Careers

Programme

At St Francis Xavier’s Academy we aim for all pupils to go on to employment, education or training after leaving the school. Our NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) figure after leaving year 11 has been consistently low. We are currently renewing the quality award for careers education, information, advice and guidance through Career Connect.

All pupils should have sufficient access to careers information advice and guidance to allow them to make informed decisions at important stages in their life i.e. after KS3, KS4 and KS5.

All staff contribute to careers education and guidance through their roles as form tutors and subject teachers. Specialist sessions are provided by external providers, form tutors and teachers of Business Studies.

The school has just started using Unifrog for careers lessons and login details were sent to all students and parents. These take place weekly during the summer term during form time. Pupils must add to this time by logging in outside of form time using the library or home PC.

Parents should log in with your child, explore career options and start / continue discussions around career aspirations.

Access for students, parents and teachers

login:

www.unifrog.org/sign-in

Your username is your school email username.

An initial password has been given to all pupils and parents, which must be changed on first use. Any parent whose child can’t remember should contact Ms McParland on

[email protected]

Year Group Careers and work-related education activities Term Gatsby Benchmark Skills, CEIAG links 
Year 7 Google Classroom Careers Page

BBC 100 Share Your Story

Assemblies with Further Education providers

Unifrog

Careers Fair

National Apprenticeship Week

PSHE

One to one careers advice on request

1, 2, 3

1

1&2

1&2

2

2

3

1, 2

5

7

2, 3

5, 7

5, 7

1, 2, 4

3, 8

Careers information and advice, LMI

Careers, power of storytelling, overcoming challenges

Post 16 pathways

Careers information and advice, LMI, access to university information, and career pathways

Encounters with employers, employees, FE & HE

Encounters with employers, employees, FE & HE

What are aspirations? Future aspirations, career skills, employability skills

Personal guidance

Year 8 BBC 100 Share your story

Google Classroom Careers Page

Assemblies with Further Education providers

Unifrog

Enterprise Day

Careers Fair

National Apprenticeship Week

Meet the Professionals

One to one careers advice on request

1

1, 2, 3

1&2

1, 2, 3

3

2

2

3

3

5

1, 2

7

2, 3

5, 2, 1,

5,7

5, 7

5

3, 8

Careers, power of storytelling, overcoming challenges

Careers information and advice, LMI

Post 16 pathways

Careers information and advice, LMI, access to university information, and career pathways

Encounters with employers, employees, FE & HE

Encounters with employers, employees, FE & HE

Encounters with employers, employees

Personal guidance

Year 9 Unifrog

BBC 100 Share your story

Google Classroom Careers Page

Assemblies with Further Education providers

Options Evening

Careers Fair

National Apprenticeship Week

Enterprise Day

PSHE

One to one careers advice on request

1, 2, 3

1

1, 2, 3

1&2

2

2

2

3

3

2, 3

5

1, 2

7

4

5, 7

5, 7

5

1, 2, 4

8

Careers information and advice, LMI, access to university information, and career pathways

Careers, power of storytelling, overcoming challenges

Careers information and advice, LMI

Post 16 pathways

Linking careers in the curriculum

Encounters with employers, employees, FE & HE

Encounters with employers, employees, FE & HE

Encounters with employers, employees

Taking control of my future, work skills, the work environment, enterprising skills and qualities, enterprise in the workplace, who would you employ?

Personal guidance

Year 10 Unifrog

BBC 100 Share your story

Google Classroom Careers Page

Work Experience launch

National Apprenticeship Week

Careers Fair

PSHE – Mock interview preparation – application form, interview preparation.

Mock interviews

Work Experience

Careers meetings with Career Connect Advisor

1, 2, 3

1

1,2,3

1

2

2

3

2

3

2&3

2, 3

5

1, 2

6

5, 7

5, 7

1, 2, 4

5

5, 6

8

Careers information and advice, LMI, access to university information, and career pathways

Careers, power of storytelling, media, apprenticeships

Careers information and advice, LMI

Opportunity to source a placement linked to aspirations

Encounters with employers, employees, FE & HE

Encounters with employers, employees, FE & HE

Development recruitment documentation for future use, the right career for me, CV development, application form, Careers in STEM, preparing for work, importance of women in work

Development in recruitment practice.  Encounters with employers

Employer encounters, Experiences of workplaces

Personal guidance

Year 11 Unifrog

Google Classroom Careers Page

Careers meetings with Career Connect Advisor

BBC 100 Share Your Story

Sixth Form Taster Day

Sixth Form Open Evening

National Apprenticeship Week

Careers Fair

1,2,3

1,2,3

1,2

1

2/3

1

2

2

2, 3

1, 2

8

5

4

4

5, 7

5, 7

Careers information and advice, LMI, access to university information, and career pathways

Careers information and advice, LMI

Personal guidance

Careers, power of storytelling, media, apprenticeships

Linking careers in the curriculum

Linking careers in the curriculum

Encounters with employers, employees, FE & HE

Encounters with employers, employees, FE & HE

Year 12 Unifrog

Google Classroom Careers Page

BBC 100 Share Your Story

National Apprenticeship Week

Careers Fair

UCAS Higher Education Conference

Work Experience

Careers meetings with Career Connect Advisor

Future Focus Day

PSHE

1,2,3

1,2,3

1

2

2

3

3

2&3

3

2, 3

1, 2

5

5, 7

5, 7

7, 8

6

8

2, 7, 8

1, 2, 4

Careers information and advice, LMI, access to university information, and career pathways

Careers information and advice, LMI

Careers, power of storytelling, media, apprenticeships

Encounters with employers, employees, FE & HE

Encounters with employers, employees, FE & HE

Meeting with institution and course providers encounters with HE

Employer encounters, Experiences of workplaces

Personal guidance

Encounters with HE and apprenticeship providers, learning from career and labour market information

Careers in STEM, Personal statement development

Year 13 Unifrog

BBC 100 Share Your Story

Google Classroom Careers Page

Careers meetings with Career Connect Advisor

National Apprenticeship Week

Careers Fair

PSHE

1,2,3

1

1,2,3

1,2

2

2

1

2, 3

5

1, 2

8

5, 7

5, 7

7, 8

Careers information and advice, LMI, access to university information, and career pathways

Careers, power of storytelling, media, apprenticeships

Careers information and advice, LMI

Personal guidance

Encounters with employers, employees, FE & HE

Encounters with employers, employees, FE & HE

UCAS and employment development

In addition to this specialised days are put on for students in each year group:

Years 7-13 Speakers in assemblies

Years 8-10 Enterprise Days

Year 10 Mock interviews

Careers fair

Year 12 and 13 Future focus day and UCAS support

Options evening in Year 9

All students will be invited to attend at least one careers appointment with one of our Career Connect careers advisors, Megan Jezzard, [email protected] before leaving Year 11 or Year 13. Any boys requiring extra support will be seen as many times as required.

Although appointments are made, the advisors are flexible and can take referrals from staff and/or parents and pupils can visit / email to make an appointment themselves.

Megan can be contacted on

[email protected]

Students

Labour market information

LCR Creating Careers (including episodes for SEND students)

I Could – Careers information by curriculum subject and LMI.

Careerometer widget – This uses LMI to help students explore and compare key information about occupations.

Skillsometer widget– This links skills and interests to jobs.

LMI For All

Liverpool City Region Be More

HE

Shaping Futures – Use the chat function to ask HE related questions.

UCAS

Training Opportunities

Be More – Apprenticeship support across Liverpool City Region.

Amazing Apprenticeships – Quizzes and information on all levels of training opportunities. Filter to students.

Government support on finding apprenticeships.

Transition Support

Post 16 Options

Virtual Transition Support for SEND Students in LCR

General Careers Support

LCR Careers Hub – School resources linked to LCR Growth Sectors.

LCR Careers Hub Events Calendar

National Careers Service – Search job profiles and ask questions via web chat.

BBC Bitesize Careers

T Levels

T-levels are a new type of qualification that focuses on high-level technical study and work-ready skills. They have been developed to offer a quality alternative to A-levels and will provide young people with a clear route to skilled employment, as well as progression to higher or degree Apprenticeships, or degree-level study at university.

T-levels will combine the career focus and practical elements of current technical and professional qualifications like BTECs and NVQs, with the theory and study of traditional A-levels.

A core component of the T-levels qualification is a 45-day industry-based placement, where students will apply the theory they learn in the classroom to the workplace and develop the essential work-ready skills that employers are looking for.

For further details have a look at Hugh Baird academy video on “What are T-Levels?

Parents

Gatsby Benchmarks

Good Career Guidance – An overview of the Gatsby Benchmarks.

A visual summary of GBMs

General Resources

National Careers Service E-Pack – Parent Resources, Pages 72-81.

General advice and transition support.

Labour Market Information

Growth Platform – LCR Growth Sectors.

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority – Free careers resources for each of LCR’s key growth sectors.

Where the Work Is – Regional LMI.

Careerometer widget

Higher Education

Shaping Futures, Parent/Carer Hub

UCAS

Transition Support

Post 16 Options

Training Opportunities

Be More – Apprenticeship support across Liverpool City Region.

Amazing Apprenticeships, Parent Resources

Success at School, Parent Zone

SEND

Virtual Transition Support for SEND Students in Liverpool City Region

Preparing for Adulthood

EHC Plan – If your child has an EHC Plan, reference the Year 9 annual review which focuses on preparing students for adulthood and sets targets to help students prepare for post-16 options.

Local council support for students with SEND

Liverpool Local Offer

Teachers

Gatsby Benchmarks

Good Career Guidance – An overview of the Gatsby Benchmarks.

A visual summary of GBMs

Government Guidance

Statutory Guidance

The Careers Strategy

Employer Led Curriculum Projects

The STEM Ambassador Project

Maritime UK Ambassador Project

General Careers Support

LCR Careers Hub – School resources linked to LCR Growth Sectors.

LCR Careers Hub Events Calendar

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority – Free careers resources for each of LCR’s key growth sectors.

National Careers Service E-Pack – Life skills, employability, LMI, careers pioneer activities and SEND activities.

Amazing Apprenticeships – Filter to teacher resources

Employers

Gatsby Benchmarks

Good Career Guidance – An overview of the Gatsby Benchmarks.

A visual summary of GBMs

The Careers & Enterprise Company Employer Guidance

Careers in Context: A Can Do Guide for Employers:

This guide sets out examples from employers who have already achieved impact and aims to give confidence and inspiration as employers plan activities.

CEC Employer Guide for Supporting Careers

How Employers Can Support SEND Students

DMA Talent: Autism Employer Guidance

DMA Talent: Dyslexia Employer Guidance

Fuelling the Fires: A Guide to supporting SEND for small and medium sized enterprises

General Resources

Discover Creative Careers Employer Pack

Provider access – Employers / Further / Higher Education

Provider Access

This policy statement sets out the school’s arrangements for managing the access of providers to the school for the purpose of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.

Pupil entitlement

All pupils in years 8 to 13 are entitled:

to find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point;
to hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through options events, assemblies and group discussions and taster events;
to understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.
For pupils of compulsory school age these encounters are mandatory and there will be a minimum of two encounters for pupils during the ‘first key phase’ (year 8 to 9) and two encounters for pupils during the ‘second key phase’ (year 10 to 11). For pupils in the ‘third key phase’ (year 12 to 13), particularly those that have not yet decided on their next steps, there are two more provider encounters available during this period, which are optional for pupils to attend.

A number of events within the school’s careers programme will offer providers an opportunity to come into school to speak to students. Providers will also be offered opportunities to communicate with parents. Providers will be issued with the school’s safeguarding policy prior to meeting with pupils. The annual Careers Fair gives all providers a platform to inform pupils about their offer. Please contact Ms McParland if you have not received a formal invitation to this event and would like to attend. Invitations are sent out in December in advance of the event in March.

Procedure:

A provider wishing to request access should contact:

Ms L. McParland, Careers Lead.

[email protected]

Monitoring and Review

Termly Compass reviews are conducted with the school’s Enterprise Co-ordinator, Katheryn White, from Liverpool City Region Careers Hub. This review is used to monitor performance against the Gatsby Benchmarks. The Enterprise Co-ordinator can be a critical friend both supporting and challenging the school’s Careers Education whilst helping to build networks for provision. The Enterprise Co-ordinator also assists in the review of the Careers Policy and provides guidance and support in the strategic planning of the careers programme. Student voice is used throughout the academic year to review activities and determine future provision.

The next review of information published is July 2025.

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