Career Programme Information

The aim of this document is to provide information about the school’s careers programme in accordance with Section 42A of the Education Act 1997.  The information included also outlines provider access requirements which is in accordance with section 42B of the Education Act 1997. The school’s careers programme and arrangements for managing the access of education and training providers to students is monitored by Mr A Potts, Assistant Principal. The policy statement will be reviewed by Mr A Potts on an annual basis and will be next updated for 1st September 2022.

Section 1 – A summary of our careers programme

1.1 Values and principles

At the Hathershaw College we are committed to providing both independent careers guidance and a highly structured careers programme as the legal entitlement of all students. Excellent Careers Information Education Advice and Guidance (CIEAG) prepares students to make appropriate choices in order to be successful in adult life. Our CIEAG programme develops the students’ skills and provides the information to enable them to make informed decisions about their futures, enabling students to be both aspirational and realistic. We are committed to providing an excellent careers programme and welcome approaches from employers to build partnerships to continually improve our practice.

1.2 Aims

The aims of our CIEAG programme are for students to:

• be aware of their abilities, skills and aptitudes and how these might equip them for possible future careers
• receive independent guidance from a qualified Careers Advisor from Year 8 onwards
• find out about potential future careers and the range of opportunities in each occupational area
• have an awareness of Labour Market Information and changes taking place with respect to employment opportunities at a local, national and global level
• be aware of the range of routes to possible future careers, including reference to apprenticeships where applicable
• have the opportunity to undertake a variety of career-related activities in each year group
• be equipped with the knowledge and skills to make the next steps in their education at the point of transition from school

1.3 Implementation:

• The Careers Leader, in conjunction with the Careers Advisor, will lead and quality assure the provision of CIEAG across the college, and liaise with the relevant outside agencies
• The Careers Leader will work with Curriculum Leaders to ensure aspects of their curriculum are linked to real-world career paths
• All students in Years 8 to 11 will receive an appointment with a Careers Advisor each academic year. Some students, including those who have special educational needs or are children in care, may receive additional support from the Careers Advisor.
• Parents will be fully involved in the CIEAG process. They will be provided with an overview of the CIEAG programme and are able to attend appointments between their child and the Careers Advisor
• A variety of ‘taster events’ will be provided for students, including visits to our Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) partner, Oldham Sixth Form College (OSFC), The Oldham College, training providers and Universities
• An annual Careers Fair will provide Year 10 students with direct access to employers
• All students receive Citizenship lessons, which are used to deliver aspects of the CIEAG curriculum. In addition to this, Form Tutors support students at specific times of the year, for example contributing to the post-16 College application process and option choices for students in Year 8
• All students have access to a dedicated careers education section on the school’s website which provides them with up to date and pertinent guidance.

1.4 Partnerships

The College has strong partnerships with a variety of organisations to support the implementation of CIEAG. These include:

• Positive Steps
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority
• The Careers and Enterprise Company
• Local Colleges, including our MAT partner, OSFC
• Training Providers offering routes into employment through apprenticeships
• Universities including The University of Oxford, The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University
• A range of employers, including the NHS through the Enterprise Advisor Network
• Former students as we continue to develop an ‘Alumni Network’
• Young Enterprise
• Mahdlo
• GM Higher
• Greater Manchester Learning Provider Network

1.5 Staff development

Training is provided for all staff responsible for the delivery of CIEAG.  The Careers Leader has undertaken training provided by the Careers and Enterprise Company and facilitated by Greater Manchester Combined Authority. In-house training is provided for teachers of Citizenship and form tutors. If you are a student, parent, teacher or employer and want further information about our careers programme, this is available in the Curriculum section of our website, which can be accessed at www.hathershaw.org.uk/The-Curriculum/ and clicking on the Citizenship section for each year group.

Section 2 – Impact of provision

The College closely monitors the number of students who are recorded as not in education, employment or training (NEET) after they have left school. 

The table below shows the percentage of students who leave The Hathershaw College and go into some form of education, employment or training. The table highlights that we are above the Local Authority average and, as a school, we have a low NEET figure. The College’s NEET figure has declined by around 1% since 2018 but it is worth noting that this figure is as a result of two students leaving the local area and being non-contactable.

Source: 'Moving on Report' Positive Steps

In addition to this the College also monitors the number of students that stay in some form of education, employment or training post 18.  Please find the information below. The information was last gathered in February 2020 for the 2017 school leavers.

Student destination information is also available via the Government’s Performance Tables website.

IAG Award

In recognition of our CIEAG provision, the College is in receipt of ‘The Quality in Careers Standard’ award, providing further verification of the quality and impact of our CIEAG provision.

Section 3- Provider Access Requirements

3.1 Summary of the Provider Access Requirements

This section of the policy outlines the school’s arrangements for managing the access of education and training providers to students for the purpose of giving them information about their offer.

It sets out:

• Procedures in relation to requests for access
• The grounds for granting and refusing requests for access
• Details of premises or facilities to be provided to a person who is given access

3.2 Statutory requirements

The school is committed to the Baker Clause. The Baker Clause stipulates that Schools are required to ensure that there is an opportunity for a range of education and training providers to have access to every student in years 8 to 13 for the purposes of informing them about approved technical education, qualifications or apprenticeships. As a result of this the school works with a number of outside agencies to provide this range of information. This partnership work also complements our careers curriculum which introduces our students to these alternative pathways.

3.3 Student entitlement

All students in years 8 to 11 at The Hathershaw College are entitled to: 

• Find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities, as part of our careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point
• Hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships
• Understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses

3.4 Management of provider access requests

A provider wishing to request access should contact the designated school’s Careers Leader for the College is Mr A Potts, Assistant Principal.  If you are a parent, pupil, employer or an education training provider and would like further information on our Careers Information Education Advice and Guidance (CIEAG), he can be contacted by telephone on 0161 770 8555 or by email at aps@hathershaw.org.uk.

3.5 Granting and refusing access

A decision on granting access will be considered by Mr A Potts, Assistant Principal Careers Lead and the final decision on approval will be made by Mr M Giles Principal. Access may be denied if the request is not from a reputable company or it is found that the providers may not be able to provide a balanced viewpoint.

3.6 Safeguarding

• Our safeguarding/child protection policy outlines the school’s procedure for checking the identity and suitability of visitors.
• Education and training providers will be expected to adhere to this policy - Safeguarding/child protection policy

3.7 Premises and facilities

At the College we have a designated Training Room and a Hall with access to IT and sound facilities which can be used by education and training providers to deliver to our students.

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Careers Programme Information