Careers Related Learning Programme and Policy
Find out about our bespoke and unique programme that reflects our academy's and community's core values.
Approved by: Academy Governing Council
Date: October 2023
Last reviewed on: October 2023
Next review: October 2024
Careers & Skills Builder Leader: Katherine Sladden - Assistant Headteacher
1.0 Rationale and Vision
Co-op Academies Trust is committed to ensuring all our students have access to high-quality, career related learning (CRL) opportunities throughout each stage of their development. Our CRL programmes will inspire, raise aspirations and give our students an optimistic outlook on life.
At Co-op Academy Beckfield, the vision for the development of CRL is to provide the very best opportunities to enable our pupils to broaden their horizons and raise their aspirations. We want our children to see a clear link and purpose between their learning experiences and their future. Our programme promotes equality of opportunity, gives exposure to the world of work, celebrates diversity and challenges stereotypes. We want all of the children at Beckfield to ‘Aspire, Aim and Achieve’.
1.1 We are always guided by our Co-op values:
Do what matters most
What matters most is ensuring that our students achieve the best possible outcomes.
Be yourself, always
We bring our best self to work, so that we each contribute a bit of our own unique Co-op difference, and respect others for doing the same.
Show you care
We care about our Co-op, our colleagues, our members, our students, their parents and communities, now and for the future.
Succeed together
Co-operating is what makes us different; we’re better and stronger when we work together.
2.0 Intent
Accordion content
Our CRL program is both bespoke and unique to our academy and the community we sit in. It is reviewed on an annual basis to meet our children’s needs based on internal monitoring and evaluation processes. We are committed to providing a coherently planned and sequenced programme that reflects our academy’s context and core values. Our programme is designed to entitle all children to develop their knowledge, skills, understanding and cultural capital, to support them to go on to positive destinations that meet their aspirations and interests. With this in mind we aim:-
- To broaden children’s horizons and raise aspiration with the ultimate aim of improving social mobility
- To support the raising of standards of achievement and attainment for all children, especially by increasing motivation, attitude to learning and attendance
- To reinforce the importance of numeracy and literacy in later life
- To support inclusion, challenge stereotyping and promote equality of opportunity
- To excite and motivate children about their curriculum learning by ensuring there are strong links between education and the world of work
- To develop enterprise and essential life skills
- To help children to learn about, and develop, their skills and qualities to instil greater self-confidence
- To tailor CRL learning/events to meet the needs of all our children through appropriate differentiation
- To involve parents and carers whenever appropriate
- To use current labour market information (LMI) to enable children, staff and parents to engage actively with local and national CRL information so that they can increase their knowledge and understanding about the world of work
- To use all feedback to reflect on our current provision to develop our future CRL program
- To provide additional support to specific vulnerable groups such as SEND and pupil premium children
- To monitor and evaluate current provision in order to ensure our program is quality assured in line with other curriculum areas
- To share best practice with other Co-op academies at network events to ensure reflection and development of own programme
- To ensure that children in each key stage get a least one employer encounter per academic year
- To achieve/work towards a ‘Quality in Careers’ award in recognition of all that our academy offers
2.1 Learner entitlement
All children are entitled to consistent and whole-school delivery of CRL to ensure they understand who they could become and develop a healthy sense of self, to enable them to reach their full potential. This will include real life experiences of the workplace, physically in KS2 and virtually in EY / KS1.
2.2 Planning & Curriculum
Planning for CRL is included in the long-term PSHE planning. Teachers are encouraged to explore links to careers through the core and non-core curriculum when possible, both implicitly and explicitly. It is recognised that opportunities are often spontaneous, following the children’s learning, experiences and ideas.
2.3 Approaches to teaching and learning
The curriculum is approached in a variety of ways, using a range of teaching and learning styles. In CRL we place emphasis on active learning including the pupils in circle times, role play, research and enterprise activities. Visits, and visitors, will also form part of our CRL curriculum. Through the curriculum we will aim to give children real life, authentic experiences of the world of work.
Teaching staff use the Skills Builder framework in every lesson, to raise the profile and importance of ‘building skills’ and to create challenge. The Skills Builder programme is embedded into our timetables, assemblies, celebrations and whole-school careers-related events throughout the year.
2.4 Visitors and visits
It is recognised that visits and visitors will form part of CRL. Our CRL leader will actively seek relevant and meaningful encounters from a wide range of sectors and providers. Please also see the Trust Health and Safety Policy regarding risk assessment for visits and our Safeguarding Policy for visitors on site.
2.5 Assembly programme
The assembly programme for CRL is devised by our CRL lead and will support teaching in class through a range of different approaches. Our CRL lead will deliver a range of assemblies on job opportunities within different subjects to link learning to life. Teachers will also deliver assemblies on different careers, which will reflect the results of our aspirations survey in KS1/2. Aspirational visitors will also be included in the assembly programme.
2.6 Parental Engagement
Parental engagement in CRL is based around raising parents’ awareness of the nature of their supportive role in their child’s future. Engaging parents is a key driver when delivering career development activities and CRL should raise aspirations for the parents and their children. We will also look for parent / extended family CRL opportunities to complement our CRL program. Parents are also engaged with the Skills Builder programme through the children’s homework, assemblies and weekly newsletters.
3.0 Implementation
Our program is taught via bespoke activities and events, subject curriculum and extra-curricular activities, and a wide range of enrichment activities.
CRL is delivered by a range of providers such as teachers and support staff, FE Colleges, Universities, visiting speakers, employers and employees. This delivery includes bespoke workshops, assemblies, project/challenge / enterprise days and via subject curriculum. Our staff receive regular CPD to support them in embedding essential skills into their subject areas. Our parents can access our academy’s website which provides clear links to a range of CRL related events and information about local market information (LMI). The CRL events/activities outlined below are all planned to take place over the year in addition to CRL in the curriculum.
Autumn Term
| Key stage | Activity / event / curriculum (linked to BM) | Intended learning outcome |
| EYFS |
Introduction to Careers
Forest School Day |
Children to begin to learn about what jobs are and key jobs.
Children to understand what is involved in protecting the environment and learning from what is around us. |
| KS1 |
Trip to Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Staff CV Assembly Launch
Employer Q&A |
Children to understand the different roles in the park and how they all work as a team to ensure that the animals are cared for. Children to gain insight into different career routes and skill sets of staff within school and to understand the importance of CVs. Children to gain insight into the world of work and link to key skills required. |
| KS2 |
Year 5 World of Work Week Staff CV Assembly Launch
Employer Q&A |
Children to learn about a variety of jobs and hear about the pathways and skills they will need. Children to gain insight into different career routes and skill sets of staff within school and to understand the importance of CVs. Children to gain insight into the world of work and link to key skills |
| Staff |
CPD session on the Skills Builder framework & Gold Award |
Staff to understand the importance and relevance of the framework and to ensure that it is embedded throughout the curriculum. Staff to be introduced to the Gold SKills Builder Award Framework. |
Spring Term
| Key stage | Activity / event / curriculum | Intended learning outcome |
| EYFS |
Skills Builder Challenge Day |
Children to take part in various challenges, linked to building their key skills throughout the day. Children to reflect upon future aspirations and link to key skills and subjects required to achieve them. |
|
KS1 |
Skills Builder Challenge Day
Employer visits & Q&A |
Children to take part in various challenges, linked to building their key skills throughout the day. Children to reflect upon future aspirations and link to key skills and subjects required to achieve them. Children to gain insight into the world of work and link to key skills required. |
| KS2 |
Skills Builder Challenge Day
Employer visits & Q&A - World of Work Day
Workplace visits |
Children to take part in various challenges, linked to building their key skills throughout the day. Children to reflect upon future aspirations and link to key skills and subjects required to achieve them. Children to gain insight into the world of work and link to key skills required. Children to learn from employers about work, employments and the skills that are valued in the workplace. Through going to a workplace, children can explain what a working environment is like. |
| Staff | Creation and CPD on Beckfield CRL 'On a Page' curriculum document | CRL and Skills Builder opportunities, both in the curriculum and enhancements, to be mapped out for both inward and outward facing audiences. |
Summer Term
| Key stage | Activity / event / curriculum | Intended learning outcome |
| EYFS |
Aspirations audit
Fiver Challenge |
To review aspirations and evaluate impact. Year 5 & 6 to learn about college and university and experience what being a university student is like. Children to take part in an enterprise challenge developing their financial and budgeting skills as well as using their creativity, problem solving, teamwork and leadership skills. |
| KS1 | ||
| KS2 | ||
| Staff | CPD session on CRL and Skills Builder Curriculum for 24/25 academic year | Staff to reflection upon successes of CRL curriculum and to forward plan as a team to continue to build towards sector leading practice in this area. |
At Co-op Academy Beckfield, progression in Careers Related Learning from EYFS through to Year 6 is clearly mapped out, assuring all of our learners have a full range of opportunities in each stage of their learning journey throughout primary school. You can see how this progress is set out in our road map below.
Events
- Visits to Universities (BM1,7)
- Visits to FE College (BM1,7)
- Visits/trips (remember all visits are to someone’s place of work!) (BM1,2,3,5,6)
- Co-op core offer (BM1,2,3,4,5,6)
- PSHCE CRL element of SoL (BM1,2,3,4,5,7)
- Career sector insight assemblies (BM1,2,3,5,7)
- Challenge / enrichment days or week (BM1,2,3,4,5,6,7)
- Aspiration audit (BM1,3,8)
- External providers such as Primary Futures i.e Enterprise activities / assemblies (BM1,2,3,4,5)
- Workplace visits (BM1,2,3,4,5,6)
- Curriculum links to employers (BM1,2,3,4,5,6,)
- STEM activities (BM1,2,3,4,5,6)
- Staff LMI CPD (BM1,2,3,4,8)
- Curriculum mapping (BM1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8)
- Skills builder resources / development (BM1,3,4,8)
Staff
- Annual update on LMI (BMI1,3)
- Directed time to develop CRL in the curriculum (BM1,4,8)
- PSHE curriculum review (BM1,4,8)
- External CRL CPD ie. visiting a local subject related business (BM1,2,4,5,6)
4.0 Impact
Measuring the impact of our CRL programme will support us to develop it on a termly/annual basis and to know that we are making a positive and empowering difference. We value quantitative and qualitative feedback from all stakeholders and ensure our evaluations lead to change / amendments in our future planning. We undertake internal and external quality assurance to ensure our intent and implementation is in-line with our expectations. Our CRL program aims to demonstrate the following impact:
- Raise in aspirations (aspiration surveys)
- Increased understanding of stereotypical jobs (google forms)
- Feedback and evaluation for all events, both quantitative and qualitative
- Increase in attendance / reduction in PA over time
- Reduction in behaviour incidents including Ftex / Pex over time
- Increase in progress / attainment over time
- Progress and achievement data over time with reference to vulnerable groups i.e SEND
- Development of employability skills after key events
- Range of employer engagement increasing
5.0 Useful websites
5.1 For staff
First Careers, careers advice school children
Offers guidance to primary and secondary school students in making decisions about future careers and professions).
https://primary-careers.careersandenterprise.co.uk/
Special section dedicated to primary resources / best practice
Information on STEM-related careers for primary-age students
The world of work resources and activities for KS2
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/pshe-ks1-ks2-what-is-my-job/zrdkt39
PSHE KS1 / KS2: What’s my job?
LOUD! Network KS2 lessons: ‘Job skills, influences and goals’
EYFS Activities: Essential experiences… Learning about jobs
https://primaryfutures.org/career-related-primary/
Resources for primary staff to deliver engaging career-related learning for their pupils, with tools, information and resources available including a self-assessment quiz for schools and examples of innovative practice
https://www.myworldofwork.co.uk/partner-resources
Career resources that work in the classroom. These are designed to support young people at different stages, from primary five through secondary and beyond.
https://www.skillsbuilder.org/homelearning
Everyone needs eight essential skills to succeed – whatever their path in life. Skills builder provides a range of resources for building these skills in a home setting – all underpinned by the Skills Builder Framework. Resources are available for learners aged 4 to 20+.
5.2 Research
https://www.educationandemployers.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DrawingTheFuture.pdf
Exploring the career aspirations of primary school children from around the world
What works? Career-related learning in primary schools
https://www.thecdi.net/New-Career-Development-Framework
Framework for implementing CRL
5.3 Careers Games
https://panjango.com/pages/panjango-online (KS2)
https://icould.com/buzz-quiz/ (KS2)
Which Animal Are You? In under five minutes, discover: your strengths and what makes you tick / what you’re like as a boyfriend or girlfriend / which celebrities share your personality type. There are 16 possible results, each connected to an animal
5.4 Labour Market Information (LMI)
Leeds
Provide career inspiration to help you make that important next step to reach your FutureGoals. Creative Industries, Digital, Manufacturing and Engineering, Construction, Professional services and Health and Social Care are all key sectors for Leeds City Region. https://futuregoals.co.uk/careerstarters/ Our way of living has changed quite a lot recently. Now, more than ever, it’s really important to keep our brains active and challenged. Without the daily structures that we’re used to, self-motivation is a really vital skill that we need to nurture and develop.
FutureGoals Remote tests your communication and planning skills, it develops your creative thinking and challenges you to think outside of the box. You will tackle activities that help you to problem solve, become innovative and step into a range of different career sectors. These resources have been designed to help you learn skills that local employers are looking for such as; communication, planning and research, problem solving, creativity, organisation and self-reflection FutureGoals Remote resources – “Create it!” –