Careers Education, Information, Advice & Guidance
At SAIL Academy, all year groups receive careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG). Careers guidance is a planned aspect of our RESPECT curriculum for all pupils and aims to focus on a range of career opportunities, suitable roles related to skills, qualifications and experiences, goals, and preparing pupils well with their next steps post-16. The career development programme uses the Gatsby Benchmarks as set out in the DfE guidance.
Careers Programme
All students are involved in the Academy’s Careers Education Programme which starts in Year 1 and runs through into Year 11. We aim to raise student aspirations, support them into further learning and equip them with the skills they need to achieve success in their chosen pathway. This programme develops their career skills covering self-development, career exploration and career management. Our programme is developed to map the Career Development Institute framework and the Gatsby Benchmarks.
The Careers Curriculum
Careers education at our academy goes far beyond the classroom — but this flowchart shows just one part of the bigger picture. What you see below is our careers curriculum, delivered through the RESPECT curriculum as part of the core timetable.
These lessons are designed to help students build essential skills, explore career options, and prepare for future pathways — from Year 1 through to Year 11. While they form a key part of our overall careers provision, they are just one strand of a much wider programme that includes trips, employer encounters, work experience, personal guidance, and more.
What we offer
One-to-One Guidance
All year 7 to year 11 students will have an opportunity to have one-to-one careers guidance from a qualified careers advisor where they can explore key skills, interests and college courses including apprenticeship pathways.
Employer Engagement & Work Experience
We partner with local businesses and organisations to provide Insight and Challenge days, guest speaker sessions, and employer career talks and workplace visits, giving them a realistic insight into the workplace.
Events & Workshops
We join our partner school careers fair and host CV writing workshops and mock interview days to gain confidence, build networks, and learn from professionals across various industries.
Personalised Support for All
Whether the students need additional guidance due to specific learning needs or they are simply unsure which path to pursue, our team works closely with pastoral staff, external advisers, and colleges to ensure everyone receives the right support at the right time.
At our school, we are committed to ensuring that every student—regardless of background, ability, or circumstance—can access high-quality, personalised careers guidance.
Provider Access Policy
As part of SAIL Academy's commitment to informing our pupils of the full range of learning and training routes on offer to them, we are happy to consider requests from training, vocational education and apprenticeship providers to speak to students and will also approach these partners ourselves when planning and organising key Careers events throughout the school year.
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.
Pupil entitlement
All pupils in years 8-11 are entitled:
- To find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point.
- To hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through options events, assemblies and group discussions and taster events.
- To understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses
In the first instance, providers wishing to speak with students should consult with us about their input at our main events throughout the year. We also have a number of slots available for year group assemblies and whole cohort presentations. Any requests for the above, or any special requests, should be made to the senior leader responsible for careers using the details below. All requests should be emailed at least 6 weeks in advance of an expected date of the session. At this point, more information will be requested around the purpose and content of the session.
How we measure our Careers Provision
We believe that a high-quality careers programme should be more than just well-intentioned — it should be effective, measurable, and constantly evolving. To ensure our students are receiving the best possible support, we use the following methods to evaluate our provision:
- The Gatsby Benchmarks – We track our progress against the eight Gatsby Benchmarks using the Compass+ tool. This helps us identify strengths, address gaps, and plan strategically for improvement.
- Student Feedback – After key careers activities, we collect student voice through surveys and discussions to understand what’s working and what could be improved.
- Destination Data – We monitor student destinations for up to three years after they leave, to ensure they are progressing into sustained education, employment, or training.
- Employer and Staff Feedback – We gather input from visiting employers, staff, and external partners to assess the impact and relevance of our careers activities.