Careers and destinations

Careers at Grace Academy

Careers Leader: Emily Williams Email: emilywilliams@graceacademy.org.uk

Telephone: 02476589000 Governor Responsible for CEIAG: Richard Smith

Our Vision

Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) at Grace Academy is tailored to individual needs. Our programme is aimed at widening students' horizons, challenging stereotypes, and raising aspirations to provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to make transitions that allow for successful future employment outcomes. We are committed to positively supporting social mobility to ensure improved opportunities for all students.

Statutory Requirements & The Gatsby Benchmarks

At Grace Academy, we work in line with the Statutory Guidance: "Careers guidance and access for education and training providers" (DfE, May 2025), the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022, and the Education (Careers Guidance in Schools) Act 2022. We use the Eight Gatsby Benchmarks as our foundation for "Good Careers Guidance":

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

Our Commitment to Students

To ensure our provision is effective and impartial, we guarantee:

• Provider Access (The "Six Encounters"): Students will be provided with at least six encounters with providers of technical education or apprenticeships. This includes two encounters in the 'first key phase' (Year 8 or 9), two in the 'second key phase' (Year 10 or 11), and two optional encounters in the 'third key phase' (Year 12 or 13).
• Professional Guidance: Every student in Year 11 and Post-16 will have a 1-to-1 careers interview tailored to their needs with a Level 6 qualified careers advisor.
• Diverse Pathways: All students have access to independent guidance regarding the full range of Post-16 and Post-18 options, including apprenticeships, T-Levels, A-Levels, and university pathways.
• Curriculum Integration: Careers links are explicitly planned into subject curriculums and lesson delivery to show the real-world relevance of student learning.

Evaluation and Impact

The CEIAG programme is reviewed annually to ensure it is "fit for purpose". We measure our success through:

• Analysis of student destination data (aiming for NEET percentages at or above national averages).
• Student and parent feedback.
• The progress and attainment of disadvantaged students.

Resources for Students, Parents, and Teachers

Labour Market Information (LMI) Understanding the local and national job market is vital for informed decisions. We recommend LMI for All for national data.

Useful Links:

• National Careers Service (or call 0800 100 900)
• Unifrog
• Find an Apprenticeship
• UCAS
• Careerpilot Parent Zone

Provider Access

An employer or provider wishing to request access to speak with our students should contact Emily Williams at emilywilliams@graceacademy.org.uk

Destinations

We are proud to share our most recent careers and destinations information, which is accurate as of April 2026: