Careers
Bedford Free School careers entitlement
Access to high quality careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEAIG) is a learning entitlement for all our pupils. At Bedford Free School (BFS), we want to ensure that our students understand the opportunities available to them so that they can take ownership of their own career plan. Students will be able to make informed decisions about the appropriate pathway for them, which supports their interests and abilities, which will help them to follow a career path and sustain employability throughout their working lives.
By the end of year 11, every pupil will have received impartial careers advice. Students will know what opportunities are available to them Post 16, including information about technical education qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities. This will allow students to focus on their career aspirations, and ensure their career pathway beyond year 11 is right for them to reduce dropout, or course switching. This will also help prevent students from leaving BFS and becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training).
To ensure the provision offered to BFS students is appropriate, in accordance with government guidance, it is measured against the Gatsby benchmarks.
The 8 Gatsby benchmarks of good career guidance are:
1. A stable careers programme
2. Learning from career and labour market information
3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
5. Encounters with employers and employees
6. Experiences of workplaces
7. Encounters with further and higher education
8. Personal guidance
Our careers programme is monitored regularly through the use of the Compass careers benchmarks tool. This tool enables us to identify gaps in provision and ensure that we quickly rectify any issues so that we can be confident about the programme that we offer our pupils.
More information on the Gatsby benchmarks can be found here:
www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/schools-colleges/understand-gatsby-benchmarks
Year 7
The focus is on introducing careers and the soft skills required in employment. Students will also visit a university to help raise their aspirations.
Year 8
Students will look in more detail at the skills that they bring from outside of school to support them on their pathway. They will begin to think about careers they are interested in and will be introduced to different types of careers and businesses.
Year 9
Students will be informed of the different level of qualifications. They will find out about different routes and the labour market. This will also help to inform them about their GCSE choices. Year 9 will receive a small group careers interview. Year 9 will receive three live online webinars, one per term, from Canterbury Christchurch University.
Year 10
Students will start to refine some of their skills. They will learn how to write a CV and be given interview advice. Additionally they will go on work experience and reflect on that experience. Targeted students will gain a greater insight into apprenticeships by visiting the National Apprenticeship Show. High achieving students will join the Pembroke and Wadham projects through our Oxbridge links.
Year 11
The focus in year 11 is around next steps and post 16 options. Students will update their CV’s and learn how to write letters of application. All students in year 11 will receive a 1-1 careers interview.
All students will complete the BFS careers curriculum over their time at BFS. Students will complete a lesson per term as well as receive an Employer Encounter per term.
KS4 students with SEND will be invited to attend the Bedford Borough ‘Preparing for Adulthood’ festival to support their pathway choice in November.
Please click the link below to see a full timetable of our careers activities throughout the academic year.