Careers Guidance

Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)

The Academy is committed to providing Careers Education, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) to all students through the curriculum and organised activities. The information on this page will be reviewed in June 2025.

The academy achieved the Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Careers Award in May 2020.

Careers Guidance focus on the specific needs of individual students to promote self- awareness and personal development. The guidance aims to provide current and relevant information to enable each student to make informed decisions about their future. Careers guidance is presented in an impartial manner, confidential and differentiated to suit the requirements of each individual student. The service is provided by a Level 6 Qualified Careers Advisor.

CEIAG Co-ordinator:	Mrs K. Naylor: [email protected] (01782 883333)
PSHE Lead:	Mrs L. Wilkes: [email protected] (01782 883333)
Enrichment Co-ordinator:	Mr D. Lethaby: [email protected] (01782 883333)

Assessing and measuring the impact of careers programme on our students

As an academy, we assess and measure the impact the careers programme has on our pupils through regular evaluations. Information from each evaluation is used to inform the CEIAG development which is in turn supported by The Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC)

University, college, 6th Form and other training providers

Each year, students will have the opportunity to meet with or visit colleges and universities. These encounters will help students to understand the full range of educational opportunities that are available to them. This includes information on the different levels of apprenticeships. Providers are present during parent’s evenings and are scheduled for lunch-time drop-in sessions.

Information providers should refer to our

Provider access policy – Apr 25 updated Download

Employer encounters

OHA has built relationships with local employers, employment services, and voluntary organisations to help broaden the student’s horizons. Each year, students will have the opportunity to work with or visit local employers. Some of these encounters will be with STEM employers. The opportunity to experience lots of different sectors can be particularly helpful and our aim as an academy is to exceed the governments’ minimum expectations.

Information providers should refer to our Provider Access Policy.

CEIAG student entitlement

CEIAG is about helping students to plan for their future by equipping them with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to make informed decisions about the choices open to them and to make successful transition through learning and into work.

The main themes are –

Developing through careers, employability and enterprise education; helping you to understand yourself and the influences on you.

Learning about careers and the world of work; supporting you to research careers information and understand the opportunities and options facing you.

Developing career management, employability and enterprise skills: helping you to make realistic plans about your next steps and to manage this positively including use of social media and their digital profile.

The CEIAG programme includes a range of:

Planned programme of career education from Year 7 onwards, delivered as part of a timetabled PSHE lesson
Access to a qualified independent impartial Careers Adviser from year 8, including a one-to-one interview.
Work experience in Year 10
Access to up to date and impartial careers information from a range of sources including information about learning pathways
Collapsed timetable events to find out about their work from a range of local employers • Encounters with local employers – you should be offered at least one encounter each year from year 7 to year 11. Examples of employer encounters are mentoring, job shadowing, mock interviews and workplace visits.
Information about and/or visits to further education colleges, universities and other training providers, so you can understand the full range of courses, apprenticeships and technical education/training routes available.

Careers education starts in Year 7 through Personal Tutor time, PHSE lessons, Curriculum Enrichment Days and during lessons allowing the students to reflect on where they are now and on what they want to do in the future; Students are introduced to UNIFROG, an online career matching software package which helps students to develop an understanding of why leaving school with qualifications is important. Students will have by the end of Year 7 a clear understanding of the differences between qualifications such as GCSE’s, BTEC and the new Technical Levels ready for when they choose their options in Year 9.

Students will participate in a planned programme of PSHE and careers education during Personal Tutor time, subject lessons and Curriculum Enrichment days to help them to:

Develop deeper self-understanding and know how this relates to the world of work by beginning to identify their strengths and weaknesses

Understand how their strengths and weaknesses relate to employability skills
Be introduced to careers resources in the learning resource centre and/or online
Have access to up to date and impartial careers information

Students continue with this in Year 8 investigating possible career routes and matching skills and qualities to suitable occupations. Stereotyping is addressed in each year group to ensure all students are aware and fully embrace the importance of equal opportunities

Students will participate in a planned programme of PSHE and careers education during Personal Tutor time, PHSE lessons and Curriculum Enrichment days to help them to:

Understand that they will need to make some important decisions about their future and learn about decision making
Develop an awareness of how and by whom they can be influenced in the choices they make including how their use of social media and their digital footprint can have potentially both a positive and negative impact on their employability
Begin to look at opportunities in the world of work and consider if they might be suitable for them
Identify their aspirations and how these relate to the goals they need to set

In Year 9, external providers such as, Stoke-on-Trent 6th Form, Newcastle College, Stoke-on-Trent College deliver sessions that include giving advice on post 16 opportunities, world of work preparation as well as CV preparation. Students are expected to begin preparation in advance for their work experience placement in Year 10 and are supported by the CEIAG Co-ordinator.

Students will participate in a planned programme of PSHE and careers education during Personal Tutor time, PHSE lessons and Curriculum Enrichment days to help them to:

Examine their approach to decision making
Be aware of the options process and outline implications for their choices
Develop their understanding of different qualifications and pathways post 14, post-16 and post 18
Challenge stereotypical views and learn about equality and diversity
Students and their parents will have:
Access to the academy Careers Leader and a career Adviser at the year 9 Options Evening for advice.
Access to up to date and impartial careers information and a professional Careers adviser if requested or a need is identified
Participate in an event that involves employers either at school or by visiting a workplace

All of Year 10 pupils will take part in a one-week Work Experience placement. The aim is to give students first-hand experience of the world of work.  Students are fully prepared for their placement through assembly’s, personal tutor time and Curriculum Enrichment days as well as a one-to-one work experience mentoring meeting. Some students will take part in a one-week Employability Skills workshop creating a CV, working on interview skills and meeting with employers.

Students will participate in a planned programme of PSHE and careers education during Personal Tutor time, subject lessons and Curriculum Enrichment days to help them to:

Develop a greater understanding of the world of work and the options available to them by examining local and national labour markets and current trends
Review their current ambitions and goals and be able to link them with their own future options with an understanding of all options available to them post including apprenticeships
Develop careers research skills to allow them to interpret information, identifying bias where it exists and developing the skills to identify and challenge stereotypical views
Have access to up to date and impartial careers information and a professional Careers adviser if requested or the need is identified.

Year 11 have a planned Careers Programme that is completed throughout the year. This includes investigating post 16 options, meet with external providers at Parents Evening and assemblies. This gives students the opportunity to speak to various professionals and organisations, in order to help with their post 16 choices. Students are given open day information during assembly, personal tutor time bulletins and are invited to attend workshops and presentations with outside speakers regarding various post 16 routes.

At the start of Year 11, students are supported with one to one Careers Advice to help student’s decision making when it comes to Post 16 Choices.

An assembly is delivered to Year 11 students about Apprenticeship opportunities and information is given as to where additional information can be accessed. OHA also supports students applying for the National Citizenship Service of which we have the highest number of students signing up in the area.

Students will participate in a planned programme of PSHE and careers education during Personal Tutor time, subject lessons and Curriculum Enrichment days to help them to:

Understand all the options open to them Post-16 and the related skills and qualifications required
Know how to identify any barriers to their future plans
Know what career planning involves
Learn how to complete job applications and know how to prepare for interviews and learn how their use of social media and their digital footprint can have potentially both a positive and negative impact on their employability
Learn about any financial support available
Ormiston Horizon Academy: GATSBY Benchmarks of careers education

Every school and college should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by pupils, parents, teachers, governors and employers. The information below demonstrates the actions we have taken in addressing each one:-

Learning from career and labour market information

“Every pupil, and their parents should have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed adviser to make best use of available information”.

During Curriculum Enrichment days, assemblies and employer encounters, each year group follows a tailored careers education programme. This includes information on different careers, information on how to seek careers, applications, interviews and the skills needed in the workplace.

“Pupils have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support needs to be tailored to the needs of each pupil. A schools careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout”.

The CEIAG programme is tailored to different year groups in order to ensure it is age appropriate. In addition to this, all students complete a careers pathway form at the start of each year. These forms are then analysed by the careers co-ordinator who may then refer the students to the Careers Advisor dependent on their form at the appropriate time. This allows sessions to be tailored to students needs and ensure they complete experiences linked to their own interests such as meeting employers from the student’s career interest.

“All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths”.

Throughout the academic year and during curriculum enrichment days students complete lessons based around careers in their subject. E.g. careers in science or engineering. This gives students an insight into the different careers they could go into using each of their qualifications. There is a focus within the pack of information students can access in the Personal Tutor room on a different career option including relevant qualifications required.

“Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes”.

Throughout the academic year and curriculum enrichment days students work with a range of employers and employees to give them knowledge about the workplace. During the workshops students learn about People Skills, Money Skills and Work Skills.

We invite members of industry to deliver an inspirational group mentoring event. This gives students the opportunity to ask successful entrepreneurs what their career journeys were like.

Throughout the academic year and curriculum enrichment days students work with a range of employers and employees to give them knowledge about the workplace.

We invite members of industry to deliver an inspirational group mentoring event. This gives students the opportunity to ask successful entrepreneurs what their career journeys were like.

First Edition: is a hands-on STEM activity day supported by industry professionals. Workshops give pupils engaging experiences and show careers in STEM can be wide-ranging and rewarding. All of Year 7, 8 & 9 – 3 Encounters per student

Go4SET (industrial Cadets Bronze Level, Year 8-9): Students work on a STEM project, supported by industry. Go4SET helps pupils to explore STEM careers and introduces key STEM employability skills. 6 students from a mixture of Year 8 & 9 – 10 Encounters per student

“Every pupil should have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks”.

Work Experience placements during Year 10 which are highly personalised. Some students are offered Employability Skills, Food Hygiene and First Aid at Work qualifications too.

“Every pupil should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a career adviser, who could be internal or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all pupils but should be timed to meet their individual needs”.

Students are interviewed by Level 6 Careers Adviser in Year 10 & Year 11 to ensure students have high aspirations and are applying for the most suitable courses.

Students also receive advice and guidance from Horizons+, NCS, College, 6thForm and Universities as well as Apprenticeship providers and Employers. This occurs during assemblies, parent’s evenings and lunchtime drop in sessions in addition to other academy events.

Information providers should refer to our Provider Access Policy.