Careers

Our Vision for our Careers Provision

Our vision at Eastlea Community School is to inspire students to become life-long career learners, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to successfully progress onto their preferred post-16 destinations and higher education, training and employment. Our students follow a programme of curricular and extracurricular activities that cultivate a range of valuable employability skills, such as self-management, teamwork, problem-solving, and application of literacy, numeracy and proficiency in the use of information technology. 

Our Commitment

Our careers programme is designed to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks and our broad range of Careers Delivery Partners facilitate a dynamic and inclusive experience for all. Eastlea Community School is committed to fulfilling our statutory duty to provide CEIAG (Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance) to students in Years 8-11, and to ensuring that all students have access to impartial careers advice throughout their education. 

Overview of our Careers Programme

Our CEIAG programme provides activities appropriate to age and need. It aims to provide students with the best possible foundation on which to base not only their post-16 choices following Year 11, but also their options for GCSE subjects in Year 9. 

This is supported by personalised sessions which are scheduled on a 1:1 basis with our Career Advisor, as well as by providing dedicated assemblies, Parents/Carers information evenings, college and university visits and careers fairs. 

Gatsby Benchmarks 

The Gatsby Benchmarks are an external set of benchmarks which indicate a high quality careers programme.  A careers programme that meets the Benchmarks is:

  1. A stable careers programme. 
  2. Learns from career and labour market information.
  3. Addresses the needs of each pupil.
  4. Links the curriculum learning to careers.
  5. Provides students with encounters with employers and employees.
  6. Provides students with experiences of workplaces. 
  7. Provides students with encounters with further and higher education.
  8. Provides personal guidance for all students.

Delivery of our Programme

Predominantly students will learn about careers and the development of skills needed for careers through the PSHE programme where we have 76 dedicated 30 minute sessions from Year 7 to Year 11. The details for this can be found on the PSHE page or within this document. In these programmes, they cover the following topics:

  • Identifying personal strengths and weaknesses
  • Targets and goals for the future
  • Making choices and looking ahead
  • How to choose options
  • Post 16 options
  • Developing employability skills
  • Personal statements and C.Vs
  • How to complete an application form
  • Online presence and how to sell yourself
  • Financial and economic education

Out statutory Provider Access Statement is available here.

Monitoring and Evaluation

To monitor and improve on our CEIAG Programme, we regularly evaluate our provision on Compass through The Careers and Enterprise Company.  Updates are published on this page.

Further information

Key staff members involved in the delivery of our programme are:

Gemma Anderson, Assistant Headteacher – Achievement – [email protected] 

Lian Gray, Achievement Leader and Careers Lead – [email protected] 

Both can be reached by phone through the main school reception number, available at the bottom of the home page of our website.