Careers 

At Ashmount School, we are passionate about supporting students through the process of deciding upon the direction they take after finishing school. We provide impartial guidance and advice on further education, training or employment across KS3 and KS4 and involve many outside agencies such as employers and education providers.

Our Careers Leader is Sandra O’Connell. If you have any queries about careers, higher education or work experience please contact her on 01509 268506 or office@ashmount.leics.sch.uk. Our Careers Link Governor is Lisa Pittwood.

Full Careers Programme

How we assess impact

How we measure and assess the impact of the careers programme

Ashmount School works closely with the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) Careers Hub.  This is an external organisation that supports us to develop and strengthen our careers education strategy across the whole school.  TLGS is a member of the LLEP Careers Hub. 

At Ashmount School we use the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks and the Careers Development Institute framework as a foundation when planning our careers programme.  The effectiveness of our provision is reviewed by the LLEP and the Careers and Enterprise Company using the Compass Plus online evaluation tool.  This tool is used by schools and colleges in England to support the analysis and evaluation of careers activity against the eight benchmarks of best practice.  It ensures that the development of our careers strategy is ongoing.  We will benchmark our schools against the Gatsby Benchmarks once per term.

In line with the recommendations set out in Gatsby Benchmark 1, we plan to review the published information on an annual basis, inviting feedback from key audiences in our stakeholder evaluation group.  Ashmount School will also be holding an annual Future Skills Questionnaire with the students during their transition years so that the programme has a youth voice.

Why we evaluate – This careers programme is evaluated every year to assess its efficacy and areas for improvement.  Key stakeholders (students, parents, teachers and employers) provide feedback on their participation in activities via questionnaires, surveys and focus groups throughout the year.  We use the evidence collected to inform continuous improvement of the programme.

How we evaluate – Ashmount School have recruited an evaluation stakeholder group, whose purpose it is to provide a well-balanced view on the quality of the careers offer to students.  The group is chaired by the school’s Enterprise Adviser (senior business volunteer).  They meet once per year to review the evidence collected during the school year and consider their subjective experience and engagement with the programme.  The Careers Leader creates an evidence pack for members of the group in advance of the annual evaluation meeting.

The school Careers Leader combines their own knowledge, evidence and information with that from the stakeholder group and provides a short report with recommendations to SLT, towards the end of the summer term.

What we evaluate
Stakeholder Feedback – We review samples of stakeholder feedback collected using various methods after activities, events and experiences.
Implementation – We review what was actually delivered against the programme of planned activity and how well it went.
Impact – We measure key performance indicators linked directly to our vision and desired outcomes for our students.

Provider Access Statement

Provider Access Policy – Ashmount School

Written by – Sandra O’Connell, Careers Leader
Creation date – October 2022
Approved by Governors – October 2022
Next Review Date – October 2023

1. Introduction – 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 obligation under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.

2. Student Entitlement – Students 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 evenings, assemblies, group discussions and taster events.
• To understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.

3. Management of Provider Access Requests – 
Procedure: A provider wishing to request access should contact: Mrs Sandra O’Connell, Careers Leader on 01509 268506 or office@ashmount.leics.sch.uk

Opportunities for access: A number of events, integrated into the school’s careers programme, will offer providers an opportunity to come into school (this could be virtually) to speak to students and/or their parents.

Please speak to our Careers Leader to identify the most suitable opportunity for you.  The school policies on Safeguarding and visitors sets out the school’s approach to allowing providers into school as visitors to talk to our students.  Please read the Safeguarding Policy on our website.  

4. Premises and facilities – The school will make the Main Hall, meeting rooms or classrooms available for discussions between the provider and student, as appropriate to the activity.  The school will also make available projectors and other specialist equipment to support provider presentations.  The use of Google Classroom and Google Meet can also be arranged if required.  This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the Careers Leader or a member of the pastoral team.

Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature at the main reception or provide an electronic copy.

Meet our alumni

In this section you will get to hear about some of our fantastic former students.  We will share their journey into the world of work or their next steps in education or training.  We are very proud of our alumni and that many give time to come back and talk to our students.

Are you a former student from our school?  We’d love to hear your story and perhaps feature you on our website or invite you to call back to our school and talk about your career pathway.  There are lots of ways to do this but have a look at our Employer Area for some ideas and do get in touch!

Leicestershire’s Labour Market

We think Leicester and Leicestershire is an amazing place to live and work.   As one of the most vibrant areas in the East Midlands there is a lot to shout about.  In this section we will start to share information about different industry sectors, careers pathways, types of jobs and lots more for both parents/carers and students.

Quick fact… did you know in Leicester and Leicestershire over 99% of local businesses are micro (0-9 staff), small (10-49 staff) or medium enterprises (who employ 50 to 249 staff).  If that sounds interesting, you could visit the World of Work website which has much more information on the local labour market with easy-to-read facts and figures.

We run lots of inspirational events for our students

From year 7 onwards students get lots of opportunities to think about what their next best steps will be.  As part of this we will be shining a spotlight on events we put on with guest speakers from the world of work and education.  We will share the impact this can have on helping our students think about their futures and what has inspired their careers education journey so far.  You can also see the journey from year 7 onwards here. 

Student Area

Ashmount School wants you to have a successful future!  In order to achieve this, you will take part in the activities listed in our careers programme below during your time with us.  Click on the images below to see our full careers programme and your careers journey at Ashmount School.  Further down the page you can also explore different job roles and the job market.

Meet an ex-student

In this section you will get to hear about some of our fantastic former students.  We will share their journey into the world of work or their next steps in education or training.  We are very proud of our alumni and that many give time to come back and talk to our students.

Explore different roles and the job market

Build your strengths and skills

Parent and Carer Area

“80.75% of students say their parents help them to make key careers decisions“

This section of the Ashmount School website is aimed at helping parents and carers source information to help support young people in their future decisions.  Below you will find three helpful sections; information about education options, types of jobs and local opportunities.  Talking Futures provide free resources, activities and practical guidance to help you support your child’s careers and education choices.

Local Opportunities

With developments in technology there are now numerous jobs that did not exist 10 years ago.  It is important to keep up to date with what is happening locally, nationally and internationally.  In regard to local opportunities, the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) are leading the way in a number of exciting developments with a range of sectors including space, low carbon, and digital.  Click the buttons below for more information.

Below you will find some useful posters and booklets to understand the different qualifications, our students’ career journey and other resources.

Employer Area

Local businesses – we need your expertise!

At Ashmount School we are busy growing your employees of the future.  We need your help to raise their career aspirations, develop their employability skills and learn more about the exciting industries in Leicester and Leicestershire.

If you want to inspire our students, we are open for business!

Sandra O’Connell. Careers Leader, 01509 268506

office@ashmount.leics.sch.uk

Contact our Careers Leader Sandra O'Connell by phone (01509 268506) or by email (office@ashmount.leics.sch.uk) and we’ll be in touch directly to talk about how you can make a difference in our school.  Being part of our business support network will provide you moments of great satisfaction but striving to make a difference can also be an exciting challenge!  Having employers like you helping to inspire young minds and transform attitudes through a range of activities and opportunities is the foundation of an excellent careers programme as set out by the Gatsby Foundation’s eight Benchmarks of good practice and the Careers and Enterprise Company.

Ashmount School has the benefit of a key business volunteer who works with us on a strategic level, encouraging the development of our careers programme and connecting us to the business community across the county.  This role is recognised nationally as an Enterprise Adviser (EA) and they are part of the Leicester and Leicestershire Careers Hub community of support driving the connection between careers education and the business sector.

Our current EA is Sophie Kanabar and they would be delighted to have a chat with you about getting involved in our programme of activity.

Ways to support:

• Be part of our Mock Interviews with Year 10 or 11 students and help them structure their CVs.
• Get involved in extracurricular clubs and activities.
• Give an inspiring talk based on your industry or job role.
• Provide a coaching/mentoring service through a structured programme.
• Run a hands-on workshop with activities relating to your area of expertise.
• Be part of our discussions about pathways after school, e.g., apprenticeships.
• Help champion specific issues and challenge barriers in the workplace around gender stereotyping, disability, etc.
• Help bring a subject lesson to life by linking it to your industry.
• Offer a work experience placement for students at your business premises.
• Become an ambassador supporting employment routes for young people with special educational needs and disabilities and offer a work experience placement that is co-supported by the school.
• Provide a Supported Internship opportunity.

What to expect

By getting involved you will not only be supporting future workforce development and helping to broaden the minds of the young people but you will also be developing new skills for your staff, forging community links and building a positive profile for your company.

We will support you throughout your visit to us to ensure we maximise the use of your valuable time.  Our Careers Leader is Sandra O’Connell.  You can contact her on 01509 268506 or office@ashmount.leics.sch.uk

Our Careers Leader will:

Be your main point of contact for all enquiries.
Organise pre-meets/discussions/information for activities you sing up to.
Provide you details of the local arrangements including parking, facilities and our safeguarding policy.
Conduct a short evaluation with you to ensure we are getting things right.
With your permission, add you to our network and keep you up to date with future activities.
 

To help you with your engagement there are a range of resources available here from the Careers and Enterprise Company.

Click the link below for a Can-do guide for employers:

https://bit.ly/3Gv9745

Teacher Area

Ashmount School is committed to providing high quality Careers, Education, Information, Advice and Guidance to help inspire students and to enable them to make rational informed career decisions.  Ashmount School aims to meet all eight Benchmarks identified by the Gatsby Foundation.

Our Leadership team views careers as not being the responsibility of a Careers Leader and a small number of teachers, but of all staff in schools and colleges.  We can make small changes in the curriculum that can have a big impact in the classrooms.

If you’d like help or support to embed careers in your subject contact Sandra O’Connell on 01509 268506 or office@ashmount.leics.sch.uk who is the Careers Leader for our School. 

Inspire students to explore the world of work

At Ashmount School we would like all subject areas to do the following:

• Have a prominent display that links subject learning and skill development to different careers.
• Develop links with businesses and organisations to invite alumni and other external speakers to come into school (virtually where an actual visit is not feasible).
• Where appropriate to organise external visits by students to local businesses/organisations.
• Record careers learning opportunities for students in schemes of learning.
• Take part in whole school ‘Careers Days’ where all teachers start their lesson with a careers focus, such as talking about their career pathway or showing a short film where people in a range of job roles explain the relevance of skills developed in a particular subject area to their role.
• Explore the possibility of developing real projects/challenges for students with a local business or organisation e.g., a local company setting IT students the task of designing/updating their website.
• Consider the needs and interests of all students and ensure that information challenges stereotyping including gender and disability.