Careers and Post-16

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We strongly believe that our students should all have access to high quality and relevant careers education, advice and guidance through all years, particularly at key transition times, to explore the full range of opportunities available to them.

At Abbey Hill Academy, students across all year groups participate in a structured and comprehensive careers education through their PSHE and KS4 careers lessons as well as in their different subjects. The school uses the Gatsby Benchmark to help us focus on the areas of careers guidance and practice that will be most beneficial to our students. For more information on the Gatsby benchmarks please use this link:

Good Career Guidance | Education | Gatsby

Careers Information, Guidance Education at Abbey Hill

Abbey Hill Academy students are provided with a wide range of activities throughout their time at school to enable them to make the right decisions for their Post 16 and future career choices. Below shows the key areas covered each year.

Year Group	Activities
Year 7	Tutor based activities – Participation in Enterprise Week PSHE careers based topic. Guest speakers in assemblies, including ex-students talking about their own success. External employee encounters supported by the wider curriculum. Job of the month
Year 8	Tutor based activities – Participation in Enterprise Week PSHE careers based topic. Guest speakers in assemblies, including ex-students talking about their own success. External employee encounters supported by the wider curriculum. Job of the month
Year 9	Tutor based activities – Participation in Enterprise Week PSHE careers based topic. Guest speakers in assemblies, including ex-students talking about their own success. External employee encounters supported by the wider curriculum. 1:1 CIEAG meeting with impartial careers advisor. EHCP Review Meetings for students and their parents/carers to begin thinking about Post 16 Options Transition to Key Stage 4 work begins – Options Event for students and parents/carers to allow option choices to be made for Year 10 Job of the month
Year 10	Tutor based activities – Participation in Enterprise Week Guest speakers in assemblies, including ex-students talking about their own success External employee encounters supported by the wider curriculum. Stockton Riverside college and Middlesbrough College Taster Day Dedicated weekly careers lesson. Open Awards accreditation – Preparation for Work, Skills and qualities test, Writing a CV, Application forms and application process, Preparing for a job interview, Mock interviews. Introduction to pathways choices: tertiary colleges – A levels, T levels, vocational studies, apprenticeships, internships, HE and training providers. (where deemed appropriate) Second Options Event for students and parents/carers to allow option choices to be made for Year 11 Vocational accredited option choices – land based studies, hair & beauty, sport & fitness, adventure, photography, food technology, design technology, performing arts and computing. Job of the month
Year 11	EHCP Review Meetings for students and their parents/carers to make their final choices for Post 16 placements Opportunities CEIAG individual interviews and application support, if applicable. (previously Youth Direction) Opportunities drop in sessions for advice and support Dedicated careers lesson. Open Awards accreditation – Taking part in an Enterprise project. External employee encounters supported by the wider curriculum. Vocational accredited option choices – land based studies, hair & beauty, sport & fitness, adventure, photography, food technology, design technology, performing arts and computing. National citizen service program introduction. Job of the month

If you are a provider who wishes to support us with this then please click here for further details of our provider access policy <HERE>

1-1 and small group careers interview

Students from Key Stage 4 groups are provided with a guidance interview from, our independent and impartial IAG Adviser from Stockton Local Authority. They explore ideas and support with researching options for when they leave. All students are offered at least one individual guidance interview in Year 11 to support with post 16 choices, with many taking up the option to access further support, including family and carer support.

Further Education provision visits

Held locally in the Teesside area students in Year 10 and above have the opportunity to meet a range of colleges, training providers and employers to talk through their ideas and options, to develop their career and training plans. These are now more accessible to students through virtual tours that are now available online.

Should you wish to find out more information around specific Post-16 educational providers, please click here. (Link to new page below)

Employers and Post 16 Information Fair

To help improve the knowledge of our students around the world of work, a Post-16 and employer’s fair takes place on an annual basis where students, parents and carers will have the chance to meet with different employers and speak with them about skills and qualifications that specific jobs require. Please click here for a list of Post 16 providers (link to new page as highlighted below)

Employer and workplace encounters

Abbey Hill Academy is wanting to provide all students with relevant and engaging employer and workplace encounters to help broaden the knowledge and aspirations of our students around career choices. We are working hard to build up a list of partners who we work with but please contact the school if you feel that you could help support us with this.

We also take advantage of the Tees Valley Shout Out Portal. This service allows employers to join together with education providers to provide opportunities to up-skill students and provide links to future employment opportunities.

Contact

If you would like to discuss any Post-16 option further or if you would like to offer services or support, please contact lynsey.thornton@horizonstrust.org.uk or Melissa.fisher@horizonstrust.org.uk and we will be more than happy to help. Please click here to view our provider access policy

Post-16 Educational Providers

Below are some useful links to Post-16 providers in our local areas, these will provide more detailed information around courses and college life and you will also find sections on how to apply. If you are aware of any other providers who you think might interest our students, please let us know

Stockton Local Authority Career support - Career support - Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Post-16 Educational Links

Abbey Hill 6^th Form College - Welcome | Abbey Hill Academy Sixth Form (horizonstrust.org.uk)

Stockton Riverside College - https://www.stockton.ac.uk/

Stockton 6^th Form College - https://www.stocktonsfc.ac.uk/

Middlesbrough College - https://www.mbro.ac.uk/

Darlington College - https://darlington.ac.uk/

Hartlepool College - https://www.hartlepoolfe.ac.uk/

Redcar and Cleveland College - https://www.cleveland.ac.uk/

Skills Academy - https://www.stockton.ac.uk/courses/the-skills-academy/

Askham Bryan College - https://www.askham-bryan.ac.uk/

Learning Curve - https://www.learningcurvegroup.co.uk/