Careers Policy & Provider Access
Mossbourne Fobbing Academy Careers Policy - Click to Download
CAREERS EDUCATION, INFORMATION, ADVICE AND GUIDANCE (CEIAG), and WORK-RELATED EDUCATION.
Career Lead: For any careers enquiries, including provider access requests please contact; Mr Dunton careers@gablehall.com
Mission Stamtent: To develop students who are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and experience to make ambitious, informed choices at every step on their path to individual success.
The central aim of Mossbourne Fobbing Academy CEIAG provision is to provide effective education and training for all our students. Through a well-structured and highly effective programme, we believe that all can achieve both in school and in adult life. By working in partnership with external agencies, businesses, and members of our community we will provide accurate, impartial and focussed careers information, advice and guidance tailored to the individual needs of our students, and thereby enable all our students to make informed choices about their education and career pathways.
Statutory Guidance: This policy is written taking into account a number of key policies and statutory guidance, including:
- Framework for Careers, Employability and Enterprise Education.
- Education Act (2011) and the subsequent Statutory Guidance ‘Careers guidance and
- inspiration for young people in schools’ (DfE 2015)
- Raising the Participation Age (Education and Skills Act 2011)
- The Career Development Institute Code of Ethics
- Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Careers Guidance (2014)
The Mossbourne Fobbing Academy Careers Entitlement: All students in years 7-13 are entitled to:
- Access to a planned careers programme relevant to their year group.
- Access to a comprehensive and impartial guidance on course selection with links to careers and employability at every transition point.
- Access to a qualified, impartial and independent careers adviser for personalised guidance
- Access to information about the world of work and labour market.
- Access to information and guidance about higher education, training and employment opportunities including technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.
- Development of their personal and enterprise skills to improve their employability.
- Receive information about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a CEIAG programme, which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point.
- Hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships.
- Receive information about how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.
- Access to a curriculum rich in information about careers and the world of work.
- Access a programme of CEIAG which challenges stereotypes and discrimination and promotes equality and diversity in training and in the workplace.
Commitments and Objectives: We aim to enable young people to learn about careers, learning and work so that they can manage their own development and make life choices and decisions that will benefit their own wellbeing and contribute to the wellbeing of others. We take a skills-centred approach to CEIAG alongside providing guidance and support. MFA aims to deliver a broad, balanced and connected CEIAG curriculum that addresses young people’s entitlement and provides students with personal, social and employability skills alongside the knowledge and understanding to support self-development through careers and work-related education (understanding themselves and the influences on them).
Mossbourne Fobbing Academy is firmly committed to delivering a CEIAG programme that is fully informed by the 8 Gatsby Career Benchmarks. It is our commitment to continuously work towards delivering a progressive CEIAG programme that meets all of the benchmark’s.
Delivery: At Mossbourne Fobbing Academy, CEIAG is provided through a wide range of pathways which together make up our overarching CEIAG provision plan. These include:
- Curriculum provision within subject lessons.
- Cross-curricular provision during curriculum time as part of non-subject provision such as Thematic drop-down lessons an days, assemblies and other events such as careers fairs.
- Extra-curricular provision taking place away from the classroom including opportunities as part of clubs, trips, sports teams or community initiatives.
- Individualised provision such as individual meetings with the careers advisor, subject taster sessions to inform subject options or work experience.
- Parental engagement such as information leaflets, parents’ evenings, options and open evenings or specialised information events.
- Roles that students can play within the school, such as Student councillor, Student ambassador or prefect.
Involvement with other partners: To ensure an effective and up to date CEIAG programme MFA continues to develop and maintain close links with a range of local, national, and international employers, work-based education providers, colleges and universities. The MFA team maintains a close working relationship with many other universities including Oxford, Cambridge, and King’s College London. In addition, a wide range of organisations support our CEIAG events and initiatives, such as the Pathways CTM, Career Ready Programme, National Citizen Service, Speakers for Schools, to name a few. All partnerships and visits to MFA are subject to our Safeguarding Policy and conducted with the explicit consent of the Principal.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Review: An annual review of CEIAG is conducted by the Assistant Principal with responsibility for Careers along with the wider Careers and Enterprise team. This policy is reviewed and developed annually in discussion with students, parents, staff, governors and other relevant partners. The CEIAG strategy will be audited against statutory guidance, evidence on good practice and other relevant frameworks and will be updated accordingly.
Destinations data, evaluation forms, student surveys and other evidence of impact will all be collated and used to evaluate the effectiveness of current CEIAG provision and inform further developments of our strategy.
Student involvement with CEIAG such as experiences with employers or the workplace, guidance on education or career pathways or educational and career-based visits are all logged on the school centralised data system, Arbor.
Roles, Responsibilities and Resources: A range of resources are made available to support CEIAG at MFA including:
- Vice Principal specifically responsible for CEIAG for Years 7 to 13.
- Subject Team Leaders, responsible for embedding education and careers information and guidance linked to their subject disciplines
- Lead Practitioner Designates, members of staff responsible for planning and implementing the meaningful experiences for students with a range of further and higher education providers, technical qualification and apprenticeship training providers and local and national employers.
- An assigned member of Mossbourne Fobbing Academy Careers Team who will provide advice and support to Mossbourne Fobbing Academy and impartial careers advice and guidance for students.
- Weekly meeting time, as needed, to discuss, evaluate, review and promote CEIAG.
- Curriculum time taken from all year groups and departments for the delivery of CEIAG drop downs and bespoke careers and employability education.
- Assemblies planned and delivered across the year for years 7-13 for the implementation of the CEIAG programme.
- All staff contribute to CEIAG through their roles as tutors and subject teachers.
- Library of CEIAG related resources located in the student library.
Links with other policies: This policy supports and is underpinned by a range of key Academy policies, including GDPR and data protection, Equality and Diversity, Safeguarding and Child Protection, Special Educational Needs and Looked After Children.
Management of provider access requests Procedure
A provider wishing to request access should complete the visit request form which can be found here on our website or should contact Mrs Mountney, Career Lead careers@gablehall.com
Opportunities for access
We are always actively looking to secure partnerships, work experience placements and talks from outside agencies to broaden our students horizons. We believe that it is essential that all of our students have meaningful exposure to businesses and employers in order to enhance their understanding of potential career routes when leaving school.
These are the events and services we offer which enable you to speak to pupils and/or their parents/carers. Please contact us with the email above writing a brief message outlining why you wish to work with our school, what you could offer our students and how we as a school can support you.
Premises and facilities
The school will make the main hall, classrooms or private meeting rooms available for discussions between the provider and students, as appropriate to the activity. The school will also make available AV and other specialist equipment to support provider presentations. This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the Careers Leader or a member of their team.
Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature at the Careers Resource Centre, which is managed by the school librarian. The Resource Centre is available to all students at lunch and break times.
Gatsby Benchmarks
Gatsby Benchmarks: The teaching and promotion of careers, in line with the Gatsby Benchmarks, is embedded within Mossbourne Fobbing Academy. We create a culture that is ambitious for its students to understand different pathways into the wider world of work, encouraging students to actively contemplate different careers and the chances they must take now to help them achieve their employment goals, for example which academic qualification or work experience will best assist them.
The Gatsby Benchmarks are used as a strong model to underpin and enhance our careers provision at Mossbourne Fobbing Academy. Our careers programme is delivered through different strands of Personal Development Programme. A broad range of approaches, activities, events, communication channels and external partner workshops will be employed to provide students with a solid foundation of careers understanding and skills to develop further. Each strand is delivered through a variety of experiences, ranging from areas of the taught curriculum, to extracurricular opportunities and trips. The division into strands serves the main purpose of supporting mapping and evaluation of our current provision, and it is recognised that some activities or experiences may contribute to some or even all the strands.
The careers education strand is an age-appropriate sequence of lessons on specific careers themes. For example, in year 8 students are taught how to be self-reflective and consider the range of jobs available, so that they can begin to think about what type of career they may wish to pursue in the future. A year 10 student would receive lessons on how to write a CV and prepare for an interview for work experience.
The employability skills strand is a sequential and age-appropriate series of lessons developing skills in the following areas: presenting, listening, teamwork, leadership creativity, aiming high, staying positive and problem solving. This has been adapted from the skills builder partnership, which are based on the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) most desired employability skills.
This embedded culture is achieved through a variety of ways:
- The tutorial programme, with one set day a week assigned to careers
- Weekly careers employability skill focus: listening; teamwork; leadership; aiming high; problem solving; creativity; staying positive; and presenting
- Thematic days
- Weekly 'career in focus'
- External speakers and trips
- Annual careers fair
- Educational Visits
- Careers mentoring and guidance.
What Are the Statutory Careers Requirements?
As part of the statutory careers requirements, every school should aim to meet the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks. These Benchmarks are the framework to our careers programme at Mossbourne Fobbing Academy.
An Introduction to the Gatsby Good Career Benchmarks:
Careers Entitlement
Provider Access Policy 2025 - 2026
Mossbourne Fobbing Academy is committed to achieving The Gatsby Benchmarks through a well planned careers programme for all students.
Students will receive a wide range of independent guidance and advice to help them make important transitions at school and beyond as they progress towards their careers of choice.
Whole school support
Mossbourne Fobbing Academy students are entitled to:
- Access to the Careers Room and resources in the LRC
- Access to and support from an impartial careers advisor
- Personal support from form tutors and staff when making important decisions about their futures
- Opportunities to develop their aspirations and widen their horizons
- Opportunities to learn about the world of work through the Lecture Series, Alumni talks, workshops, trips and guest speakers
- Opportunities to gain knowledge of the scope of choices available beyond Mossbourne Fobbing Academy
- Opportunities to gain an understanding of the range of different job sectors available through curriculum links
- Opportunities to build and develop employability and enterprise skills
- Opportunities to gain knowledge of important changes in the ways that people work
- Opportunities to investigate the possible impacts of diversity and stereotyping on life, learning and work
Key Stage 3 students will be given the opportunity to:
- Participate in lessons that encourage them to think about future career options and skills Identify strengths and weaknesses, skills and interests
- Take part in activities and events to develop independent learning and presentation skills.
- Participate in learning activities and events to develop employability skills such as teamwork, communication, decision making and problem-solving.
- Take part in activities to develop enterprise skills.
- Attend assemblies or other briefings on subject options for GCSEs and how these may impact on future career decisions
- Participate in competitions throughout the year to develop enterprise skills Build a starter CV based on skills and interests through Unifrog
- Attend our Careers Fair to begin to broaden their horizons to the wide variety of careers available to them
Key Stage 4 students will be given the opportunity to:
- Attend careers guidance interviews with an independent careers advisor (one-to-one and group sessions)
- Take part in year 10 work experience
- Choose from curriculum options such as business in enterprise, Dance, Drama, Hospitality and Catering, Health and Social care, Music Technology, Sport that have direct vocational links with industry and business.
- Take part in learning activities and events to develop skills in communication, teamwork, decision making and problem-solving
- Participate in activities to develop enterprise skills
- Attend sessions at the beginning of yr 11 that detail post-16 options from external providers
- Visit universities and colleges
- Access online resources such as Unifrog
- Identify strengths, weaknesses, skills, interests and other career-related attributes via a self-assessment process
- Develop and refine their CVs
- Learn about recruitment and selection processes for further education and employment
- Receive personal support from staff and form tutors with making important decisions about post-16 options
- Learn about managing personal finances and budgeting
Key Stage 5 students will be given the opportunity to:
- Visit universities and colleges
- Access online resources such as Unifrog
- Identify skills, strengths, weaknesses, interests and values and how these can impact upon career paths
- Learn about financial decision making and budgeting
- Attend careers guidance interviews with an independent careers advisor
- One on one future aspirations applications meetings
- Participate in mock interviews and CV writing workshops
- Receive assistance and guidance on writing personal statements and UCAS applications
- Receive assistance and guidance on applying to Russell Group, Oxbridge and overseas universities
- Participate in employability-focused enrichment activities
- Develop their personal financial capabilities and explore financial implications of post-18 decision making
- Meet with alumni who have followed a range of career and post-18 pathways including apprenticeships, employment and higher education
Careers Programme
Our careers framework is linked to the Gatsby Benchmarks, CDI and PSHE frameworks. All students from Year 9 through to Year 13 are exposed to the many aspects of careers work undertaken here at Mossbourne Fobbing Academy and includes a Year 9-13 tutor programme as well as assemblies which include aspects of careers, enterprise and employability, national awareness days and themed weeks including national careers and apprenticeships week.
The aims of our careers education, information, advice and guidance include:
- to raise students’ aspirations and to broaden their horizons.
- to inspire and to empower students to make informed realistic decisions at key transition points in learning and work.
- to provide good quality independent and impartial careers advice to students which inspire them and motivates them to fulfil their potential.
- to provide advice and guidance which is in the best interests of the student.
- to provide opportunities to work in partnership with employers,training providers, local colleges 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.
By the end of Key Stage 3, all students will have:
- A better understanding of the full range of 14-19 opportunities for progression.
- A better understanding of their strengths and areas for development, and support to evaluate how these might inform future choices in learning and work.
- An understanding of some of the qualities, attitudes and skills needed for employability.
- Used online careers resources to research information about opportunities and apply their findings to help to make informed choices for Key Stage 4 Options.
- Received appropriate advice and guidance on Key Stage 4 options, and prepared an individual learning plan that sets broad learning goals for the 14-19 phase.
Year 9 - In order to achieve the above outcomes, all students will follow a programme of careers activities as follows:
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Full information about the Year 9 GCSE options process, including a timeline of events can be found in the Year 9 Options Booklet available here.
Year 10 - In order to achieve the above outcomes, all students will follow a programme of careers activities as follows:
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Year 11 - In order to achieve the above outcomes, all students will follow a programme of careers activities as follows:
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Assembly - Unifrog reminder, student entitlement, overview of careers programme and opportunities to develop skills PSHE Programme – a seven-week programme in autumn term 1
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How does Mossbourne Fobbing Academy evaluate the effectiveness of it's careers programme?
Alongside the careers education programme set out in the above pages, students are also exposed to careers learning through their subject curriculum.
Each year the activities can vary depending on new schemes and initiatives which are introduced.
Mossbourne Fobbing Academy measures and assesses the impact of its careers programme through student surveys and focus groups, using destination data and by using the COMPASS tool each term to reflect on progress towards the Gatsby benchmarks. We provide parents opportunity to feedback on the programme and obtain employer feedback after all employer engagement activities. We also work closely with our Thurrock adviser to gauge the strengths of the careers programme against other schools in the borough and beyond.
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Destinations data is used as an indicator of the long term impact of the careers provision at Mossbourne Fobbing Academy School. We are proud that our school has significantly reduced the number of NEET students over the past five years and ensured that the vast majority of students achieve a place on the route most suited for them.
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Each careers event is evaluated, with students ranking the usefulness of the event on their future career decisions.
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We use best practice in completing regular self-evaluation of our provision. At present, Mossbourne Fobbing Academy is on track to be national average in its progress across all eight Gatsby Benchmarks.
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Our careers programme is reviewed yearly and a new team progress plan and timetable is produced at the start of each academic year.
How can you support careers at Mossbourne Fobbing Academy?
There are a number of ways in which you or your company can support current students in developing their careers knowledge and understanding:
- Deliver a talk to our current students about your profession and company.
- Take part in a workshop, helping students with employability skills.
- Attend our careers fair to showcase your company.
Further information can be found here. Following completion of this form a member of the careers team will contact you with additional information.
