Careers Programme – Impact Statement
We are continuously measuring and assessing the impact of our careers programme on our pupils. We have many ways of doing this, including using our pupils’ destinations data and gaining feedback from students, parents, staff, employers and partners.
At The Heights, Blackburn we use a variety of methods or tools to measure the impact of our Careers Provision, this includes the use of the CECs Compass Plus Self Evaluation tool, Pupil Questionnaires, staff voice & surveys & Pupil Voice as part of the wider Personal Development Provision.
To ensure our provision is of the highest quality we regularly review this throughout the academic year alongside key stakeholders including the nominated Personal Development Governor, the Headteacher & Senior Leadership Team, The Careers Hub and other external bodies including the trust.
The Provision is overseen by a designated member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), To ensure that the Careers Leader is accountable for the programme, they present a termly update to the whole leadership team on key projects such as Destinations, Provision, Work Experience & Career Guidance.
The next review of our CEIAG provision will take place in The Summer Term of 2025
We Measure and Assess the Impact of our Careers Programme through a variety of methods including but not limited to:
- Destination measures
- Stakeholder Feedback including; Parents, Carers, Students (Pupil Voice) & Staff
- Employer & Partner feedback
- Work experience evaluations (Employer & Pupils)
- Gatsby Benchmarks
Gatsby Benchmarks
The Eight Benchmarks are a framework for good career guidance developed to support schools in providing students with the best possible careers education, information, advice, and guidance:
- A stable careers programme
- Learning from career and labour market information
- Addressing the needs of each pupil
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experiences of workplaces
- Encounters with further and higher education
- Personal guidance
The Gatsby Benchmarks are reviewed each term by the Careers Lead and supporting staff. Appropriate actions are implemented and shared with relevant stakeholders throughout the academic year.
The Heights, Blackburn use the ‘Careers & Enterprise Company’s Compass Plus’ self evaluation tool that gives us an immediate confidential read-out of how our own career guidance performs against the Gatsby eight benchmarks. This is supported by The Lancashire Careers Hub.
In July 2024, The Heights, Blackburn achieved the Gatsby Benchmark Award for the 2023/24 academic year.
Collaboration & Partnerships
The school works closely with local schools within the area and the EPT, to support the development of the Careers Programme and share ‘Good Practice’.
The School continues to work closely with representatives from Blackburn with Darwen’s New Directions, Lancashire Careers Hub and the Careers and Enterprise Company.
The school is lucky enough to partner with an number of external partners including but not limited to:
- Blackburn Rovers Community Trust (NCS)
- Lancashire Careers Hub
- New Directions Careers Service (BwD)
- MPloy Solution (Work Experience Provider)
- ASK Apprenticeships
- Education Business Partnership (EBP)
The School Careers Lead and staff continue to develop further partnership through networking and collaboration events. The school has a number of links with a number of FE / HE providers & Employers
Mr Doohan is also One of the Community of Practice Leads for Lancashire Careers Hub supporting over 156 schools across Lancashire. Mr Doohan is a registered Careers Leader with the CDI (Careers Development institute).
The Heights, Blackburn – Careers Lead attends the National Careers Leader Advisory group coordinated by the Careers & Enterprise Company. Mr Doohan is part of the Gatsby Foundations, Expert Practitioner Group.
Review of Published information
The next review of published information will take place in July 2025, this information will be reviewed by Mr Doohan & Miss Morris. Information is reviewed on a regular basis by the Careers Lead. Updated information is uploaded to the website throughout the year as and when it becomes available.
