At Robert Bloomfield Academy we want all our young people to understand the full range of opportunities available to them in today’s world and help them to acquire the skills and qualifications they will need to succeed in the workplace today and in the future. We believe that every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace.  We also aim to prepare our pupils for the opportunities in the next stage of their education, a time when they will make choices about their future study.

We are proud to be 85% compliant in the Gatsby Benchmark.

Our Careers Guidance Policy is available on our website under Policies.

All pupils at RBA will receive careers education throughout the course of the year in the form of an Aspirations Programme:

 

     2 dedicated weeks per year, where careers become the focus of all lessons across the curriculum

Subject Leaders will plan and provide activities which educate the pupils on the careers and future pathways available to them within that subject field.

Visiting speakers (past students and local people) will provide students with opportunities to hear and ask questions about careers and future pathways

 

Year 7 STEM days

All STEM days are organised in partnership with local business. Students will be educated off site for the day with no cost implications.

 

STEM Day 1: Arts and Manufacturing

STEM Day 2: Science and Engineering

STEM Day 3: Enterprise

 

   Year 8 Electives Programme

Each RBA faculty will offer an Elective (a day out in industry)

Pupils partake in two Elective days per year

Each Elective day off site will be accompanied by and Elective day on site (the Friday of Careers Week) to spend time with staff and students participating in their Elective, research the industry and prepare for their day

 

Careers Fair

At the end of the year Year 8 will run a careers fair in which they will demonstrate the skills and understandings they have acquired over the year. Each year group will visit the fair.

All external partners who have been a part of our Aspirations programme will  be invited to attend the careers fair and hold a stall.

            Highly Able Pupils

We have introduced a new category of High Attaining pupils- Highly Able. These are able predominantly disadvantaged students who will not have knowledge of further education pathways.

We will work with local FE providers to ensure all students understand the options open to them

By the time pupils get to the end of their middle school journey they will have had the opportunity to:

• Explore how they will need money to achieve some of their dreams (through Enterprise day and in Creative Arts Theory lessons).
• Investigate a range of jobs carried out by people they know and will have explored how much people earn in different jobs
• Gain an understanding of a range of Jobs they would like to do when they are older, what motivates them and what they need to do to achieve it
• Learn about the dreams and goals of children in a culture different to theirs
• Find out about a range of ways in which young people can support each other here and abroad
• Learn about the world of work from various visiting speakers.
• Identify own personal learning strengths and understand why it’s important to stretch the boundaries of their own current learning
• Learn how to motivate themselves and set success criteria
• Identify some ways they can work with other people to make world better place
• Complement other people and recognise their contribution and achievements
• Learn about the world of work from various visiting speakers.
• Identify and challenge stereotypes whilst learning about the world of work and why it is important
• Explore through self-assessment - personal aspirations for work/areas of interest and why self-evaluation is important
• Identify their own characteristics, strengths and preferences
• Complete the Buzz Quiz - a self-evaluation tool to support pupils in exploring career pathways they may wish to consider 
• Investigated and researched a variety of identified roles from Buzz Quiz
• Participated in The Real Game exploring future lifestyle choices and learning about the realities of managing time, budgets and responding to external influences in a particular job role
• Explored a range of Jobs / careers and occupations 
• Learn about aspects of employment law relating to young people’s permitted hours and types of employment; and know how to minimise health and safety risks to themselves and those around them 
• Recognise when they are using the qualities and skills needed to be enterprising
• Learn about volunteering: the rewards and benefits
• Describe different ways of looking at people’s careers and how they develop 
• Identify different kinds of work and why people’s satisfaction with their working lives varies 
• Describe the organisation and structure of different types of business 
• Tell their own story about what they are doing to make progress, raise their achievement and improve wellbeing 
• Explain how they have benefited as a learner from career related learning activities and experiences 
• Recognise the qualities and skills needed for employability and provide evidence for those they have demonstrated both in and out of school
• Learn about the world of work from various visiting speakers
• Learn about the North east of England - Geography and labour market of the North East of England: Be aware of what job and labour market information (LMI) is and what is can do for them; employment/unemployment compared to UK and other relevant statistics
• Explore Job and industry classification and distribution of sectors locally
• Prepare for employability: identify, develop and improve soft skills
• Recognise the qualities and skills needed for employability and started to gather evidence for those demonstrated both in and out of school
• Learn about resilience and why it is important for people seeking work
• Learn about Social Media and careers 
• Explore careers and how these may change in the future 
• Write personal statements and meet an independent careers advisor 
• Learn how to manage money well - personal budget, contribute to household and school budgets.  
• Explore current education pathways 
• Identify and make the most of your personal network of support including how to access the impartial careers information, advice and guidance that you need 
• Know how to negotiate and make plans and decisions carefully to help you get the qualifications, skills and experience you need 
• Investigate what is meant by and how to achieve a work life balance 
• Learn and develop employability skills 
• Link career ambitions to GCSE options choices 
• Learn from Career Ambassadors who participated in an annual Careers Fair visit
• Learn about the world of work from various visiting speakers.

The school measure the impact via surveys to pupils, parents and staff. 

RBA-enquiries@Bestacademies.org.uk

RBA contact number: 01462 628800

Bedford Schools CEIAG Network

Part of Skills Plan Consultation for Bedford

Soon to take part in accredited careers course.