Prendergast Vale School

Key Information & Policies

Careers Education

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Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)

 

At Prendergast Vale School, we are committed to providing high-quality Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) for all students in Years 7–11.

Our careers programme helps students develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to make ambitious, well-informed choices about their future education and employment pathways.

We believe that good career guidance raises aspirations, challenges stereotypes and supports social mobility. Our programme is designed around the Gatsby Benchmarks — the national framework for excellence in careers education — and provides every student with regular opportunities to engage with employers, further and higher education, and independent advice and guidance.

 

Benchmark 1: A stable careers programme

Benchmark 2: Learning from career and labour market information (LMI)

Benchmark 3: Addressing the needs of each pupil

Benchmark 4: Linking Curriculum learning to careers

Benchmark 5: Encounters with employers and employees

Benchmark 6: Experience of workplaces

Benchmark 7: Encounters with further and higher education

Benchmark 8: Personal Guidance

 

Our Careers Programme

 

At Prendergast Vale, students experience a progressive careers programme from Year 7 onwards. Through lessons, employer encounters, workplace experiences and personal guidance interviews, we help students to understand the full range of pathways available - academic, technical and vocational - and to make confident decisions at each transition point.

 

We use the Unifrog platform to provide high quality careers information and monitor participation. We evaluate impact through student feedback, event tracking and destination data, ensuring our careers provision remains effective and inclusive for all.

 

Provider Access

In line with the Provider Access Legislation (PAL) and Section 42B of the Education Act 1997, Prendergast Vale School welcomes visits from employers, colleges, universities, apprenticeship and training providers who wish to inform students about their education or training offers.

 

All students in Years 8–11 are entitled to:

 

  • Learn about the full range of education and training pathways available to them

  • Hear directly from local and national providers of technical education and apprenticeships

  • Take part in meaningful encounters with employers and training providers, both in school and through experiences of workplaces

  • Understand how to apply for the courses and opportunities that best match their ambitions

 

We ensure that encounters with providers are meaningful, in line with national expectations - giving students the chance to engage actively, ask questions and reflect on what they learn.

 

Providers wishing to request access should contact our Careers Leader. Access requests will be considered in line with the school calendar, safeguarding requirements and the needs of students.

 

Review and Monitoring

 

Our CEIAG and provider access arrangements are reviewed annually to ensure compliance with the latest statutory guidance (May 2025) and to maintain high-quality, inclusive careers provision for all students.

 

 

Work Experience

Useful documents and information:

Own Find Form:

Please click here to access the Year 10 work experience 'own find' form.

Year 11 Information, Advice and Guidance Interviews

All Year 11 pupils will take part in a one-to-one Careers Information, Advice and Guidance Interview to best support them to make informed decisions about their future.

Preparing for your IAG interview – please click here to view questions that will help you prepare for your career guidance interview.

Useful Guides and CEIAG websites

When approaching key decisions, such as GCSE options and post-16 pathways, it is important that you do your research as some careers will require you to gain specific qualifications. The following resources can be used to help you:

 

Apprenticeships, Traineeships and Supported Internships

Apprenticeships allow you to combine work and study by mixing on-the-job training with classroom learning. You'll be employed to do a real job while studying for a formal qualification, usually for one day a week either at a college or a training centre. By the end of your apprenticeship, you'll hopefully have gained the skills and knowledge needed to either succeed in your chosen career or progress onto the next apprenticeship level.

T Levels are a two-year vocational qualification for 16-19 year olds in England, equivalent to three A Levels, that combine classroom learning with a substantial industry placement. Designed in collaboration with employers, they prepare students for skilled employment, apprenticeships, or further technical education by providing practical, in-depth, and industry-relevant skills and experience.

Traineeships prepare young people for future careers by helping them become work-ready. They are for 16 — 23 year olds, and young people with learning difficulty assessments up to age 25. Traineeships are an ideal opportunity for young people who are motivated to get a job or an apprenticeship, but lack the skills and experience employers are looking for.

Supported internships are for young people aged 16 — 24 with learning difficulties or learning disabilities, who want to get a job and need extra support to do this. To be eligible you need a Statement of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), a Learning Difficulty Assessment, or an Education Health and Care Plan.

For details about each of these alternative routes, visit https://www.ucas.com/further-education

Labour Market Information (LMI)

Labour Market Information (LMI)

The labour market refers to the supply of and demand for labour, in which employees provide the supply and employers provide the demand. Labour market information (LMI) may help students and their parents understand the job market and find out which careers, different qualifications can lead to. 

You can explore Labour Market Information at:

Revision

Revision information 

Year 9 Options

The information in this section aims to support Year 9 students to choose their GCSE options: