We are thrilled to have achieved the national Quality in Careers Standard awarded by Ixion (Part of the Shaw Trust Group) in November 2021. At James Brindley Academy we recognise the important role school plays in helping students develop their knowledge, skills and experience so they can go out into the world and achieve personal success. This standard has provided a flexible framework that enabled us to audit our work on careers and ensure our students are receiving advice, practical support and experience so they are prepared for the next stage of their education, employment, self-employment or training.

 

We are privileged that Georgette Foster-Bell (Arcadis Consulting) is our Enterprise Advisor

I put myself forwards to be an Enterprise Advisor (EA) at James Brindley so I could give back to the community. When I attended secondary school in Birmingham I did not know about the rewarding possibilities within construction. I am currently a Technical Director at Arcadis and have over 20 years’ experience within construction and I want to share my journey with the students to highlight the wealth of opportunities that are available to them.

I am passionate about bringing change and inclusivity to the sector and have a desire to inspire the children, working with the school curriculum, to provide pathways for young people to understand the possibilities in construction from an early age.

Being an EA at James Brindley affords me a platform to showcase what is possible for everyone. You may not know or think it, but there are numerous prospects in various sectors that you may not have considered. Opportunities in this sector are vast and are currently going through the biggest transformations; adapting the way we work and deliver services allowing innovation and the use of digital skills that are not previously associated with Construction. I look forwards to sharing my passion and knowledge of this sector to you and your children.  

Georgette Foster-Bell

We also work actively with Jackie Plimmer our Birmingham Careers Hub Careers & Enterprise Co-ordinator, who challenges and supports us to continually strive to improve our careers programme and ultimately outcomes for all of our pupils.

Email: jackie.plimmer@bep.education

---

James Brindley Academy's vision states ‘all children and young people have the right to an education that provides them with the skills and opportunity to achieve their potential regardless of their circumstances or medical needs’ and believe that careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) is at the heart of achieving this. We are committed to developing a programme that is creative and robust yet flexible to meet all pupils’ needs. We support pupils in making well-informed decisions by providing access to differentiated, impartial and independent information and guidance about the range of options to help them to achieve their goals.

Careerometer: A tool to compare jobs

Use the Careerometer to compare different jobs — salary, working hours, etc.

Click the dotted square. Type in the first career that you think you might be interested in and select from the drop-down list, then add your second and third choice to see the comparison.

The Careers Team

At James Brindley we have a whole school approach to careers with all staff supporting the delivery of Careers through the Careers Programme and within curriculum areas. In addition, we have a designated Careers team:

• Lisa Valentini (Careers Lead) valentinil@jamesbrindley.org.uk 
  Telephone: 01216666409 ext. 2348 Mobile: 07548 713 700 | 
• Rachael Turrell (Careers Adviser) turrellr@jamesbrindley.org.uk
• Paula Quiney (Careers Adviser) quineyp@jamesbrindley.org.uk
• Claire Marshall (Trustee for Careers) marshallc@jamesbrindley.org.uk

To contact the careers team please email: careersteam@jamesbrindley.org.uk

Aims of Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) at James Brindley Academy from Y7 to Y11:

• To provide inspiration, raise aspirations and broaden pupils options
• To inspire and to empower pupils to make informed realistic decisions at key transition points
• To provide good quality impartial careers advice to pupils which inspires them and motivates them to fulfil their potential
• To provide advice and guidance which is in the best interests of the pupil
• To work in partnership with employers, training providers, local colleges, specialist provision and others to provide opportunities to inspire students through real-life contact with the world of work
• To develop enterprise and employability skills including skills for self-employment
• To support inclusion, challenge stereotyping and promote equality of opportunity
• To develop a fit for purpose careers programme which provides pupils with the knowledge and inspiration to succeed in their chosen career paths based on the CDI Career Development Framework (April 2021) and the DfE document 'Careers guidance and access for education and training providers' (updated July 2021)
• To support a structured work experience programme for Year 10 pupils in our teaching centres in June each year. The Employment Engagement Officer has developed a range of work related learning opportunities that pupils in all sectors can access.

Links to useful websites: 

	Unifrog will give you all the information that you need to explore career areas and qualifications You can create an account by contacting the careers team Click Here
	A way of exploring jobs linked to career areas, subjects or skills offering information on pathways Click here
	The National Careers Service provides information, advice and guidance to help students make decisions on learning, training and work opportunities Click here
	icould provides career inspiration and information for young people through free access to over 1000 personal video stories, detailed job information, plus practical tips, insight and advice Click here
	The Apprenticeship website offers guidance on how to apply for an apprenticeship as well as listing current local and national apprenticeship opportunities Click here
	Unique Career Quiz used by students at thousands of UK schools and colleges. SACU offers a great independent & impartial source of careers information to students, parents and teachers Click here
	UCAS: Insight into degree courses, getting started, open dates, what to study, entry requirements, personal statement, finance and funding Click here
	Looking for that perfect career? We guide millions of students to make the right choice. Match your skills and personality to 400+ job profiles. Click here
	Apprenticeships, Jobs, Reviews & Careers Advice For School & College Leavers RateMyApprenticeship.co.uk is the UK's leading job resource for young people seeking apprenticeships. Click here
	Make a difference with a career in health. Get all the information you need to take the next step in your career. ... Find out what a career in Health and the NHS career can offer. NHS pay and benefits. Frequently asked questions . ... Latest news from Health Careers to support your career. Click here
	Birmingham Careers Service is a free and friendly support service providing careers information, advice and guidance to young people aged 16 to 19 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).  Click here
	DoIt.org How to find volunteering opportunities in your local area Click here

Measuring the impact of our careers programme

The academy’s progress towards achieving the Gatsby Benchmarks is evaluated termly, using the Careers and Enterprise Compass + tool, and we are proud that we met all eight of the Gatsby Benchmarks by December 2020 and continue to do so.

Careers provision is monitored through regular feedback from pupils, parents, carers, staff, trustees and external partners.  This feedback is collected through questionnaires and face to face discussions following key careers activities throughout the academic year.  This is analysed by the Careers Lead and careers team with actions fed back to staff via careers team meetings and to the senior leadership team.  Key action points will also be included in the Careers Team Action Plan. 

The effectiveness of our careers programme is reflected in the number of pupils progressing and sustaining positive destinations such as traineeships, apprenticeships, mainstream and special schools with sixth forms, sixth form colleges, mainstream and specialist further education colleges, employment or voluntary work with training. We follow up young people for 3 years then this destination data is used to assess how successfully pupils make the transition to the next stage and to inform future careers provision at James Brindley.  This is analysed by the Careers Lead and careers team with actions fed back to staff via briefings and the senior leadership team.  Key action points will also be included in the annual Careers Team Action Plan and the Academy development plan. 

The careers policy was written and approved by the senior leadership team.