with a member of staff from the careers team/SFT/SLT by the end of Year 13.

National Careers Service 

The National Careers Service is available for anyone aged 13+ providing advice and information on a range of topics including careers, education, employment and training/apprenticeships.

Callers to the helpline will have direct access to experienced careers advisers who can advise on all the different options available to them, including A levels, GCSEs, BTECs, apprenticeships and other vocational options. Other support will be available on topics such as clearing, university, gap years, moving away from home and re-sits.  National Careers Service free helpline – 0800 100 900 - is open from 8am to 10pm every day.

The National Careers website has a range of contact channels which are accessible to all; they offer a free online chat with an adviser, you can send  an email, text or arrange a call-back and they also have minicom (for customers who are deaf or have hearing difficulties).

Sixth Form Careers

All students at Belvedere Sixth Form benefit from a bespoke programme of careers guidance and opportunities which provide a vast range of talks, assemblies, workshops, events and networking opportunities.  The aim of this programme is to support and inspire students as they plan their next steps, encouraging them to challenge stereotypes and have high aspirations.  We aim to not only develop knowledge about the world of work, but also provide opportunities to develop employability skills and contacts.  

As a GDST school we are able to offer bespoke events and activities, including many that are only open to GDST schools.  Event have included workshops with PwC in Manchester, investment banking and law events in London, and experiences at Rolls Royce in the Midlands.  Closer to home,  we also work with GDST experts to share timely careers information and ensure our students are up to date with Labour Market Information, allowing them to make informed choices.   GDST regularly run assemblies & workshops, either in person or virtually, and our students can also reach for out for support to alumni from all GDST schools by using the GDST's own Rungway app. 

All our students also have access to independent advice and guidance in school, from our fully qualified careers advisor who works one day a week,  or online using the Fast Tomato careers platform which all sixth formers are signed up to and encouraged to use.

STEM

Science: includes the Natural and Physical Sciences such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy and Earth Sciences. It involves the study of the natural world, including the behaviour and properties of matter and energy.

Technology: encompasses the study of how to apply scientific knowledge to practical purposes. It includes areas such as Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering and various engineering disciplines related to the development of products, systems and solutions.

Engineering: involves the application of Scientific and Mathematical principles to design, create, and improve structures, machines, systems and processes. This field includes a wide range of specialisations from civil engineering, to electrical engineering, to even aerospace engineering.

Mathematics: is the study of Numbers, Quantities, Shapes, Patterns and their relationships. It is foundational discipline that underpins much of Science, Technology and Engineering. Mathematics includes areas such as Algebra, Calculus, Geometry, Statistics and more.

                       

Unifrog

Unifrog is the universal destinations platform. It helps students compare every university course, every apprenticeship, and Further Education courses - then apply successfully.  

 

An Introduction to UnifrogUnifrog GDPR Policy

Useful Websites for Pupils and Parents

Pupils

Parents

Local Offer

These links will include comprehensive information about the full range of opportunities for SEND students:

Training

Traineeships, Apprenticeships & Supported Internships

Supported Internships

Work Experiences & Virtual Work Experience (Springpod)

Work Experience at The Belvedere Academy

Springpod (https://www.springpod.com/)  is a free platform that aims to enable every young person to experience a university curse or career before they apply.

They partner with outstanding universities and employers to create interactive, experiential learning programmes which empower the next generation and enable them to take their future into their own hands by giving then equal access to opportunity.

From work experience to university course taster sessions, the Springpod platform is the destination for your people to explore, interact and learn about the world of work and university before they apply.

Free for every student, Springpod is monetised through university and employer partnerships and school & college premium memberships.

GDST Academy Trust is a Limited Company and Charity · Registered in England No. 6000347 · Registered Office: 10 Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DH