Co-op Academy Bebington

Provider Access Legislation  (PAL) 2023-24

Access for colleges, training providers, university technical colleges, and all other post 16 providers offering technical, vocational and academic routes and apprenticeships

This policy statement sets out our academy’s  arrangements for managing the access of education and training providers to students for the purpose of giving them information about the various post 16 routes.

It sets out:

• Procedures in relation to requests for access
• The grounds for granting and refusing requests for access
• Details of premises or facilities to be provided to a person who is given access

1.Statutory requirements

All schools / academies are required to ensure that there is an opportunity for a range of education and training providers to access students in years 8 to 13 for the purposes of informing them about approved technical education, qualifications or apprenticeships. This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.

In addition to the Baker Clause, an amendment to the above stipulates that schools must allow colleges and training providers access to every student in years 8 - 13 to discuss non-academic routes that are available to them. It is expected that by doing so this will help address the UK’s productivity challenges and address skills shortages experienced across several sectors of the economy. In line with the updated Provider Access Legislation, from January 2023, all students will have at least six encounters with providers of approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships.

This is broken down into key phases: -

• 1st key phase:    Year 8 or 9 two encounters for students that are mandatory for all to attend
• 2nd key phase:   Year 10 or 11 two encounters for students that are mandatory for all to

                                  attend

• 3rd key phase:    Year 12 or 13 two encounters that are mandatory for the academy to offer  

                       but optional for students to attend

2.Pupil entitlement (intended learning outcomes)

At Co-op Academy Bebington we will use Gatsby Benchmarks as a framework of best practice  to develop and improve our careers provision to ensure that we not only fulfil legal duties of providing opportunities for a range of education and training providers to access all students in Year 7 to year 13 but to also have  CEIAG programs that meet the needs of an ever changing cohort. All of our students are entitled:

1. 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;
2. To hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships
3. To understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.

These provider encounters will be scheduled during the main academy hours and there will a minimum  expectation that our providers will provide :-

• Information about the provider and the approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships they offer

• Information about the careers to which those technical education qualifications or  apprenticeships might lead i.e career routes

• Description of what learning or training with the provider is like,  including the opportunity to meet staff and students where possible

          • Opportunities for students  to ask questions , including our most vulnerable and those

            with additional learning needs.

Further detail of our  CEIAG programme is available on our website

3. Management of provider access requests

3.1 Procedure

A provider wishing to request access should contact  and complete the form below

CEIAG Leader: Mrs Lisa Hesketh

Telephone: 0151 645 4154        

Email: lisa.hesketh@coopacademies.co.uk 

3.2 Opportunities for access

Our academy will  offer the six provider encounters required by law and a number of additional events, integrated into our  careers program. We will offer providers an opportunity to come into our academies to speak to students and/or their parents or carers.

Calendar of encounters

3.3 Safeguarding

Our  policy on safeguarding, which can be found on our website, sets out our approach to allowing providers into our academy as visitors to talk to our students

Education and training providers will be expected to adhere to this policy.

3.4 Premises and facilities

Our academy will make the main hall, classrooms or private meeting rooms available for discussions between the provider and students, as appropriate to the activity.

The academy will also make available AV and other specialist equipment to support provider presentations. This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the Careers Leader or a member of their team.

Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature at reception, from here they will be delivered to  the Careers Office and are available for students to collect and posters are displayed near the Careers Office too. This facility is available to all students at lunch and break times.

4. Monitoring arrangements

Co-op Academy Bebington: Arrangements are in place for managing the access of education and training providers to our students. This is monitored by our school governors; internal staff, such (CEIAG Coordinator and Careers Leader); representatives from the Liverpool City Region Careers HUB; the CEIAG Central team for Co-op Academies Trust and their Director of Careers. In addition, an external provider who are experts in the field of Career Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG). In June 2022 Co-op Academy Bebington was awarded the Quality in Careers Standard (QiCS) after a rigorous assessment involving an external organisation (CXK Careers) and an independent assessor; parents/carers; school governor; students; academy staff and representatives from the Liverpool City Region Careers Hub/ Enterprise Coordinator. Quality Assurance for impartial and independent career guidance is also monitored by Career Connect, who quality assure the guidance from the school’s level 6 Career Guidance Practitioner. The school’s Career Guidance Practitioner also abides by the professional practice standards outlined by the Career Development Institute (CD) and the academy holds school affiliate membership with the CDI.

This policy will be reviewed by Lisa Hesketh. At every review, the policy will be approved by the governing board and the headteacher.