Parkside aims to make a major contribution in preparing young people for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life. Careers Education (CE) and Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) are provided to ensure that students develop the knowledge and skills to make successful decisions. The understanding and experience that students acquire should enable them to enter post 16 and 18 settings as effective, well-prepared learners and workers.
We aim to:
- Develop students’ aspirations, self-awareness and participation in CE and IAG.
- Maintain a good working relationship between the school and outside organisations such as the Local Authority Youth Support Service and Local Employers.
- Ensure that CE and IAG is delivered to and exceeds National Standards.
- Ensure that student outcomes in CE lessons are high.
- Encourage students to make good use of the resources available to them, so that they can make informed and appropriate choices throughout their school journey.
- Enable staff to explore the resources available and engage with training opportunities so that they are able to support students with CE and IAG throughout the school.
For this to happen it requires that:
- Staff and outside partners are clear about their roles and responsibilities within the area of CE and IAG.
- There is a planned programme of activities to which all students are entitled and have access.
- Careers Education and Information, Advice and Guidance is impartial and confidential.
- The programme promotes equality of opportunity, good relations and tackles discrimination.
- There are mechanisms for feedback from staff, parents and students about the delivery and availability of CE and IAG, so that the procedures and quality of delivery can be continually evaluated and improved.
We are committed to providing a planned programme of careers education and guidance for all students in Years 7–13 in partnership with the Youth Support Service. This policy was developed through an audit of practice and is reviewed annually through discussions with teaching staff, Governors, our external (Youth Support Service) careers advisor and students. The impact of the policy and its delivery is measured by analysing post-16/18 destination data.
Participation in the Cambridge Area Partnership schools and employers conference ensures that our lead staff remain informed about the local job market and that we are made aware of opportunities as they emerge.
Curriculum
The Careers Education and IAG programme includes careers education lessons, information (in assemblies, special events and learning centre research activities), careers advice sessions (individual advisor interviews and) and guidance activities (individual personal learning planning and employer careers mentoring in Years 10 and 11).
Careers lessons are taught in discrete modules as part of the PSHE programme. The Personal Learning Planning programme for Years 7-13 includes guidance activities to develop broader personal skills focused on motivation and employability as well as information and advice. Other events take place throughout the year including the 3-day Creative Action Service (CAS) week, science week, enterprise days, assemblies, visits to post 16 providers and local employer events. Work-related learning and direct work experience is promoted and undertaken wherever and whenever possible.
For further information, please view our curriculum topics outline and full IAG programme here