Careers Education, Information, Advice & Guidance (CEIAG)

 

“Supporting each and every student to be the best they can be

and enabling them to become

valued and valuable members of the society.”

 

The Abbey School is committed to providing a planned programme of Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) for all our students.  It is hugely important that students are given the skills and understanding to apply what they have learned to either further education or the workplace.  Through tutor time sessions, Life Skills lessons and assemblies, along with a series of other interventions, students are taught skills that will allow them to be in the best possible position to be ‘a valued and valuable citizen’.

The careers programme is differentiated and personalised to ensure progression through activities that are appropriate to students’ needs and stages of learning. It will be integrated into their experience of the whole curriculum and based on the Gatsby Benchmarks for Good Careers Guidance* (see The Gatsby Benchmarks chart below).

• Careers sessions for Year 7 in tutor time.
• Careers lessons for Year 8/9 in tutor time and life skills.
• Life skills lessons & careers sessions in Year 10/11 in tutor time (see Curriculum: Life Skills link below).
• Year 10 students will undertake a week’s work experience. This brings multiple benefits to our students, enabling them to explore their career options, develop their work-related skills and build on their soft skills, self-confidence and abilities (see Work Experience Policy below).  For those students who might find it difficult to access a placement, the school organises a varied on-site programme.  
• Year 10 & 11 students can choose to do the Duke of Edinburgh Award, Bronze or Silver, as one of their Options.
• Year 11 students undertake an accredited course in basic motor mechanics and practical engineering skills, delivered on-site by GASP.
• At KS4 our links with local colleges allow students to make a smooth transition by showing them what to expect when they move onto KS5.  Currently, Year 10s attend Alton College and Year 11s attend Farnborough College of Technology for one morning every week.

On their journey through The Abbey, students will receive a number of opportunities to explore their strengths and will be given advice on the types of courses or training programmes that are available to them.  Careers guidance will focus on the specific needs of the individual student to promote self-awareness and personal development, and will be confidential and presented in an impartial manner.

• We adhere to the Provider Access Legislation (PAL)** by ensuring that there are at least 4 encounters with technical education, apprenticeship or training providers for students in year 8-11 (see Provider Access policy below).  
• We work with outside businesses & agencies to ensure that students are aware of the wide range of opportunities, and we also gain advice from the Surrey Careers Hub.
• We will keep parents informed of careers events & opportunities and career resources/education & training opportunities. 
• We will also support parents with information /advice about post 16 choices, local provisions, range of applications and progress of these. 
• In Year 10, students receive career guidance in the form of a 1:1 careers interview with a trained careers advisor.
• In the summer term we hold a careers & post 16 information event ‘Life After The Abbey’ for all parents/carers and students. This is an opportunity to talk to representatives from post 16 colleges, specialist schools, travel training etc, and is open to all parents and students

The school’s Careers Leader, Tessa Van Woerkom, Assistant SENDCo, can be contacted at the school on Monday-Thursday on 01252 725059 or via email: tvanwoerkom@abbey.surrey.sch.uk

Our aim is to ensure that all students are placed in the most appropriate setting to ensure that life after The Abbey is both enjoyable and fulfilling. 

Immediately below you will find links to further information about CEIAG at The Abbey, together with information from the Surrey County Council team and other key organisations about supporting young people with SEND into adulthood.

National Careers ServiceWaverley Training ServicesThe Jigsaw Trust