Careers
We are pleased to confirm that the Governors and staff of Harris Academy Aspire are committed to gaining The Quality in Careers Standard by August 2023. We have incorporated this goal in our current development plan.
Our aim is to provide an outstanding programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance activities that satisfy national requirements and provide guidance which enables us to address the career development needs of all our students.
Careers Education Programme
A number of events, integrated into the Academy careers programme, will offer providers an opportunity to come into Academy to speak to pupils and/or their parents/carers.
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Every academic year, our offer evolves and changes as staff specialisms change and develop and in response to unforeseen changes. However, our core programme and commitment to our Harris Aspire & HPS6F CEIAG entitlement framework remains.
For any enquiries related to our Careers education programme or how we meet the elements of our entitlement, please contact
Mr B Maskell b.maskell@harrisps6f.org.uk
Ms Jackson Careers Adviser caroline.jackson@harrisfederation.org.uk and Ms Isaac jillian.isaac@harrisfederation.org.uk
In addition to this we have a number of ongoing careers education initiatives built into our pastoral programme. Please speak to our Careers Leader to identify the most suitable opportunity for you.
Careers Champion - Mr James (Subject Lead Media) t.james@harrisps6f.org.uk
Careers Champion - Ms Sharma (Subject Lead Art) l.sharma@harrisps6f.org.uk
Premises and Facilities
The Academy will make the main halls, 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 the Careers Resource Centre, which is managed by the Academy librarian. The Resource Centre is available to all students at lunch and break times.
Approval and review
Approved: to be ratified by July 2024 by Governors at Curriculum and Standards Committee
Next review: July 2025
Careers Adviser
Caroline Jackson and Ms Isaac are Careers Advisers appointed by the Harris Federation to work with students on career planning. She is one of a team of Careers Advisers working across all the Federation schools. She provides bespoke careers advice and guidance as well as working within the academy to develop the careers education programme across all years.
There are many issues that often crop up in interviews, such as students readying themselves for the job market, students looking at University, students considering Apprenticeships or even self-employment? Often students aren’t sure what further learning they will need to be able to do a particular career, many students are really confused over what type of career would even suit them? These, and many other issues, form the basis of careers guidance in the Harris Aspire Academy.
Students are reminded about their interviews on the day by their tutors and are expected to be there on time. Naturally, from time-to-time things crop up; exams, assessments, sickness etc. that are largely unavoidable, this being the case any interview affected will be re-scheduled.
Ms Jackson is available in the school for one day a week, usually Wednesdays. During this time she will see as many students as possible, sometimes this is 1:1 meetings, sometimes group interviews or presentations. If you want to get in touch with her then please either email her directly at caroline.jackson@harrisfederation.org.uk or jillian.isaac@harrisfederation.org.uk go through the tutor, Reception or your tutor, who will pass any message on.
Where to go next
As times change then so does the need to reflect and deliver important careers information in the most useable and appropriate manner and format. For many young people - and adults alike- that format is the internet. It is accessible almost anywhere and, as long as it is suitably maintained, is pretty reliable on the whole.
The websites shown herein generally fall into that category and are entirely suitable for use by, and for, young people. If some of them seem confusing – and some are! – please come and see the Careers Adviser.
Every single website shown here is free and there are no charges whatsoever.
www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship
this is the national site for almost all Apprenticeship applications nationwide. You will need to register an account with them (it’s free!) but then you can search and apply for apprenticeships that you fancy doing?
Great site for finding out where the local learning opportunities for post-16 are. Search by course, subject or even provider? So, you could use it to find out if a particular college offered a particular A Level or BTEC, or just look for where the nearest learning provider is that does the course you want?
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk
Lots of useful information, plenty of careers information, including how to choose careers by using some of the on-line inventories available. Also points you to on-line help and call centres for careers guidance.
Really user-friendly site, the ‘Buzz’ test is especially fun to do and might help reinforce career planning or help you think in a different direction? Great video clips and other careers tools to help young people decide.
Great site for videos. Lots and lots of people talking about their careers, what brought them into it and what the job is really like? You just choose the career area you’re thinking of and then choose who you would like to listen to, very inspirational (and, mercifully, the videos are short!)
As it says, if you’re not thinking about University after Level 3 qualifications then take a look at this site. Not only is it packed with advice about opportunities but it also carries live vacancies. Not all the vacancies or opportunities will be in your locality, so you have to decide what to do at that point.
There are 350 careers in the NHS. Use this website to watch videos, read case studies and learn more about the largest UK employer with over 1.3 million employees.
Lots of career areas have sites that belong to their industry bodies, for example, if you wanted to find out more about Law, then go to www.allaboutlaw.co.uk, if it was health or medicine careers then look no further than www.nhscareers.nhs.uk or Teaching at www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching, Journalism, simple, try www.journalism.co.uk
Whatever the career, the truth is there’s really no excuse for not being able to find out more information, providing you can access the internet and use a little bit of common sense!
Harris Aspire Academy Destinations 2023-24
At Harris Aspire Academy our primary objective is to safeguard the education of our students and securing high quality destinations at age 16.
Please find the most up to date information September 2024
