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A strategic objective throughout Farnborough Spencer Academy is to ensure our pupils leave the Academy equipped with the skills to become the most employable young people.
Preparing our pupils for life post Farnborough has always been a major strength at the Academy and this was recently acknowledged, in 2019, when we were awarded the ‘Career Mark Gold’ accreditation. This award was assessed under the new government guidelines, implemented in January 2018 and Quality in Careers Standard National Criteria instructing that every school should begin using the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks to aid in improving careers provision. The award acknowledged that Farnborough Spencer Academy had fully met this criterion, an achievement which is rare amongst other schools and something we are immensely proud of.
We ensure our careers programme is fully embedded into school structures starting from year 7 through to year 11. We ensure that every pupil, by the age of 16, has had at least one career guidance interview delivered by a level 6 careers advisor. We keep systematic records of careers activities, for each individual pupil, in order to track throughout their time at the Academy. We deliver and engage in workshops which actively seek to challenge stereotypical thinking and raise aspirations. We work closely with Futures (www.futuresforyou.com) to provide all of our students with support and guidance.
We have strong links with local Universities and colleges which ensures our pupils have the opportunity to have encounters with further and higher education through visits and careers fairs. Our annual in house careers fair allows pupils and their parents to access information about future career paths and make independent, informed decisions about their future whilst accessing current labour market information. We also facilitate strategically planned ‘careers’ drop down days to link with important transitional periods for each year group. Teachers actively highlight the relevance of STEM subjects and are also confident in talking about careers related to their own subject.
Specific plans are in place for groups of pupils who need tailored support to make effective career transitions. The careers programme is effectively managed by the Careers Lead; Graham Johnston (Assistant Principal) and Careers Coordinator; Shea Tipping with support from staff ensuring a unified approach in delivering a positive experience to the pupils allowing them to develop their knowledge and skills as they progress through school.
For further information regarding CEIAG at Farnborough Spencer Academy please contact;
– A quote from the assessor, extracted from the report we received, when we achieved ‘Career mark Gold’