Our Careers Leader is Carine Foster, cfoster@wykhampark-aspirations.org, telephone 01295 251451.

At Wykham Park Academy, our careers programme is designed for all students from year 7 to year 13. We believe that good career advice and guidance will help students to make informed and realistic decisions about their future and will help them focus and enjoy their lessons in the present. We aim to develop every student’s awareness of the qualifications and the skills needed for a successful entry into their chosen career. We are immensely proud to meet the Gatsby 8 Career Benchmarks from KS3 to Post 16.

Wykham Park Academy has a stable and structured career programme delivered throughout the year in all Key Stages through the weekly mentor programme and assemblies. Drop Down Hours also play a crucial part in ensuring that students are provided with quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. Students have different career guidance at different stages depending on their age and their needs. Our link to Futures Institute Banbury allows our students to learn how the different STEM subjects help to gain entry to a wide range of careers as well as raising students aspirations and tackling stereotypes.

Gatsby Benchmark descriptions and The Aspiration Campus Provision

Gatsby BenchmarksCareer Provisions and opportunities - Aspirations Campus
1A stable Careers programmeAll students from year 7 to year 13 follow an embedded programme through daily PSHE provision delivered in mentor time and Drop Down Hours, especially designed to meet the need of each year group. To see further details, read below regarding Drop Down Hours provision per year group
2Learning from career and labour market informationStudents at KS4 and Post 16 are regularly provided with information about occupations in the local area. Local careers events are emailed to parents. Information is also shared in mentor time taking place every morning for 20 minutes for all students at Wykham Park Banbury and the Aspirations Campus.
3Addressing the Need of Each pupil.Students at Wykham Park Academy and the Aspirations Campus have different career guidance needs at different stages. In order to meet these needs, KS3 students will be given the opportunity to be mentored by external local business partners weekly as part as the Captain of my Ship programme. All students from all Key Stages will be invited to a free visit to a local University and various business companies such as Microsoft, BMW and JDE.
4Linking Curriculum Learning to CareersCareers guidance and prospects are also linked to curriculum learning via the teachers and subject departments. The AED projects at Post 16 and Drop Down Hours in all Key stages give students the opportunity to see the direct link between their studies in the classroom and their potential further studies and the world of work. External visitors such as the Army, the Royal Navy, the Marines and ambassadors from local businesses offer students advice on courses and pathways to their personal aspirations. One to one interviews at the end of KS3 and KS4, support students in making the right decisions for their chosen GCSEs, A-Levels or their applications to other educational paths.
5Encounters with employers and employeesThe Aspiration Campus works very closely with our external careers advisors, local businesses, places of education and our governors to ensure students have regular contact with employers and employees from varied sources. These are offered through guest speaker’s assemblies, workshops, educational visits, compulsory work experience, practice interviews, and programmes such as Captain of My Ship. All year 10 students also experience one to one mock interviews with volunteers from local businesses and are given individual feedback of their responses.
6Experience of work placeIn addition to tailored visits to the world of work, students complete work experience in year 10 and in year 12. Furthermore, employability skills such as Communication, Initiative, Organisation, Leadership and Resilience are developed through the PSHE programme in order to create an employability portfolio that can be used in interviews.
7Encounters with further and higher educationAll students from year 7 to year 13 are offered visits to Universities (Reading and Oxford Brookes) annually. Students and parents are also kept informed of open evenings and careers fairs at local colleges through their mentors and given support to apply to apprenticeships.
8Personal GuidanceIn addition to our whole school programmes, we also provide one-to-one interviews in year 9 before choosing GCSE subjects, individual career advice for KS4 and Post 16 students as well as support in writing CV and personal statements. Career advisors are also present at KS4 parents' and open evenings.

onomic Wellbeing, Careers and Employability Skills

Download the Economic Wellbeing, Careers and Employability Skills diagram here to see the journey in more detail.

In addition to the various programmes in place, students at KS4 also experience regular encounters with employers and employees and visiting speakers. We also aim to invite selected groups of students to visit universities and attend workshops as opportunities arise or when a need is identified by the students, the parents or the school.

Pupils appreciate the independent careers advice that they receive across the school. They particularly like the wide range of outside speakers who visit the school.”
OFSTED Report May 2018

Career Interviews
Provider Access Statement for Careers Provision – Jan. 2023

Furthermore, every student at key stage 4 is given personal guidance for career interviews by our external providers. During these interviews, the career adviser discusses the students’ ambitions and helps them explore the progress they are making to achieve their goal. At Wykham Park Academy, we believe that having one-to-one guidance interviews with an external provider is very positive and allows all students to have an intended destination or receive extra support.

Here, we believe in giving all our students comprehensive information in line with the Baker Clause – the Technical and Further Education Act 2017 inserts section 42B into the Education Act 1997 – which came into force on 2nd of January 2018. This new law requires the proprietor of all schools and academies to ensure that there is an opportunity for a range of education and training providers to access all pupils from year 8 to 13  for the purpose of informing them about approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships. Therefore, our independent careers guidance provided:

  • Should be presented in an impartial manner, showing no bias or favouritism towards a particular institution, education or work option.
  • Should include information on the range of education or training options, including apprenticeships and technical education routes.
  • Should be guidance that the advice-giver considers beneficial to the best interests of the pupil to whom it is given. This policy statement is based on the exemplar provided in Careers guidance and access for education, and training providers statutory guidance for governing bodies, school leaders and school staff.

This policy statement sets out the school’s arrangements for managing the access of providers to pupils at the school for the purpose of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.

Information on this page will be reviewed in September 2023.

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