Careers Intent

Here at Tudor Grange Academy Solihull, we provide our students with a full Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance programme to ensure they are prepared for their future and have received the opportunities and experiences to help them make informed choices for future study or work.

Our students will be independent, informed and able to adapt to the challenging world ahead of them, whether that be Higher Education or employment. Tudor Grange Academy Solihull is committed to providing a planned programme of CEIAG for all students in Years 7-13, in partnership with outside agencies. There is a heavy emphasis on careers support in Years 10 and beyond where students are supported with their research and preparation for Post-16 education or training applications. The programme includes group sessions and 1:1 career guidance, information through talks in assemblies, work-related learning and other outside agency intervention. We continue to work on building our alumni network so students can be invited back to discuss their routes and experiences.

Our aim is for all students to receive quality careers education and advice at every stage in their education and our careers programme focuses on a particular area for every year group from Year 7 through to Year 13. The sections below detail the focus for each group and the career-focused lessons they receive as part of their RSHE programme. Students will also experience careers education as part of their subject-specific curriculum, and we plan to collate this information to share with you throughout the academic year.

Year 7 – An Introduction to the World of Careers

Students will start their careers programme by reflecting on their strengths, weaknesses, goals, likes and dislikes and learning styles/personalities. Unifrog is introduced for the first time and used to begin the students’ research into different careers and the world of work. This year groups focus is purely an “introduction”, in the hope of inspiring and motivating the students with the vast variety of possible careers and dream jobs. Using their reflections, they will begin to understand the importance of having informed goals and aspirations taking us into Year 8.

Lesson 1 – An A – Z of careers

Lesson 2 – Dream jobs

Lesson 3 – Alumni session/guest speaker (focus on dream jobs)

Lesson 4 – An introduction to Unifrog

Lesson 5 – Challenging gender stereotypes within the workplace

Year 8 – My Goals and Aspirations

Following their introduction to the world of careers in Year 7 and, with time for self-reflection, students will explore the different career pathways available to them after school, including academic and vocational routes. Students will begin to consider areas of interest and will begin to set goals, using Unifrog as a place of research, that encourage them to work towards their future aspirations.

Lesson 1 – How Unifrog can support with goals and aspirations

Lesson 2 – Self reflection

Lesson 3 – Goals and aspirations (1)

Lesson 4 – Goals and aspirations (2)

Lesson 5 – Alumni session/guest speaker (focus on goals and aspirations)

Year 9 – Skills and Qualities

Year 9 students will continue with their personal review, reflecting on their progress towards their goals. Students will explore how their GCSE subjects can prepare them for a career and the world of work. Unifrog will be used to research where the different GCSE subjects can take them, ensuring students are informed about their choices. Students will begin to research the desirable/essential skills and qualities needed for different career areas, and will consider how understanding LMI can support them with their future decisions.

Lesson 1 – GCSE options and careers (1)

Lesson 2 – GCSE options and careers (2)

Lesson 3 – GCSE options and future pathways

Lesson 4 – Skills and qualities

Lesson 5 – Alumni session/guest speaker (focus on advice with GCSE options)

Lesson 6 – LMI

Year 10 – Workplace Experiences

We are excited to launch Work Experience for our Year 10 students this academic year. Students who have been successful in securing a placement will be out in the world of work during Monday 18th – Thursday 21st December 2023. We are looking forward to students having this opportunity and are grateful to all companies who have agreed to take in a student (or students). Unifrog is used in Year 10 to gain an understanding of successful job applications and interviews. Through this, students will learn about the importance of work experience when applying for jobs and how they can better prepare themselves for their future. There are many opportunities inside and outside of school life to help students prepare for the workplace. They will be notified of these, through use of Show My Homework, and are encouraged to take advantage of these.

  • Lesson 1 – Using Unifrog to support with applications and interviews
  • Lesson 2 – Interviews (1)
  • Lesson 3 – Interviews (2)
  • Lesson 4 – Interviews (3)
  • Lesson 5 – Alumni session (Q&A – students decide on questions to be answered)

Year 11 – Next Steps and Outstanding Applications

During this final year of secondary education, our students will need to start applying to their Post-16 options, whether this be to a Sixth Form, college, apprenticeship or traineeship. Assemblies, 1:1 guidance meetings and RSHE lessons will provide students with the information, advice and support they need during this year. Unifrog has a huge range of resources to help and support students with these applications; developing their employability, create outstanding CVs, personal statements and covering letters. They will also learn how to “market” themselves in job applications and how to make the most of career advice.

Lesson 1 – Post-16 options

Lesson 2 – Job applications

Year 12 and Year 13

For more information on the CEIAG support that our Post-16 students receive, please see “Careers” in the 6th Form section of our website.

https://www.solihull.tgacademy.org.uk/sixth-form/support-guidance/careers/

Careers Team

Mr Pole – Senior Lead for Careers

Miss Lowry – Careers Leader

Email: elowry@solihull.tgacademy.org.uk
Phone: 01217055100

Helen Cunningham – Careers Advisor

Dan Gerrard (DS Smith) – Enterprise Adviser

Tudor Grange Academy Governor – we currently have a Governor vacancy. Please contact the Office to register interest.

The Gatsby Benchmarks

Tudor Grange Academy Solihull is part of Life Ready Solihull and an active member of the Solihull Careers Hub.

For more information on Life Ready Solihull, please visit: https://www.solihullforsuccess.com/Life-Ready-Home

For more information on the Solihull Careers Hub, please visit: https://www.solihullforsuccess.com/Careers-Hub

Our careers programme is based on evidence from the Gatsby Foundation. The Gatsby Benchmarks originated in a research report (Good Career Guidance) from the Gatsby Foundation in 2013, and the research provides a comprehensive study of career development exploring key elements of good career education. The eight benchmarks are outlined below:

  1. A stable careers programme with a careers leader
  2. Learning from careers and labour market information
  3. Addressing the needs of each student
  4. Linking curriculum learning with careers
  5. Encounters with employers and employees
  6. Experience of work places
  7. Encounters with HE and further education
  8. Personal guidance

Our aim is for all students to receive quality careers education and advice at every stage in their education and our careers programme focuses on a particular area for every year group from Year 7 through to Year 13.

Unifrog

Unifrog is our chosen online careers platform. They “bring all the available information into one single, impartial, user-friendly platform that helps students to make the best choices, and submit the strongest applications.” All students are encouraged to use their Unifrog account when completing independent careers research. Students from Year 7 through to Year 11 are expected to use Unifrog during the careers section of the RSHE programme, and students in Year 12 and 13 are required to use Unifrog when making applications for Post-18.

For more information, including a guide on how to log-in for the first time, please see the “Information for Parents” or the “Information for Students” page.

Alumni Network

We are always looking to further develop our alumni network. If you are an ex-student of Tudor Grange Academy and would like to join our network, please contact our Careers Leader, Miss E Lowry, using the email address given above. For more information, have a look at the Alumni section too!

Baker Clause Policy Statement

This policy statement sets out the school’s arrangements for managing the access of providers to students 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 from the updated Provider Access Legislation, January 2023, and under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.

Tudor Grange Academy uses the Gatsby Benchmarks as a guide to plan our careers programme. As part of our commitment to informing students of the full range of employment, learning and training pathways on offer to them, we are happy to receive requests from training, apprenticeship, and vocational educational providers and employers, to speak to our students. A number of events, already integrated into the school careers programme, will offer providers an opportunity to come into school to speak to our students, please refer to the school calendar for these events.

All pupils in Years 7 – 13 are entitled:

to find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeship 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.

Any provider wishing to request access should contact Miss E Lowry, Careers Leader:

Email: elowry@solihull.tgacademy.org.uk

MS Form: https://forms.office.com/e/ftGs8JK11Q

Phone: 0121 705 5100

Monitoring and Evaluation

Tudor Grange Academy welcomes feedback from parents, students, employers and staff on their careers programme. If you would like to get in touch please contact Miss E Lowry on the above contact details.

Tudor Grange Academy Solihull assesses the impact of its career programme on students in many ways on a regular basis:

  1. We take into account the views of students, staff and parents/carers; who are given the opportunity to provide feedback following all careers events.
  2. We use destination data and RSHE lesson observations to further evaluate our careers provision.
  3. The careers “Department Improvement Plan” is reviewed on a half termly basis by the Careers Leader and the Senior Lead for Careers.
  4. We complete a Compass+ evaluation every term with our Enterprise Coordinator.
  5. The careers programme is reviewed by Governors on an annual basis.
  6. Personal development is on the “School Improvement Plan” which is reviewed on an annual basis.

Date of Review

The information provided on Tudor Grange Academy Solihull’s careers programme will be reviewed on an annual basis. The date of the next review is September 2024.