Our Careers Leader is Simon Sterland, ssterland@wykhampark-aspirations.org, telephone 01295 257942.
At Wykham Park Academy, our careers programme is designed for all students from year 10 to year 13. We believe that good career advice and guidance will help students to make informed and realistic decisions about their future and will help them focus and enjoy their lessons in the present. We aim to develop every student’s awareness of the qualifications and the skills needed for a successful entry into their chosen career. We are immensely proud to meet the Gatsby 8 Career Benchmarks from KS4 to Post 16.
Wykham Park Academy has a stable and structured career programme delivered throughout the year in all Key Stages through the weekly mentor programme and assemblies. Timetabled Personal Development sessions also play a crucial part in ensuring that students are provided with quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. Students have different career guidance at different stages depending on their age and their needs. Our local links allow our students to learn how the different STEM subjects help to gain entry to a wide range of careers as well as raising students’ aspirations and tackling stereotypes.
Gatsby Benchmark descriptions and The Aspiration Campus Provision
| Gatsby Benchmarks | Career Provisions and opportunities - Aspirations Campus | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A stable Careers programme | All students from year 10 to year 13 follow an embedded programme through daily PSHE provision delivered in mentor time and weekly PD lessons, especially designed to meet the needs of each year group. To see further details, read below regarding our Personal Development Programme per year group. |
| 2 | Learning from career and labour market information | Students at KS4 and Post 16 are regularly provided with information about occupations in the local area. Local careers events are emailed to parents. Information is also shared in mentor time taking place every morning for 20 minutes for all students at Wykham Park Academy and the Aspirations Campus. |
| 3 | Addressing the Need of Each pupil. | Students at Wykham Park Academy and the Aspirations Campus have different career guidance needs at different stages. All students from all Key Stages will be invited to a free visit to a local University and various business companies such as Microsoft, BMW and JDE. |
| 4 | Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers | Careers guidance and prospect are also linked to curriculum learning via the teachers and subject departments. The AED projects at Post 16 and in our Personal in all Key stages give students the opportunity to see the direct link between their studies in the classroom and their potential further studies and the world of work. External visitors and ambassadors from local businesses offer students advice on courses and pathways to their personal aspirations. One to one interviews at the end of KS4, support students in making the right decisions to their chosen GCSEs, A-Levels or their applications to other educational paths. |
| 5 | Encounters with employers and employees | The Aspiration Campus works very closely with our external careers advisors, local businesses and places of education and our governors to ensure students have regular contact with employers and employees from varied sources. This is offered through guest speakers’ assemblies, workshops, educational visits, compulsory work experience and practice interviews. |
| 6 | Experience of work place | In addition to tailored visits to the world of work, students complete work experience in year 10 and in year 12. Furthermore, employability skills such as Communication, Initiative, Organisation, Leadership and Resilience are developed through the PD programme in order to create an employability portfolio that can be used in interviews. |
| 7 | Encounters with further and higher education | All students from year 10 to year 13 are offered visits to Universities annually. Students and parents are also kept informed of open evenings and careers fairs at local colleges through their mentors and given support to apply to apprenticeships. |
| 8 | Personal Guidance | In addition to our whole school programmes, we also provide one-to-one interviews and individual career advice for KS4 and Post 16 students as well as support in writing CV and personal statements. Career advisors are also present at KS4 parents' and open evenings. |
In addition to the various programmes in place, students at KS4 also experience regular encounters with employers and employees and visiting speakers. We also aim to invite selected groups of students to visit universities and attend workshops as opportunities arise or when a need is identified by the students, the parents or the school.
Careers and Financial Literacy Programme:
In Year 7, students learn about wages, democracy, types of work, early working aspirations, work stereotyping, setting ambitious goals, evaluating social and moral dilemmas, recognizing financial exploitation, understanding values and attitudes related to money, and managing emotions related to money.
Moving on to Year 8, students focus on work-life balance, making financial decisions including debt management, exploring different work roles and career pathways, understanding personal accounts and money management, challenging stereotypes, and learning about employment rights and responsibilities while managing emotions in the workplace.
Year 9 curriculum includes lessons on money management, recognizing scams and exploitation, understanding the Equality Act 2010, setting career goals, exploring lifelong earning benefits, and navigating decision-making processes at the end of Key Stage 3.
In Year 10, students delve into creating CVs and personal statements, exploring apprenticeships and work opportunities, considering higher education options like university or college, understanding gambling risks, challenging stereotypes in career paths, learning about the UK’s global position, and exploring various career progression opportunities.
Year 11 focuses on refining CVs and personal statements, exploring career pathways through lectures and resources, considering post-16 options such as 6th Form, college, or university, challenging career stereotypes, understanding rights and responsibilities in the workplace, managing personal finances, and learning about different types of work contracts.
Lastly, in 6th form, students learn about maintaining a healthy diet on a budget, setting realistic yet ambitious career goals, understanding student rights and responsibilities in part-time employment, exercising consumer rights, budgeting for life changes, recognizing global career opportunities, and understanding credit arrangements and their long-term implications.
If you would like further information, please do hesitate to contact us via email. Our careers lead is Mr. Simon Sterland ssterland@wykhampark-aspirations.org.
The careers programme is paramount to students’ success as it plays a crucial role in preparing them for their future paths. It is reviewed yearly through regular student voice, staff voice, and parents’ voice feedback, ensuring that it remains relevant and effective. By monitoring students’ exercise books and actively modifying the programme according to their needs and interests as well as the community’s, we ensure that our students receive the best possible guidance and support in their career development. This comprehensive approach to reviewing and updating the careers programme helps us tailor it to meet their evolving needs and equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge for a successful future.
Next review date: July 2025.