Careers & Guidance

CEIAG stands for Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance. It is the acronym used to describe any support and education which is provided to students which helps inform their next steps, whether that be a transition to the next phase of education (options at GCSE for example), decisions about post 16 education or training or indeed the choice of higher education, further education, apprenticeships or employment at the end of post 18 study.

All our students are given information, advice and guidance to help them plan their pathways at the end of Key Stage 3 and to make the best choice when it comes to further education at the end of Key stage 4. Our aim is for students to make informed choices in order to plan for, and achieve, their future goals.

The CEIAG strategy sets out that every secondary school and college should use the following ‘Gatsby Benchmarks’ to develop and improve Careers provision by:

• Ensuring a stable careers programme is in place
• Learning from Careers and Labour market information
• Addressing the needs of each student
• Linking curriculum learning to careers
• Offering encounters with employers and employees
• Offering experiences of workplaces
• Offering encounters with Further Education organisations
• Providing independent and personal guidance

How the college measures and assesses the impact of the careers program 
The college is using the 'Compass evaluation tool' to assess ongoing progress in relation to the eight Gatsby Benchmarks. 
The college has a Careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) policy and the Careers Lead together with the Careers Coordinator use it regularly to monitor compliance with our vision, values and statutory duties. 
The Careers scheme of work is reviewed each year to ensure personalised learning suitable for each year group’s career needs. 
 
The following steps are in place to evaluate the effectiveness of its careers programme each year. 
 
The evaluation cycle involves: 
Review of the objectives of the Careers programme (Tutor Careers Learning programme, Interviews and through Year Group activities) with a focus on outcomes for learners and assessing if the objectives have been met 
Focus on the delivery of the programme and evidence of impact on pupils  
Using feedback to adapt the programme to continuously improve it so it meets the objectives 
The evaluation also involves looking at a range of evidence such as: 
• attainment 
• progress 
• GCSE pathways 
• destinations data 
• reduction in NEET figure 
• feedback from students e.g. their understanding of different careers and pathways 
 
Feedback from other stakeholders includes: 
• Parents/carers 
• Careers and Enterprise Coordinator 
• Teachers 
• Governors 
• Employers 
An outline of the evaluation schedule is as follows: 
Are we making the best use of the resources we have allocated for careers work? (Termly) 
• The effectiveness of different guidance interventions, e.g. one-to one interviews, small group work, drop-in sessions 
Are we optimising students' learning from the careers programme? (Oct/July) 
• Evaluation of activities up to the end of the summer term 2024 
• The learning outcomes achieved at the end of KS3 and KS4 
How well are students succeeding in taking the next steps in their education, training or employment that are 'right for them'? 
• The effectiveness of the Year 9 Pathways process 
• The destinations achieved at the end of KS4  
The college’s next review of the Careers information will be published in September 2024. 
 

Our CEIAG programme is co-ordinated by the Careers Lead, Mr P Cretu, and our Careers Officer, Mrs A Martin.

As students progress through Key Stages 3 and 4 they will be taught how to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to manage their own learning including: how to evaluate themselves honestly and realistically, how to set targets, make decisions, review and summarise their progress, present themselves effectively and create action plans which match their personal skills to abilities, interests and careers aspirations. 

Students will also receive impartial careers advice from a Level 6 trained careers adviser.

During the designated careers’ sessions students have the opportunity to learn about future careers, they actively explore Labour Market Information, the options and pathways across the local area open to them to achieve their career aspirations. As students progress through KS4, they will have the opportunity to gain further CEIAG with reference to the careers they are interested in, including support in applying for FE provision.

At St Benedict’s, we are committed to providing a comprehensive careers education programme that supports our students’ growth and future aspirations. Utilizing the UNIFROG careers platform, 

we deliver structured sessions that align with the Career Development Institute (CDI) spiral curriculum and support the Gatsby Benchmarks. 

Below is the breakdown of our careers education scheme of work by year group and term. The colour coding identifies the relevant CDI learning areas for each session.

This structured approach ensures that our students receive the guidance and support they need at each stage of their educational journey, preparing them for future success.

For more information, please contact our careers office, Mrs Martin. 

Careers SOW