Careers

Esteem Valley students are given the knowledge, skills and confidence to make informed decisions relating to their career ambitions. Our approach is tailored the individual student providing exposure and opportunities to experience work related activities that are linked to their personal interests and aspirations. We make our curriculum meaningful and relevant linking all subjects to career opportunities to enable students to identify how their learning relates to real life and the working world. 

Students have the opportunity to engage with employers, further education establishments and post-16 training providers so that they have a wider understanding of their post-16 options. Each Student in key Stage 4 will have the opportunity to meet with a qualified level 6 careers advisor to receive independent and impartial advice on their next steps, so that they are prepared for their future and post-16.  

How do we review our careers offer?

Our Careers Lead formally rates our progress towards the Gatsby Benchmarks 3 times per year. This was last reviewed at the end of the Spring Term 24. It will next be reviewed in July 2024 at the end of the summer term.  We use Compass+ to provide evidence of our careers programme. In the Spring Term review we achieved 100% in 5 Benchmarks and made progress in all other Benchmarks compared to our Summer Term 23 review.

Baker Clause Statement

Provider access legislation 

This policy statement sets out the academy’s arrangements for managing the access of careers providers to the academy for the purpose of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with the academy’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.

Management of provider access requests Procedure

​A provider wishing to request access should contact Geraint Brown, Careers Lead

Telephone: 07512 312822

Email: gbrown@esteemvalleyacademy.co.uk

Opportunities for access.

Please speak to our Careers Leader to identify the most suitable opportunity for you.

The academy will make a suitable space available for discussions between the provider and pupils, as appropriate to the activity. The academy will also make available ICT and other specialist equipment to support provider presentations. This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the Careers Leader.