Careers Education, Information, Advice & Guidance

Vision

To nurture pupils’ opportunities to achieve their potential, by increasing their knowledge, understanding, skills and aspirations relevant to life in a rapidly changing world.

Rationale

Careers education and guidance at The Westleigh School actively encourages young people to take ownership of their future careers and to consider all options so that they are able to select the best way forward and make informed choices in their interests, motivations, learning styles, abilities and aspirations.  A planned programme of activities, meetings and enrichment events supports them in choosing relevant 14-19 pathways. Careers provision ensures that all pupils, regardless of their academic ability, are given the opportunity to fulfil their academic potential. Our CEAIG programme will enable pupils to develop the self-knowledge and skills that they need to take charge of their personal and career development. It contributes to the wider school agenda to raise aspirations, improve motivation, develop key and other employability skills as well as promote outstanding levels of achievement. It promotes equal opportunities and challenges stereotypical thinking and attitudes. It helps students, including disadvantaged students and those with special educational needs, to overcome any overt and/or hidden barriers to progress that they may encounter ensuring a position of equality for all our students. It ensures that all students receive appropriate information and guidance, especially at key decision and transition points to enable students to succeed beyond post 16 pathways.

Core Aim

To fulfil the following statement in the Department of Education’s January 2018 publication “Careers Guidance and Inspiration in Schools”:

“Every child should leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. This means ensuring academic rigour supported by excellent teaching, and developing in every young person the values, skills and behaviours they need to get on in life. All children should receive a rich provision of classroom and extra-curricular activities that develop a range of character attributes, such as resilience and grit, which underpin success in education and employment. “High quality, independent careers guidance is also crucial in helping pupils emerge from school more fully rounded and ready for the world of work. Young people want and need to be well-informed when making subject and career decisions.”

This will ensure that our pupils are able to manage their careers, sustain employment and achieve personal and economic wellbeing throughout their lives. This will be quality assured against statutory obligation.

Strategy

Consistent with our strategy of ‘Aspiring and Achieving Together’ the school strategy on Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) is crucial to raising the aspirations of all our pupils, encouraging them to overcome barriers to success, ensuring they are well informed, raising their aspirations and exploring opportunities, to fulfil their potential alongside ensuring academic rigour supported by excellent teaching, and developing in every young person the values, skills and behaviours they need to be well-informed when making subject and career decisions and be successful in life.

Aims

These aims are in line with the Gatsby Benchmarks and include our statutory duties with regards to careers provision. The benchmarks include:

Gatsby Benchmarks

  1. A stable careers programme
  2. Learning from career and labour market information
  3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
  4. Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers
  5. Encounters with Employers and Employees
  6. Experiences of workplaces
  7. Encounters with Further and Higher Education
  8. Personal Guidance

Baker Clause Statement

This policy statement sets out the Westleigh School's arrangements for managing the access of providers to students at our school for the purposes of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer.

This complies with the legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education act 1997 (the ‘Baker Clause’).

Student Entitlement

Students in Years 8 – 11 are entitled to:

  • find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers 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 – through options evening’s, assemblies and group discussions and taster events;
  • understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.

 

Student Entitlement

Every student at The Westleigh School is entitled to CEIAG which:

  • Meets recognised professional standards of practice.
  • Includes Years 7 to 11. Whilst statutory legislation only includes Years 8-11, the school policy is inclusion of all.
  • Uses local authority and the 14-19 advisory service in Wigan.
  • Is respectful of personal information.
  • Is integrated into students’ experience within the whole curriculum.
  • Allows the pupil to receive independent and impartial advice on all mainstream education, training and employment opportunities and provides a full range of specialist provision and support to help them access this provision.
  • Has high aspirations and adequate support for all pupils, including those with SEN and disabilities, and supports them in preparing for the next phase of educational training and beyond into adult life.
  • Students with an Education Health and Care Plan should include a focus on preparing for adulthood including employment, independent living and participation in society within the SEND 0-25 Code of Practice.
  • Pupils have access to internal FE resources, in accordance with the Baker Clause.

How it will look for each year group:

 

Creating a vision and developing fundamental skills for life. Developing a sense of personal identity and careers awareness.

Creating a vision and developing fundamental skills for life. Developing a sense of personal identity and careers awareness.

Creating a vision and developing fundamental skills for life. Developing a sense of personal identity and careers awareness.

Year 7

Assisting pupils to create strong foundation in order to cope with academic and non-academic challenges ahead.

Building an understanding of skills for life through PSHE lessons e.g.  financial management.

Goal setting through Career North and Aspire to Achieve.

Career Quiz – Who am I? (questions which help determine a person’s personality that link to career choices).

Create a visionary board on Careers.

Candidates for form reps and sports captains deliver a ‘WHY ME’ speech to form.

Pupils to deliver a 5 minute presentation on their dream job – Form Time.

Focus day – exploring different careers within school.

Manchester Gateway Programme trip to The University of Manchester.

European day of languages; exploring pathways in languages

Letters of application for interviews for librarians.

Year 8

Introductions to Aspiring Futures (classroom activities).

One to one meetings with Aspiring Futures, learning lunches.

Attend 'Have a Go' skills event. World Skills.

Pupils’ complete dislikes and likes section on New Kudos prior to options.

Manchester United Foundation career event.

Introductions to Aspiring Futures (classroom activities).

One to one meetings with Aspiring Futures.

Attend 'Have a Go' skills event.

Attend Engineering open day BIG Bang Northwest.

Manchester United Foundation career event.

Career choices - assembly delivered by career leaders.

European day of languages; exploring pathways in languages

 

Year 9

Attend Westleigh High Enterprise Event & Year 9 Business Studies – Enterprise programme (TBC).

Work shadowing day, Employee visiting (TBC).

Attend Leigh College Enterprise Event & Year 9 Business Studies – Enterprise programme

Why study talk in collaboration with University of Manchester - why study languages.

UK Fast campus visit - careers in digital sector.

European day of languages; exploring pathways in languages.

Letters of application for interviews for Peer Mentors.

Work shadowing day.

Opportunity to participate in work experience (TBC).

STEM event by Big Bang at the Event city Manchester.

Inspiring Young Women conference with Manchester Business School.

Year 10

 

 

Group work with Aspiring Futures.

Attend Manchester Careers Event, Event City.

Careers Fair.

Discover your Digital Careers hosted by Lloyds Bank / Barclays Bank.

Triple Science- Fast Beep medical workshop delivered by University of Manchester’s students.

Inspiring Young Women conference at Manchester Business School.

Lunch Time drop ins, various topics.

Year 11

 

 

Complete elements of BTEC Workskills – Preparing for an Interview and Interview Techniques.

Attend Manchester Careers Event, Event City.

Introduction to Labour market information (which may help with A-Level/level 3 choices).

Careers Fair.

Lunch Time drop ins, various topics.

Apprenticeship workshops.

 

 

The impact of our careers programme on our students

At The Westleigh School, we believe it is very important to assess the impact of our careers programme for our students.

We work closely with Wigan Authority to determine the destination data of our students and strive to exceed the local data.  The most recent data we have is for the 2021 Year 11 Leavers.  This section will be further updated on receipt of the 2022 Year 11 Leavers.

2024 Year 11 Leavers

Participation rates are higher than the Wigan Borough average

Destinations of Year 11 Leavers

  • 86.3% of students are studying in Wigan
  • 6.5% of students are studying in Bolton
  • 3.6% of students are studying in Salford
  • 2.9% of students are studying in Warrington
  • 0.7% of students are studying in Out of Area Establishments

Five Years of Participation in Education and Training

Year 11 Leavers

The Westleigh School

Wigan Borough

2020

96.8%

95.7%

2021

96.1%

95.7%

2022

95.1%

95.9%

2023

96.4%

94.3%

2024

95.2%

94.8%

Student Survey Results

In the recent Student Survey (Summer 2022), 93.1% of students said the school provided them with information about their next steps.  We aim to improve this.

Compass Plus Review

At our most recent Compass Plus review (Spring 2025), we reviewed our performance against the Gatsby Benchmarks. 

Gatsby

Westleigh

National

Benchmarks

(Spring 2025)

(Report Jan 2025)

1

94%

69%

2

100%

83%

3

100%

59%

4

100%

80%

5

100%

85%

6

100%

72%

7

90%

57%

8

100%

76%

 

 

Management of Provider Access Requests

Any provider who wishes to request access to our school should contact us on 01942 202580.