Promoting a career development culture that is linked to our core values of Excellence, Dedication, Ambition, Integrity, and Tradition, is an essential part of the academy’s ethos. We aim to support the aspirations of all our learners and to ensure that they gain the understanding, skills and experience they need to make progress and succeed in learning and work. We believe that effective careers education and guidance, alongside a rich curriculum, not only contributes to the well-being of individuals but also to the wellbeing of their families, the communities to which they belong, wider society, businesses, and the economy.
We want our students to experience a careers curriculum that establishes a growing knowledge and awareness of the world of work and what they, as young people, can aim for as they prepare for adulthood and Post 16 and 18 transition.
Fairfax’s Careers Team are dedicated to ensuring students between Years 7 and 13 receive independent and impartial careers guidance, developing an embedded culture of high expectations and potential attainment.
As part of our commitment to prepare our students for a rapidly changing world, we are delighted to announce that we have signed up to Unifrog – an innovative digital careers platform.
From September 2023, Unifrog will help your child to explore and prepare for their future career as well as develop their personal profile that will support their transition through education and in to employment.
The career programme can be found on the main careers page.
What careers looks like for Year 7
From the start of Year 7, students receive careers lessons delivered through our PSHE programme. The aim is to give them understanding of education in relation to work, develop resilience skills for the workplace and explore different career paths and the jobs within.
During Key Stage 3 Futures Week, students will have meaningful encounters with employers and further and higher education providers, to learn more about the opportunities that await them. The aim of the fair is to provide students opportunity to speak with:
• Local college
• National universities
• Employers
• UTCs
Year 7 students will have the opportunity to join with Birmingham City University (BCU) in the BCU Accelerate Programme. Across the five-year plan, engaged learners will have access to higher education workshops, subject specific activities and tailored mentoring for information, advice and guidance (IAG). This exciting new programme aims to increase learner attainment and encourage a positive approach to learning.
Students and parents are given access to the Unifrog website to explore at home and at school.
Careers Entitlement
During Year 7, students will have:
- Time to reflect why education is important in relation to work in their PSHE lessons.
- Consider how to choose a career and be thinking about their future plans.
- Access to impartial careers information and advice via Unifrog careers platform unifrog.org and the careers pages of the website.
- Opportunities to join in events linked to careers to support their future plans.
By the end of Year 7, students will:
- Have had a meaningful encounter with a university, college or apprenticeship provider as part of futures week.
- Learnt about ‘green’ careers.
- Have begun to formulate ideas about future careers.
- Planned personal targets for Year 8.
- Have access to the BCU Accelerate Programme
What careers looks like for Year 8
Students in year 8 build on the skills and targets they have developed in year 7 by building skills in leadership, goal setting, innovation and understanding work behaviours through their PSHE lessons.
Year 8 will have the opportunity to hear about ‘green’ careers during Green Careers Week.
Students and parents are given access to the Unifrog website to explore at home and at school.
Students who began BCU Accelerate from Birmingham City University will continue with their programme into year 8. Students on the programme will have access to higher education workshops, subject specific activities and tailored mentoring for information, advice and guidance (IAG).
Careers Entitlement
During Year 8, students will have:
- Begun to explore a range of careers pathways during careers education lessons and set goals for their future development.
- Access to impartial careers information and advice via Unifrog careers platform unifrog.org and the careers pages of the website.
- Opportunities to join in events linked to careers to support their future plans.
By the end of year 8, students will:
- Learnt about ‘green’ careers,
- Have begun to formulate ideas about future careers,
- Planned personal targets for Year 8.
- Have access to the Birmingham City University initiative
What careers looks like for Year 9
Year 9 is the year where each student, together with their parents and guardians choose their GCSE or equivalent options. Students are given lots of information via assemblies, option evening/careers fair and during curriculum time to understand how GCSE / Vocational subjects relate to careers paths and employment.
From Year 9 onwards students are given more specific careers advice and guidance specific to the needs of each student. PSHE lessons guide students to explore values and employability, researching jobs and preparing for the job market through CV writing and interview skills.
All students experience meaningful encounters at the annual careers fair and careers related workshops and visits as part of ‘futures week’, and will have the opportunity to meet with employers through ‘Guess My Job’.
The aim of the fair is to provide students opportunity to speak with:
- Local college
- National universities
- Employers
- UTCs
Students are briefed about apprenticeships and receive local labour market information as part of Apprenticeship week in March. Students also get to learn about ‘green’ careers in National Green Careers Week.
Students will gain meaningful encounters at the annual ‘Guess My Job’ event in April.
Students in year 9 can attend the University of Oxford Aspiration Trip in April.
Students and parents are given access to the Unifrog website to explore at home and at school.
All of the year 9 students are encouraged to begin with the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
Additionally the BCU programme continues to Y9 where students have the opportunity to visit the university campus.
Careers Entitlement
During Year 9 students will have:
- Time to look at employability in the workplace, in timetabled PSHE lessons.
- A meaningful encounter with a university, college or apprenticeship provider as part of KS4 Futures Week to prepare them for their option choices.
- The opportunity to consider an apprenticeship as a post 16 option and to explore other post 16 options at the Careers Fair.
- Access to employers through the careers fair and ‘Guess my Job’.
- Access to impartial careers information and advice via the career’s pages of the website and Unifrog careers platform.
By the end of Year 9, students will:
- Have used their developing knowledge of self and various career pathways to help make good option choices.
- Have reflected on what they have learnt about apprenticeships and university options having visited the Careers Fair.
- Have met with people from a wide range of careers in a workshop atmosphere.
- Have learnt about ‘green’ careers.
- Have opportunity to visit University of Oxford.
- A 1:1 career’s interview with an independent, impartial advisor (available to students for whom the school feels it is the most suitable support).
- Planned personal targets for Year 10.
What careers looks like for Year 10
Year 10 and 11 encounter another important stage of transition. Students are working hard towards their GCSEs.
Students will have meaningful encounters with a wide range of apprenticeship, further and higher education providers during ‘Futures Week’ at the Key Stage 4 Careers Fair. The aim of the fair is to provide students opportunity to speak with:
Local college
- National universities
- Employers
- UTCs
Year 10 students can take part in Unifest to learn more about higher education and gain insight into what life is like as a university student life. Students speak to university students and staff and receive advice and guidance on careers and future plans.
Targeted students also have the chance to visit BMET College in Sutton Coldfield to experience a day in the life of a college student. Students get to sample up to four different career areas on this trip.
Year 10 students are encouraged to continue with the Duke of Edinburgh Award and we also encourage our students to take on responsibility by becoming peer mentors for younger students through the Peer Mentoring Programme run by the Sixth Form students.
Students and parents are given access to the Unifrog website to explore at home and at school.
Careers Entitlement
During Year 10, students will have access to:
- Timetabled careers education lessons focusing on the development of employability skills.
- A meaningful encounter with a university, college or apprenticeship provider as part of KS4 Futures Week.
- A 1:1 careers interview with an independent, impartial advisor (available to students for whom the school feels it is the most suitable support).
- Impartial careers information and advice via the careers pages of the website and Unifrog careers programme.
- The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme Training to become a peer mentor.
By the end of Year 10, students will:
- Have developed a wide range of employability skills.
- Have gained genuine insights into the world of work.
- Have reflected on what they have learnt about apprenticeships and university options having visited the Careers Fair.
- Have met with people from a wide range of careers in a workshop atmosphere.
- have the opportunity to begin their Duke of Edinburgh journey with the Bronze award.
- Have explored options into Higher/Further Education with visits to BMET College and through assemblies with our local partners.
- Planned their personal targets for Year 11.
What careers looks like for Year 11
This is the year when everything comes together in a student’s school life. Students receive at least one interview with their Careers Adviser and receive a personalised Action Plan. They are supported with writing applications and developing personal statements to use on their own or in conjunction with Unifrog.
Students will have meaningful encounters with a wide range of apprenticeship, further and higher education providers during ‘Futures Week’ at the Key Stage 4 Careers Fair. The aim of the fair is to provide students opportunity to speak with:
- Local college
- National universities
- Employers
- UTCs
Alongside the Careers Fair, students will practice interviews give students the opportunity to take part in a 1:1 interaction with a local employer. Each student receives feedback from their interview.
Students will also take part in the annual, ‘Meet the Professional’ event which is an opportunity to meet with a selection of people from differing career sectors and it also provides an opportunity for parents, friends of the school and interested professionals to take part in the careers programme. Please see Provider Access – Fairfax Academy for more details on how you can take part.
Year 11 students will also receive assemblies on a variety of topics that will take them to their final decision for Post 16 options. Topics include:
- What to expect in Year 11 – What are my Post 16 options/ How do I contact the Career Advisor
- What to expect in the Careers Fair
- Where are you in your application process? (Including assessing Yr 11 progress for post 16 applications)
Futures Week also provides the opportunity for assemblies with post 16 education providers, including apprenticeship provider talks.
Year 11 students are encouraged to continue with the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Students are encouraged to participate in the National Citizen Service (NCS) scheme.
Students and parents are given access to the Unifrog website to explore at home and at school.
Careers Entitlement
During Year 11 students will have:
- Meaningful encounters with apprenticeship, further and higher education providers.
- A 1:1 careers interview with an independent, impartial advisor.
- Regular mentoring sessions with their form tutor.
- Received information that signposts open events for post-16 providers.
- Access to impartial careers information and advice via the careers pages of the website and Unifrog.
- The option to undertake National Citizen Service in the Summer.
- Opportunity to continue with the Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award.
- Opportunity to undertake voluntary work with NSC.
By the end of Year 11 students will:
- Know about post 16 learning options and have made applications.
- Know how to prepare for and make effective applications to prospective employers.
- Know how to find and use a range of careers information resources.
- Know how and where to access careers guidance,
- Be able to make effective career decisions and transitions.
- Have opportunities to participate in community based project.
