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Abbey School

We are a Careers Mark School 

We are delighted to have and be awarded the National Careers Mark that recognises quality In Careers Standard which fully incorporates the Gatsby Benchmarks. This is an excellent achievement and recognises the quality and breadth of our careers provision.

Our Careers and Enterprise Team 

Liz Shimwell is a qualified teacher and level 6 Careers advisor. Liz oversees Careers and Enterprise in throughout the school. You can contact her on lshimwell@nexusmat.org
Sarah Richardson - Independent Careers Advisor. You can contact her on srichardson@nexusmat.org
Louise Abbott - Work Experience Link. You can contact her on labbott@nexusmat.org

About Careers at #teamabbey 

At #teamabbey we are extremely proud of our Careers Educational offer for pupils. This reflects our intent for the curriculum. Below you can learn more  about our methods for preparing students for their journey into further education, employment and training. 

Our careers programme within school begins in our youngest classes  where pupils are introduced to work-related vocabulary and role-play. 

Our Careers and Enterprise curriculum is designed to develop the knowledge and skills for preparing for adulthood and to explore accessible career opportunities to enable the best outcomes for all. Our Careers and Enterprise curriculum  is enhanced further through the use of  our STEAM Street initiative, allowing for our pupils to investigate different careers turning role play into reality.

Our Careers Curriculum Map 

You can view our Careers and Enterprise Curriculum Map that shows how our pupils develop their careers  and Enterprise learning journey whilst they are part of #teamabbey. 

Our Careers Programme 

Key Stage 1 

Introduction to work related vocabulary and Role Play

Our careers education begins early at #teamabbey with our lower school classes having opportunities  to develop their role play and vocabulary, exploring careers and enterprise through play.

Activities include:

Trips to encourage role play, explore people who help us, explore and link jobs to role play from our local community and be introduced to concepts like  growing through life and exploring possibilities. 

Key Stage 2

Engagement with ambition and employment  

Our Key stage 2 pupils have the opportunity to begin to think about their ambitions more fully with links to jobs both within class and further with our STEAM Street initiative that allows pupils to have  STEAM Street roles  based upon their aspirations. 

Activities include 

Dedicated career lessons that begin to turn role play to reality by developing;oping research skills into employment through visits both out of school and from employers. Pupils begin to further explore growing through life and exploration of possibilities for work and skills. Creating their own opportunities through the STEAM Street Jobs Fair. 

Key Stage 3 

Informed Option Choices

Our Key stage 3 pupils have the opportunity to pursue their aspirations further. Choosing options not only for the educational through dedicated careers and enterprise lessons that include face to-face encounters, experience of the workplace and personalised career information, advice and guidance. 

Activities include: 

Visits to local employers through trips built into the curriculum, visits from employers, explore and recognise personal strengths and further look at how employment grows through life how you would need to manage a career and the oportunties with a chosen career. 

Key Stage 4 

Guidance, Opportunities and Ambition 

Our Key Stage 4 pupils begin to take on a mentor role within their STEAM Street career within school. Sharing the skills and knowledge they have gained as part of our careers programme.  Individualised flight paths help to shape next steps and inform decision-making. 

Activities include: 

Careers advice and interviews, Attendance to a range of careers fairs, visits to Post  16 settings, face-to face encounters and experience of the workplace. External visitors support with information for apprenticeships and T-Levels. 

Key Stage 5 

Support and Advice

Pupils who stay with us at Key stage 5 have the opportunity for further work placements and links to employment as well as develop the professional skills needed in the workplace and linked to aspiration 

Activities include: 

  • Careers advise  at parents’ evening.
  • Parental Appointments offered on all parent evenings.
  • Follow up career advice where specific needs have been identified.
  • Access to careers advice and guidance as required by the student.
  • Work placements and work experience.
  • Access to National Citizenship Service (NCS) and other personal development opportunities.
  • Pre and post exam support to ensure positive destinations are achieved for all.
  • Apprenticeship Workshops and support 
  • Careers Fair visits 
  • Support with Local Market Information 

Careers Advice and Policies 

You can view our Provider Access Statement that looks at welcoming other agencies into school to work in co-production  and develop our links and employer encounters.

Our Careers' policy can be accessed that outlines our ambition for careers at #teamabbey  

The government's advice and guidance outlines what careers should look like within settings.  

We have outlined what we think our pupils are entitled to through our entitlement statement. 

Our Work Experience Statement shows how we promote work experience within school, and we have also  grow learner skills

The Impact of our Career's Education 

Our Destinations Data shows the impact that our Carers and Enterprise has on our pupils from last year and the outcomes for pupils also looks in more detail at this. 

We are extremely proud of our Compass Tool self assessment tool that is ratified at local and national level. This outlines how we meet the Gatsby Benchmarks  shown below:

A stable careers programme 100% 
Encounters with employers & employees 100% 
Learning from career & labour market information 100% 
Experiences of workplaces 100% 
Addressing the needs of each pupil 100% 
Encounters with further and higher education 100%
Linking curriculum learning to careers 100%
Personal guidance 100%