Careers and Aspiration
Careers Strategy at Eastbrook
We have an unrelenting ambition to improve social mobility for every student, irrespective of the disadvantage they face, recognising that the careers education and support they receive will have a life changing positive impact. Our students are encouraged to develop their sense of self-worth by developing essential work related and life competencies and by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community.
We are dedicated to providing students with an extensive range of insights into local, regional, national and global labour markets, providing them with an insight in a diverse range of progression routes, e.g., higher education, vocational routes such as apprenticeships or directly into employment. Our careers programmes are dynamic and change according to the changing needs of our students and local and national labour market needs. We provide opportunities for students to develop careers awareness, employability skills, labour market knowledge and resolve to become successful in their chosen field. Our school’s high quality and comprehensive careers education fosters high aspirations and enables our students to become happy, ambitious and successful citizens in society. Our school’s unique demographic and subsequent student need, means the quality of careers education information, advice and guidance provision is personalised and remains high quality.
We want our students to be:
Successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve their full potential.
Confident individuals who are able to lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
Responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.
Careers Interviews
All pupils in sixth form will have independent careers guidance. Students will receive impartial, unbiased career guidance from a range of education and training providers to inform them about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships through a range of experiences such as assemblies, workshops, events or talks.
Uni / App, Course Application Support
Around 90% of our students make applications to university. This means that we offer everyone advice and guidance on choices, activities to support applications and personal statement support in accordance with the UCAS process. For most students this process starts formally in January of Year 12 and 13 until all students have completed successful applications. Some students apply for apprenticeships and these students are supported by ASK Apprenticeships, Teeside University mentors, The Talent Foundry and Eastbrook careers advisers.
Unifrog is a one-stop careers advice station. It is a great tool to access information on colleges, universities, careers and qualifications. Students can keep their profile up to date and get advice on their next steps. They can add activities to their ‘locker’ to build a portfolio which can support with CV writing, UCAS, Apprenticeship search and job applications. Students logins will stay in place even once they have left Eastbrook provided that Unifrog, as a company, still exists. We encourage students to use Unifrog at sixth form so that they can start to explore their interests and strengths and build better and better career knowledge. Unifrog includes up-to-date labour and market information which is relevant to our local area.
Careers Programme
At Eastbrook School, our Careers Curriculum is an exciting, whole-school initiative that aligns with the DfE’s ‘Careers guidance and access for education and training providers’ (January 2023) statutory guidance and the Gatsby Benchmarks.
Our mission: To offer a bespoke and tailored programme for each student, empowering them to make meaningful choices and take control of their future from an early age.
What makes it special?
Progressive and Aspirational: Our curriculum evolves with the latest labour market trends, ensuring students are always ahead of the curve.
Raising Aspirations: We provide regular opportunities for students to explore a wide range of options and understand the pathways to achieve their goals.
Inspiring Futures: By offering a dynamic and engaging programme, we inspire our students to dream big and aim high.
Join us on this exciting journey as we equip our sixth form students with the skills, confidence, and resilience they need to thrive in an ever-changing world!
Gatsby Benchmarks
The eight Gatsby benchmarks of Good Career Guidance are:
1. A stable career 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
A SPIRAL CAREERS CURRICULUM
Whole School
The focus from a whole school perspective is one that emphasises on working towards future goals as well as the necessary skills, knowledge and behaviours required to make aspirations a reality. Our Post-16 Careers advice, guidance and support highlight to the wider school community how subjects in schools link to different careers through introducing students to key trends in labour market information. Students are also exposed to a range of careers and opportunities during school trips and workshops.
Lower School
In our lower school, students dive into the exciting world of work through our PSHE lessons. They explore their own skills and strengths with 'Self-Awareness' activities and tackle important topics like prejudice, discrimination, and diversity, all of which are crucial for their future careers.
In KS2, students:
· Discover what makes them unique and special and learn to appreciate their own strengths and areas for growth.
· Explore a variety of jobs, understanding the qualities needed for each role, and even dream about their future careers.
· Learn about the important jobs within their school and community, especially those that help in emergencies.
As they move to KS3, the journey continues:
· Students identify their likes and dislikes as learners, set personal learning targets, and distinguish between short-term goals and long-term aspirations.
· They grasp the concept of employment and its connection to income, and explore different types of work, including paid, voluntary, full-time, part-time, and work placements.
· They delve into the jobs of family members, friends, and community members, and start envisioning their own future careers and expectations.
This approach not only prepares students for the world of work but also helps them develop a strong sense of self and community awareness.
Upper School
In Upper School, students continue their exciting journey towards the world of work through our vibrant careers curriculum. They get to discuss and recognise inspirational role models, and whenever possible, we invite visitors to share real-world industry skills, experiences, and opportunities.
Highlights include:
Visits to Local Colleges: These trips and our college/Post-16 options open evening boost students' confidence, giving them a glimpse into various pathways and a chance to ask college staff all their burning questions.
Guidance from our school-based careers advisor: Our Careers advisor works closely with students, especially those with an EHCP/SEN, during key transitions. Through class and individual meetings, students explore their interests, strengths, and aspirations, receiving unbiased advice on further education, training, and employment opportunities.
In KS4, our careers curriculum helps students develop essential employability skills:
Achieving Goals: Students learn to break down targets into manageable steps, understand the satisfaction of achieving goals, and identify how their current learning connects to future careers. They also explore how personal strengths, interests, and skills can shape their future lives and employment.
Understanding Employment: They recognsze different types of employment, understand that some jobs pay more than others, and learn about the factors influencing career choices. Students also gain knowledge about job searching, CV writing, application forms, and interview techniques, as well as the skills needed to secure and maintain a job.
Support Networks: Identifying people and organisations that can provide help and support for future employment is a key part of their learning.
Activities include:
Exploring different routes into employment.
Completing a vocational profile linked to their skills, interests, and career aspirations.
Working on individual Unifrog activities exploring employment sectors about a job of their choice.
Practicing job-related skills like interview techniques, communication, and teamwork.
Learning about resources and organisations that offer advice and support for future employment.
Post 16
Our Post-16 students engage in a variety of careers related events, including local and national careers fairs, providing them with a wide range of information and experience about different job sectors.
Universal Offer
All students follow the following advice and guidance programme around next steps and higher education. We understand that every student is in a different position when it comes to prior knowledge of what is available and the process of applying. Every student has access to the same talks, meetings and support through Year 12 and 13. From this provision we then differentiate those applying for apprenticeships, early entry university courses and main deadline university courses.
Unifrog
During the Autumn Term ALL students, including Primary students, receive their Unifrog log in details and an explanation about the platform. Unifrog is able to offer live search of university and apprenticeship courses, It is also where we encourage student to record their extra and supra-curricular activities so that writing about themselves become less daunting in June and upon their return in Year 13 when they engage actively in writing their personal statements for UCAS applications.
At Eastbrook School, our Careers programme is designed to empower our students with the essential skills, knowledge, confidence, determination, and resilience to excel in a rapidly changing world. We recognise that a strong home-school partnership is crucial in guiding each student towards achieving their full potential beyond the classroom.
The Schools Careers Lead is Shehnaz Awan: awans@eastbrookschool.org
