Careers
Providing good, impartial careers education, information, advice and guidance can inspire and support young people to achieve their full potential. Our vison for our students to acquire the educational, social and employability skills necessary for lifelong success in a diverse and changing world of work.
At Oulton Academy our aim is:
- to have a member of the Governing Body who takes a strategic interest in careers education and guidance and encourages employer engagement;
- to make sure all students get a programme of advice and guidance that is stable, structured and delivered by individuals with the right skills and experience;
- to embed CEIAG into the curriculum as well as increasing students’ knowledge of Labour Market Information (LMI) within that subject;
- to fulfil the school’s legal duties: the existing duty to secure independent careers guidance and the new duty to provide opportunities to a range of providers of technical education and apprenticeships to access students to inform them about technical education qualifications or apprenticeships;
- to improve careers provision by meeting all eight Gatsby benchmarks. Evidence of achieving this was awarded in July 2021 through the achievement of the quality in careers standard.
- to enable the students to develop self-awareness and an honest self-assessment
- to encourage / develop the skills necessary for students to use a range of research resources in order to make sensible and well-informed decisions
- to give students an insight into all aspects of the community and work, to encourage them to broaden their horizons
- to ensure that staff are kept up to date with current careers and guidance information through updates and training
- to provide destination data annually from the year cohort, to enable students, parents and staff to see which opportunities they have pursued.
We have assigned a Careers Leader in school - Mrs. Booth. She has worked with young people within the advice and guidance sector for 14 years and brings a vast amount of careers knowledge to the role. She has initiated and planned a program of employability and careers activities across the school working with every year group.
Her role is to provide impartial advice for students at critical points in their school journey as they make important career and educational choices. She is a qualified and trained careers guidance practitioner, with access to local, national and European Labour market information.
She will help students to:
- identify their interests, skills and abilities;
- make sense of the options available to them for work, education and training
- consider a range of possibilities, and set aspirational goals; and
- make their own decisions and choices
Careers Policy and Provider Access Policy
Careers PolicyProvider Access Policy Statement
Further Information
For further Careers information please feel free to contact the Schools Careers Advisor Mrs. Booth:
Careers Programme
Careers Programme
Year 7
Year 7 students use a range of activities to begin to reflect on their qualities, skills and strengths and interests to develop a positive self-image that provides the foundation for positive careers planning. They cultivate an awareness of the importance of different influences in their lives and how this may influence their decisions.
Students will start to consider the different ways in which the term “work” can be defined, investigating the contribution of work to the community and family and recognising the role of paid and unpaid work.
Students will start to engage with a tutor led Careers Education Programme within form time. Topics they will explore include:
- Who am I?
- What is Work?
- Team work and Enterprise skills
- Raising aspirations
Year 8
Year 8 is a good time for students to start to review possible future plans and research different occupations to discover what qualities, skills and qualifications are needed for these.
During Careers activities students will have the opportunity to explore how their ambitions, likes and dislikes have evolved and how this now influences their future careers plans. They will also focus on understanding issues relating to stereotyping and discrimination through an introduction to occupational and labour market information.
Students will use their occupational knowledge to investigate a range of careers and develop an awareness of the opportunities available in their local area and those which may suit their educational and personal goals.
As part of the tutor led activities, Year 8 students will build on the topics covered in Year 7, with sessions that include:
- Exploring their Ambitions and Goals
- Equality of opportunity in careers and life choices
- Different types of work and patterns of work
Year 9
During Year 9 students will receive advice and guidance from our careers advisor to help them make informed decisions when choosing Key Stage 4 options. Students will spend time exploring the courses available to them in Key Stage 4 and beyond.
Students are welcome to visit the Careers department during break time and lunchtime, when the careers staff will be on hand to offer guidance and answer any queries about careers and Key Stage 4 option choices
Students will once again engage in activities to review their skills, qualities and the careers decision-making process. All year 9 students will have the opportunity to visit a higher education institute.
Year 10
In Year 10 students will focus on the contribution that personal attributes and effective communication skills make to their future life and work roles.
Students will participate in tutor led activities that highlight the skills needed to gain access to Post-16 options such as applications for both education, further training or apprenticeships. They will also once again examine the future of work and changes within the labour market.
Other topics include:
- Self-Promotion and Positive Image
- Competition for Jobs
- CVs and Letters of Application
All of the year 10 cohort will also have the chance to visit a further education institute.
Year 11
During Year 11 students will receive advice and guidance from our careers advisor to help them make informed decisions about their Post-16 destination, whether this is sixth form, college or an apprenticeship.
All students will be given an individual careers appointment between October and December to help them consider their options. They will all be then assisted to make their post 16 applications ensuring that all students will have applied for at least one post 16 destination before the end of January.
Careers Labour Market
Careers Labour Market
UK labour market: May 2021
Estimates of employment, unemployment, inactivity, average weekly earnings, vacancies and other labour market related statistics for the UK. This release also includes UK and non-UK people in the labour market and Labour market flows.
Student Destination Information
Student Destination Information
Useful Websites
Useful Websites
Unifrog
Unifrog bring all careers information into one single, impartial, user friendly platform that helps students to make the best choices and submit the strongest applications. Students will all have a unique user name and password to access the website. If students need their details reissuing, please call into the career’s hub.
National Careers Service
Whether you know where you’re headed in the future or not, knowing the work and study choices available to you is a great place to start. Visit the National careers service for further details.
Success at School
Success at School is the place for young people to explore careers, get the lowdown on top employers, and search for the latest jobs, courses and advice. Get career smart and Register today!
Careerpilot
Expert careers information and tools for 11-19 year olds, all in one place.
I Could
Free and simple to use, icould.com features over 1000 videos of people talking about their careers – explaining their job role, career path, and how different factors have shaped their direction.
Career videos to find out about a wide range of careers and opportunities. Take the Buzz Quiz – it’s great fun!
Prospects
This site guides students in their decision making. They can match their skills and personality to 400+ job profiles. It also contains information on a range of topics including studying abroad, planning a gap year, apprenticeships, CV writing, Interview skills and a ‘What Can I do with my degree?’ section.
Futuregoals
Whether you’re still in education, looking for work, or thinking about a career change, we can help you to think about your next steps. Stay informed with helpful resources around different career pathways and up-to-date information on West Yorkshire's job market. Or get inspired with highlights from a range of employers and tips on how to develop your skills.
UCAS
UCAS aims to inspire and empower students to make aspirational choices about higher education and learning. The site contains information on a range of topics including further and higher education, student finance, apprenticeships.
