CEIAG Provider Access Policy
Co-op Academy Bebington
Provider Access Legislation (PAL) 2024-25
Access for colleges, training providers, university technical colleges, and all other post 16 providers offering technical, vocational and academic routes and apprenticeships
Approved by: LHE/CKE Date: September 2024 | Last reviewed on: September 2024 | Next review due by: July/September 2025 |
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:
- 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;
- To hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships
- 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
Name of provider requesting access & details of provision | |
Contact name of provider and contact details | All visitors will be subject to our safeguarding policy. A DBS check will not be required. |
Number of staff who propose to visit | All visitors will be subject to our safeguarding policy. A DBS check will not be required. |
Aims and objectives of session including suggested year group(s) | All visitors will be subject to our safeguarding policy. A DBS check will not be required. |
Proposed format, timings and duration of session including facilities and equipment required |
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
Year group | Autumn term | Spring term | Summer term |
7 | Career Awareness assemblies November 2024 (Gatsby 1,2,3,5) Career insight/drop down day including experiences and activities provided by employers around vocational training and qualifications e.g. Engineering Development Trust (Gatsby 2,5, 3) LJMU working in our science department with students in school (Gatsby 7 | Careers fair, opportunity to talk to employers, FE, HE and apprenticeship providers on routes into careers (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,7,8) National Apprenticeship week, assemblies and guest speaker ASK/Co-op (Gatsby 1,2,3,4) National Careers week, assemblies and guest speakers (Gatsby 1,2,3,4) LJMU working in our science department with students in school (Gatsby 7) | Subject linked speakers; linking careers and curriculum, with an emphasis on vocational learning. Teacher led TBC |
8 | Career Awareness assemblies November 2024 (Gatsby 1,2,3,5) | Careers fair, opportunity to talk to employers, FE, HE and apprenticeship providers on routes into careers (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,7,8) National Apprenticeship week, assemblies and guest speaker ASK/Co-op (Gatsby 1,2,3,4) National Careers week, assemblies and guest speakers (Gatsby 1,2,3,4) PSCHE drop down day- input from employers (Gatsby 2,4,5,7) | Subject linked speakers; linking careers and curriculum, with an emphasis on vocational learning. Teacher led |
9 | Career Awareness assemblies November 2024 Challenging stereotypes - Women into Science and Engineering. (Gatsby 1,2,3,5) | Careers fair, opportunity to talk to employers, FE, HE and apprenticeship providers on routes into careers (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,7,8) National Apprenticeship week, assemblies and guest speaker ASK/Co-op (Gatsby 1,2,3,4) National Careers week, assemblies and guest speakers (Gatsby 1,2,3,4) Destinations drop down day- input from HE/FE, employers and Apprenticeship providers (Gatsby 2,4,5,7) | University Campus visit (Gatsby 7) Year 9 Virtual Work Experience - designed by Co-op (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,6) |
10 | Career Awareness assemblies November 2024 (Gatsby 1,2,3,5) | Year 10 Careers - Pathways/ drop down day Careers fair, opportunity to talk to employers, FE, HE and apprenticeship providers on routes into careers (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,7,8) National Apprenticeship week, assemblies and guest speaker ASK/Co-op (Gatsby 1,2,3,4) National Careers week, assemblies and guest speakers (Gatsby 1,2,3,4) | Careers drop down day- input from HE/FE, employers and Apprenticeship providers. Prep for WEX (Gatsby 2,4,5,7) Work experience, either self-placed or from School database - liaise with CEIAG coordinator and Deputy Headteacher (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,6) University Campus visit (Gatsby 7) |
11 | Drop down day - future focus. Input from, FE, ASK, employers & Shaping Futures, Future skills questionnaire (Gatsby 1,2,3,4,5) Career Awareness assemblies November 2024, Wirral Met and Chesh Coll SW speaking - vocational/ technical quals and apprenticeships (Gatsby 1,2,3,5) Next steps conversations/ surveys with the sixth form and careers team.(Gatsby 1,3,8) Post 16 Choices assembly - providers from Liverpool City Region offering insights into vocational/technical pathways and apprenticeships. (Gatsby 2) LJMU working in our science department with students in school (Gatsby 7) | Attendance at the school’s Careers Fair where there is representation from further education providers; independent sixth forms; colleges; universities; training providers of technical and vocational education and apprenticeship providers; talks and insights, including employers External speakers during National Apprenticeship Week External speakers during National Careers Week Mock Interviews Careers fair, opportunity to talk to employers, FE, HE and apprenticeship providers on routes into careers (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,7,8) National Apprenticeship week, assemblies and guest speaker ASK/Co-op (Gatsby 1,2,3,4) National Careers week, assemblies and guest speakers (Gatsby 1,2,3,4) Mock interviews with employers FE/HE and apprenticeship providers, One to one feedback on CVs from previous term as well as interview techniques (Gatsby 1,3,5) LJMU working in our science department with students in school (Gatsby 7) | |
12 | Early careers foundation assembly (Gatsby 4) Campus visit for further and higher education, technical and vocational providers and employer encounters (Gatsby 5,6,7) The British Army scholarships (Gatsby 5) Career Awareness assemblies November 202, Emily McC - Youth Empowerment Director at Comics Youth /community work (Gatsby 1,2,3,5) Induction residential with NCS (Gatsby 3,4,5,8) | Attendance at the school’s Careers Fair where there is representation from further education providers; independent sixth forms; colleges; universities; training providers of technical and vocational education and apprenticeship providers Careers fair, opportunity to talk to employers, FE, HE and apprenticeship providers on routes into careers (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,7,8) National Apprenticeship week, assemblies and guest speaker ASK/Co-op (Gatsby 1,2,3,4) National Careers week, assemblies and guest speakers (Gatsby 1,2,3,4) Mock interviews with employers FE/HE and apprenticeship providers, One to one feedback on CVs from previous term as well as interview techniques (Gatsby 1,3,5) | UCAS prep morning (Gatsby 7,8) Work experience, either self-placed or from School database - liaise with CEIAG coordinator and Deputy Headteacher (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,6) |
13 | Early careers foundation assembly (Gatsby 4) Campus visit for further and higher education, technical and vocational providers and employer encounters (Gatsby 5,6,7) The British Army scholarships (Gatsby 5) Career Awareness assemblies November 2023, Emily McC - Youth Empowerment Director at Comics Youth /community work (Gatsby 1,2,3,5) National Apprenticeships show (Gatsby 2,3,5) | Careers fair, opportunity to talk to employers, FE, HE and apprenticeship providers on routes into careers (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,7,8) National Apprenticeship week, assemblies and guest speaker ASK/Co-op (Gatsby 1,2,3,4) National Careers week, assemblies and guest speakers (Gatsby 1,2,3,4) Mock interviews with employers FE/HE and apprenticeship providers, One to one feedback on CVs from previous term as well as interview techniques (Gatsby 1,3,5) | |
Additional support | Any additional requests from external providers who get in touch to request access to the academy will be considered in accordance with the school calendar and with agreement from the Careers Leader (see details above) 1:1 interviews yr11 and referrals from all other years.(Gatsby 8) Enhanced transition for students with EHCPs (Gatsby 8) REACH programme yr 9 potential NEET students (Gatsby 2, 5, 6) Bebington Honours students in year 11 visit PWC(Gatsby 2, 5, 6) Careers drop in for parents (Gatsby 1, 2, 8) Yr 11 H&SC students visual insights session and online WEX (Gatsby 2, 4, 5, 6) Yr 10 and 11 RE students visit to a Synagogue (Gatsby 4, 6) | 1:1 interviews yr11 and referrals from all other years.(Gatsby 8) Enhanced transition for students with EHCPs (Gatsby 8) REACH programme yr 9 potential NEET students (Gatsby 2, 5, 6) ENVISION project in year 8 (Gatsby 5, 6) Year 7 Dance students working with Liverpool Empire (Gatsby 4, 5, 6) | Enhanced transition for students with EHCPs REACH programme yr 9 potential NEET students ENVISION project in year 8 1:1 interviews yr10 at risk of NEET and referrals from all other years. CEIAG coordinator to sit in on EHCP reviews |
Careers fair, opportunity to talk to employers, FE, HE and apprenticeship providers on routes into careers (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,7,8) | Work experience visits for year 10 and 12 (Gatsby 5,6) |
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.
