Careers at Kettering Buccleuch Academy
The academy’s ambition is to ensure that all students leave equipped with the relevant skills and knowledge required to successfully support their entry to the next stage of their development. To this end, the trust’s CEIAG programme has three main aims:
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Self-Development – enabling students to understand themselves, their strengths and the influences on them, acquiring the core competencies and skills necessary to enable them to access a range of opportunities
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Career Exploration – investigation of opportunities in learning and work, understanding the changing world of work and labour market information
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Career Management – developing skills enabling them to make and adjust plans and to manage change and transitions.
We focus on educating students to Respect and acknowledge the pathways available to them, to have the Ambition and foresight to set individual goals, and to have the Determination and growth-mindset required to overcome challenges to achieve these goals.
The Gatsby Benchmarks are a framework of 8 guidelines that define the best careers provision in schools and colleges. Our careers strategy is built around them, and they make a great place to start for planning or improving our programme. Gatsby Benchmarks
The Careers Lead at Kettering Buccleuch Academy is our Assistant Principal, Stephen Fraher (stephenfraher@kba.uk).
Key partnerships:
UniConnect UniConnect
Uni Connect brings together 29 partnerships of universities, colleges and other local partners to offer activities, advice and information on the benefits and realities of going to university or college. The programme was set up in 2017 to support the government’s social mobility goals to rapidly increase the number of young people from underrepresented groups going into higher education.
SEMLEP (South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership) SEMLEP
Our involvement with SEMLEP allows us to share good practice with other education facilities within the local area and provides us with access to a wide variety of careers opportunities.
Unifrog Unifrog
The platform is used by all students from years 7-13 and provides them with a one-stop shop to access everything careers related, focussing on increasing awareness, developing understanding of the needs of different careers route, and allowing them to complete a progressive plan of their future steps.
University of Northampton UoN
We work closely with the University of Northampton to provide students with the opportunity to experience all that university entails. View Privacy Notice
Prospects Prospects
We have funded a programme that allows all students in year 11 to receive a 1-2-1 careers interview with a careers professional. Students in other year groups also have the opportunity to access this support upon request.
Accessing Careers Information
From careers advice through to interview tips, the National Careers Service provides a comprehensive career guide. Access at the website below:
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk
Click on the attachment below for further reading and guidance on apprenticeships:
Higher and Degree Apprenticeships
Websites to help source apprenticeships and employment:
www.getmyfirstjob.co.uk
www.studentladder.co.uk
Careers and Employability Education (EYFS – Year 6)
Careers is imbedded into our SCARF programme within our primary phase, with focus being upon exposure to the world of careers. There are a number of key events that take place throughout the year to promote this:
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Primary careers day
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Professionals in the classroom
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Parents/carers and their careers
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The journey from primary to sixth form
Careers and Employability Education (Year 7-13)
Career and employability education is taught explicitly twice each term through pastoral time as part of a blended learning programme (outline below).
The blended element is achieved through the additional tasks set for students to complete independently through our Unifrog platform. Having this in place allows us to measure the impact on the careers education taking place and also address the specific needs of our students in each year group.
Throughout the year we offer a range of additional opportunities to our students, engaging with universities, employers and training providers from around the world.
Work shadowing in year 12
KBA Alumni Progamme
Employer Engagement – Help us to help you
We know that employers in the UK have concerns about skills gaps and the work-readiness of some young people.
Kettering Buccleuch Academy is a member of the SEMLEP Careers and Enterprise Network, part of the national Careers and Enterprise Company programme.
Our aim is that through employer engagement at all ages, we ensure that young people leave our school with the skills, competencies, knowledge, appropriate qualifications and attitudes needed by employers for both their own career development and economic sustainability and growth.
We need your help
We are looking for passionate employers from businesses and other organisations to help our students and thus shape the future workforce and bring the world of work to life for the next generation.
The following high impact activities are used to work in partnership with businesses to help our students prepare for the world of work:
- Employer Talks
- Business site visits
- Mentoring
- Enterprise activities
- Work experience and job shadowing
- Mock interviews and CV preparation
If you can help with an engagement or for further information, contact Mr Fraher at stephenfraher@kba.uk