Information, Advice & Guidance

We are constantly challenging our pupils to raise their aspirations and 'aim high' and our links with our sixth form and our partner universities allow many of our pupils to experience further education and university first hand and realise that both are viable options.

With pupils now required to stay in education or training until they are 18, it is now more important than ever that pupils know what choices are available to them, how to access the information they need and that they know what their options are post-16 so that they can progress further and be the best they can be.

Thurrock's Next Top Boss 2021/22

Ortu Careers Portal

In order to help with you with decisions about your future then click the image below to visit Ortu Careers Portal.

CEIAG

Careers Guidance at Hassenbrook Academy:

CEIAG (Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance) at Hassenbrook Academy serves to prepare students for their future education, training and employment. The quality of our careers provision is recognised by the inspiring Quality in Careers standard and this reflects our commitment to high quality careers provision for all of our students.

Careers Advice Team
Mrs Mountney (Careers Lead Ortu Federation) - mmountney@ortu.org

Dina Adams (Inspire Thurrock Careers Independent Careers Advisor)

Hassenbrook Academy careers provision aims:

- To enable students to develop a knowledge and understanding of education, training and employment through investigating opportunities available to them at a local, national and international level.
- To support students in developing and implementing action plans so that they can take ownership of their own future at and beyond Key Stage 4.
- To provide opportunities to develop enterprise and employment skills.
- To promote equality of opportunity, challenge stereotyping and support inclusion.
- To help students develop an understanding of themselves and others.

The careers provision is composed of the following careers elements:
* Careers advice: We work with a highly qualified Careers Advisor to provide impartial careers advice and guidance to students. During their school career all students will receive an individual interview and all students have the opportunity to book additional interviews. Group sessions on different aspects of further study (E.g. Post 16 pathways – what apprenticeships are and how to apply) and careers (e.g. job sector requirements – what subjects and experience are needed to become a dentist).
* Curriculum focuses: Careers knowledge, skills and experiences are developed in lessons. Topics and individual lessons within subjects focus on different aspects of careers. E.g. employment sectors in Geography, persuasive writing in English.
* Careers, Well-Being and Life Skills programme: Students participate in focussed sessions and days on different aspects of PSHCE and careers. These sessions and days are tailored to meet the needs of specific year groups e.g. College applications and mock interviews for Year 11, CV’s and interview skills for year 10, academic options evening for Year 9 and a careers fair for Year 8.
* Careers events: We provide opportunities for students in every year group to develop their careers knowledge, skills, expertise and experiences. These career events take a variety of forms, taster days at college to designated drop down days in school when students are introduced to different representatives from a variety of industries.
* Careers links: We work closely with local education and training providers to ensure that students and parents are aware of the different pathways available to them e.g. A-levels, vocational courses, apprenticeships, technical qualifications (Education and training providers).

Gatsby Benchmarks
Our careers provision is constantly developing to ensure that students are motivated and prepared to successfully navigate the next stage of their lives. To ensure that the careers provision is engaging, comprehensive and effective we use the Gatsby Benchmarks. The Gatsby Benchmarks were developed by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation using national and international research. They provide guidance for ensuring excellent careers provision in school and all schools are required to work towards these benchmarks. These benchmarks are focused on the areas shown below:

Benchmark 1: A stable careers programme
Benchmark 2: Learning from career and labour market information
Benchmark 3: Addressing the needs of each student
Benchmark 4: Linking curriculum learning to careers
Benchmark 5: Encounters with employers and employees
Benchmark 6: Experiences of workplaces
Benchmark 7: Encounters with further and higher education
Benchmark 8: Personal guidance

What does Careers Guidance look like at Hassenbrook Academy?

1:1 Careers Guidance Interview
We employ Dian Adams (1 day a week on a Wednesday) an Independent Careers Advisor from Thurrock Council to meet with every student in KS4 to offer Careers Advice. Students are always welcome to drop into the careers office to ask questions and can pick up publications from our local Post 16 providers from the stand in the Library.

Post 16 Provider Information Assemblies
In the first term of Year 11 we dedicate most of the assembly time to inviting our local Post 16 providers into school to host information assemblies to give our students an invite into life after Hassenbrook Academy.  We encourage all our students to visit as many providers as possible to give them a broad selection to choose from.  We encourage all our students to apply to multiple providers to ensure a suitable course Post 16. 

Excursions to Post 16 Providers/Employers and school visitors
We work closely with our local Colleges and Industry and will often arrange excursions to local industry to give students insight into the world of work. 

Mock Interviews
Over 20 local business people give up a day to interview our Year 11 students in a formal setting to prepare our students for the next stage of their journey.  Students are requested to complete their personal statement and CV to provide the interviewer background information about the student.  We try to match students to the interviewer that might best suit their intended career path.  Students undergo a professional mock interview that will support their, Post 16 applications, career aspirations and future job interviews.  Students are always very nervous before the experience, however always feel a sense of achievement afterwards.  We always receive positive feedback after the mock interviews from our local business community. 

CV/Personal Statement Workshops
We offer all students advice to provide a high-quality personal statement to support their Post 16 applications.  Form tutors run sessions on how to create a personal statement and offer feedback on how to improve it to help with their application process.

What are NEET Figures?

Hassenbrook Academy works hard to ensure all students receive high quality Careers Guidance (CEIAG) through a range of sources. All students have the opportunity to succeed in the right setting after they leave Hassenbrook Academy. This provision includes:
* 1:1 Careers Guidance Interviews
* Post 16 Provider Information Assemblies
* Bespoke Future Skills Programme delivered in Tutor Sessions
* In school Careers drop down days
* Excursions to Post 16 Providers/Employers
* Mock Interviews
* CV/Personal Statement Workshops

The Government track how well we are doing by monitoring our NEET data (Students Not in Education, Employment or Training) These figures are collated each year when our students take up a place with a local college/employer and the data is shared with us. We are very proud of our outstanding NEET figures for the last 3 years which demonstrates the student, parental and staff’s hard work to ensure our young adults are placed on the right course in the right setting for their ability.

Thurrock Careers

Thurrock Careers is an impartial and free information, advice and guidance service for everyone between the ages of 13 and 20. They can offer advice re careers, further education, higher education, also on volunteering, health, relationships, family, friends and money. If you would like to book an interview then see Mrs Smith in the careers room or your form tutor. Parents are welcome to attend the careers interview with their child and can do so by contacting Mrs Smith at the school.

Year 7:

During the course of year 7, all pupils are introduced to the Careers Lead so that they meet with them and know where to go for information, advice and guidance. The key message here is that it is not all about deciding on a job at an early age but pupils are encouraged to research information, broaden their horizons, have aspirations, become more aware of the many opportunities there are out there and always have a back-up plan! Year 7 do an initial careers survey and have an introduction to Kudos.

Year 8:

During the spring term pupils consider their strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes and their aspirations, by understanding various career ready activities, 360 diagnostics and understanding a detailed IAG programme via PSHCE lessons.

Year 9:

The majority of pupils take their options in the spring term of year 9. Following an options assembly with pupils from years 10 and 11 who have already chosen their options and are familiar with the demands of the courses, parents are invited to an options evening to meet with staff and pupils to further investigate their son/daughter's potential choices. Options booklets and forms are sent home and perused with choices made by the end of term. Careers interviews are available for pupils who need further support. Follow up interviews with the Vice Principal Curriculum are made to ensure pupils are on appropriate courses. Introductory events and meetings take place in the summer term to ensure pupils are ready for the September start.

Year 10:

Pupils are surveyed to find out what their ideas and plans are for the future. This information is used to organise group work sessions covering different career areas and educational routes. Employers/parent ambassadors are brought in to share their expertise. Year 10 students also receive their first Careers Interview with Thurrock Careers Services

Year 11:

The highlight of year 11 for our pupils is Mock Interview Day! An activity day 'Preparing for Mock Interview' is organised in the summer term. Workshops are run on writing C.V's , letters, personal statements and on interview techniques. The workshops are run by local employers and Hassenbrook staff. Having completed their Achievement File, pupils are interviewed by an employer in the sector they hope to go in to.  Year 11 is busy with College/Sixth Form open days, taster days, interviews and getting Achievement Files completed and up to date before year 11 leave us for the big wide world!