Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) Policy

King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls

September 2025-2026

 Introduction

This policy outlines the Careers Education, Information, Advice, and Guidance (CEIAG) provision at King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls. It is designed to ensure that all students receive high-quality careers guidance that prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of life.

What is CEIAG?

Careers Education, Information, Advice, and Guidance (CEIAG) is a programme designed to help students understand the different career paths available to them and make informed decisions about their future. It includes:

• Careers Education: Teaching students about different jobs, the skills needed for those jobs, and how to plan their career paths.
• Information: Providing up-to-date details about various careers, educational opportunities, and the job market.
• Advice: Offering personalised recommendations to help students choose the best career options based on their interests and strengths.
• Guidance: Supporting students with one-on-one sessions to discuss their career goals and the steps they need to take to achieve them.

The goal of CEIAG is to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to make realistic and informed choices about their education and career paths. This helps them to aim high, achieve their full potential, and be prepared for the opportunities and challenges of the working world.

Policy Aims

The aims of this policy are to:

• Inspire all students to aim high and achieve their full potential.
• Provide the right support and guidance to empower every student to make key decisions about their future.
• Ensure all students have access to independent careers guidance and are informed about technical education qualifications, apprenticeships, and higher education opportunities.
• Align with the Gatsby Benchmarks to deliver best practice in careers provision.

Legal Framework

This policy is written in accordance with the latest statutory guidance issued under Section 45A of the Education Act 1997, it applies to all pupils from Year 7 to Year 13.

For detailed information, please refer to the Careers Guidance and Access for Education and Training Providers document.

Additionally, the policy aligns with the Gatsby Benchmarks, which provide a framework for good careers guidance.

 Key Staff

• SLT CEIAG Lead: Alice Pettit

apettit@han.kevibham.org

• Careers Advisor: Mr Ram
• CEIAG Link Governor: Farheen Ahmed

The Gatsby Benchmarks

The Gatsby Benchmarks are a framework of 8 guidelines that define best practice careers provision in schools and colleges. King Edward VI Handsworth school for girls is committed to achieving these benchmarks:

1. A Stable Careers Programme

• Embedded Programme: Every school should have a stable, structured careers programme that is known and understood by pupils, parents and carers, staff, governors, employers, and other agencies.
• Leadership Support: The programme should have the explicit backing of governors, the headteacher, and the senior management team, with an identified and appropriately trained careers leader responsible for it.
• Tailored and Sequenced: The programme should be tailored to the needs of pupils, sequenced appropriately, underpinned by learning outcomes, and linked to the whole-school development plan. It should also set out how parents and carers will be engaged throughout.
• Accessibility: The careers programme should be published on the school’s website and communicated in ways that enable pupils, parents and carers, staff, and employers to access and understand it.
• Regular Evaluation: The programme should be regularly evaluated using feedback from pupils, parents and carers, teachers, careers advisers, and employers to increase its impact.

 

At KEVIHS, we achieve this by:

• PSHE Curriculum Integration: Careers education is delivered through distinct lessons that are part of the PSHE curriculum. These lessons are carefully woven into the curriculum from Year 7 to Year 13, meeting the needs of students at different stages of their education.
• Dedicated Form Time Sessions: In addition to PSHE lessons, we have dedicated form time sessions that address careers education, ensuring continuous engagement and reinforcement of career-related learning.
• Tailored Approach: The programme is tailored to the individual needs of pupils, sequenced appropriately, and underpinned by clear learning outcomes. It is linked to the whole-school development plan and includes strategies for engaging parents and carers throughout the process.
• Accessibility and Communication: The careers programme is published on the school’s website and with successes and highlights shared through the Headteacher’s newsletter.
• Regular Evaluation: We regularly evaluate the programme using feedback from pupils, parents and carers, teachers and our careers adviser. This ongoing evaluation allows us to continuously update the programme to better meet students’ needs and respond effectively to changes in the labour market.

 

‘PSHCE this year has covered various topics that have been relevant during my sixth form experience and has prepared me for my post sixth form life. As a sixth former, I’ve been conflicted on whether to take the university or apprenticeship pathway. PSHCE has allowed me to form a clear mindset on my decision, and help me begin to make my future plans.

It’s also given me a chance to learn about real-life issues like mental health, relationships, equality, and staying safe online. Also learning how to budget and understand the tax system will really support me in my future endeavours.

I think it’s one of the most valuable subjects because it teaches us how to take care of ourselves and treat others well. I’ve definitely grown as a person because of PSHCE, and I know the lessons I’ve learned will stay with me later on.’

Amira, Year 13, 2025.

2. Learning from Career and Labour Market Information

• Access to Information: All pupils, parents and carers, teachers, and staff who support pupils should have access to good-quality, up-to-date information about future pathways, study options, and labour market opportunities.
• Support for Decision Making: Pupils should use this information to inform their decisions on study options or next steps, with the support of an informed adviser.
• Parental Engagement: Parents and carers should be encouraged and supported to access and use this information to inform their support for pupils.

 

At KEVIHS, we achieve this by:

• Comprehensive Resources: Providing career and labour market information through online databases, career websites, printed materials, and guest speakers.
• Employer Partnerships: Collaborating with local employers to understand the labour market.
• Career Talks and Workshops: Hosting sessions with industry professionals.
• Technology Use: Using Unifrog and Springpod for career exploration and virtual work experience.
• Parental Engagement: Inviting parents and carers to career lessons and communicating through the Headteacher’s newsletter.
• Regular Evaluation: Assessing the effectiveness of our career information provision through quality assurance for example, book looks, learning walks, surveys and feedback.

3. Addressing the Needs of Each Young Person

• Tailored Support: Careers programmes should help pupils navigate their concerns about any barriers to career progression and be tailored to the needs of each pupil, including vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils, young people with SEND, and those who are absent.
• Challenging Stereotypes: The programme should actively seek to challenge misconceptions and stereotypical thinking, showcase a diverse range of role models, and raise aspirations.
• Record Keeping: Schools should keep systematic records of pupils’ participation in the careers programme, the advice given, and any subsequent decisions. These records should be accessible to pupils and used to support their career development.
• Data Utilisation: Schools should collect and use accurate data on pupils’ aspirations, intended and immediate destinations, and use this data to inform personalised support.

At KEVIHS, we achieve this by:

• Tailored Support: Providing personalised advice and support to help pupils navigate any barriers to career progression. This includes tailored guidance for vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils, young people with SEND, and those who are absent. The SLT Careers lead works closely with the SENDCO to remove barriers and ensure inclusive support. The Careers Advisor uses pupil profiles to fully support students with SEND.
• Challenging Stereotypes: We conduct a series of student voice activities to identify and address career stereotypes, proactively sharing information to challenge these misconceptions.
• Record Keeping: The careers advisor keeps systematic records of conversations and advice given to each pupil. These records are accessible to pupils and used to support their career development.
• Long-term Data: Using sustained and longer-term destination data as part of our evaluation process and leveraging alumni to support the careers programme. Alumni use LinkedIn to share achievements and keep in touch, and they are invited to give talks as part of a rolling speaker programme starting in September 2025.

4. Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

• Curriculum Integration: All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers, highlighting the relevance of their subject for a wide range of career pathways.

• Staff Development: Careers should form part of the school’s ongoing staff development programme for teachers and all staff who support pupils.

At KEVIHS, we achieve this by:

• Dedicated CPD Sessions: Providing dedicated sessions throughout the academic year for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) on integrating careers into the curriculum.
• Twilight Sessions: Offering twilight sessions led by the Foundation Leader in Education for Careers, providing ongoing support where needed for staff members.
• Wide Representation in Talks: Including talks that represent a wide range of career areas, ensuring students are exposed to diverse opportunities and pathways.

5. Encounters with Employers and Employees

• Meaningful Encounters: Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment, and the skills valued in the workplace. This includes visiting speakers, mentoring, and enterprise schemes.
• Annual Participation: From the age of 11, pupils should participate in at least one meaningful encounter with an employer each year.

At KEVIHS, we achieve this by:

• Guest Speakers: Regularly inviting guest speakers from various industries to share their experiences and insights with pupils.
• Careers Events: Each year group takes part in a careers event, which helps meet this benchmark by providing structured opportunities for pupils to interact with employers and learn about different career paths.

6. Experiences of Workplaces

• First-hand Experiences: Every pupil should have first-hand experiences of workplaces to help their exploration of career opportunities and expand their networks.
• Age-specific Experiences: By the age of 16, every pupil should have had meaningful experiences of workplaces, and by the age of 18, at least one further meaningful experience.

 

Implementing 2 Weeks’ Worth of Work Experience

 

Our vision is that 2 weeks’ worth of work experience will be based on the following principles, building on the definition of meaningful experiences in Gatsby Benchmark 6.

Two weeks’ worth of work experience should be broken down into:

• Years 7 to 9: One week of work experience activities.
• Years 10: One week of work experience placement(s).
• Year 12: One week of work experience placement(s).

Why Work Experience is Important

Work experience provides young people with the opportunity to explore a wide range of career opportunities. These experiences are aligned with their interests and talents, local skills needs, and national growth sectors. By participating in work experience, students can broaden their horizons beyond their immediate friends and family, gaining valuable insights and inspiration for their future careers.

7. Encounters with Further and Higher Education

• Understanding Opportunities: All pupils should understand the full range of learning opportunities available to them, including academic, technical, and vocational routes.
• Meaningful Encounters: By the age of 16, every pupil should have had meaningful encounters with providers of the full range of learning opportunities, and by the age of 18, those considering higher education should have had at least two visits to higher education providers.

At KEVIHS we achieve this by:

• Years 7-11: A careers ‘event’ dedicated to the relevant age and stage of the Year group.
• All Years: Guest speakers from the world of work, apprenticeship, and further education providers.
• All Years: Visits to and talks from universities.
• Years 7-11: Information sessions about further education and higher education through a carefully planned PSHE curriculum.
• Form Time Activities: For example activities for National Apprenticeship Week.

‘Overall, I felt better equipped to move on to the next stage of my education, regardless of whether that was going to university or an apprenticeship, after attending these PSHCE lessons.’

Nimat, Year 13, 2025.

8. Personal Guidance

• Guidance Meetings: Every pupil should have opportunities for guidance meetings with a careers adviser, who could be internal or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level.
• Scheduled Meetings: Every pupil should have at least one personal guidance meeting by the age of 16, and a further meeting by the age of 18. These

meetings should be scheduled to meet the needs of pupils.

• Communication: Information about personal guidance support and how to access it should be communicated to pupils and parents and carers, including through the school website.

At KEVIHS, we achieve this by:

• 1:1 Careers Interviews: Organising 1:1 careers interviews for all pupils at relevant key stages.
• Qualified Careers Advisor: Conducting careers guidance interviews with our in-house qualified careers advisor. These appointments provide impartial, personalised guidance to help students make informed decisions about their future career choices.
• Drop-in Sessions: Offering all students the opportunity to speak with the careers advisor through drop-in sessions throughout the academic year, these are weekly during break and lunchtime.
• Targeted Support: Providing targeted support for pupils wishing to move into fields such as medicine, dentistry and veterinary.
• UCAT Support: Providing resources and guidance for pupils preparing for the UCAT, including preparation materials and advice on how to effectively study for the test.
• Oxbridge Support: Offering tailored support for pupils applying to Oxford and Cambridge, including guidance on the application.

Provider Access

King Edward VI Handsworth school for girls will ensure a range of education and training providers can access pupils to inform them about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. This includes:

• Organisng events where providers can speak to pupils.
• Providing opportunities for pupils to learn about different pathways.

 

For further information please see the Provider Access Policy.

Monitoring and Evaluation

 

The Governing Body will monitor the delivery of the careers programme and review this policy annually. The Careers SLT Lead will present to the Governors and Senior Leaders on the programme’s delivery, pupil needs, and progress towards the Gatsby Benchmarks.