Academy Life
Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)
The future starts at Smith’s Wood Academy
At Smith’s Wood Academy all of our students follow a progressive careers education and experience high quality Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance. We deliver a purposeful careers strategy which follows the Gatsby Benchmarks and is fit for today’s modern and technological society. It provides our students with confidence, encourages high aspirations and enable them thrive in a modern and ever evolving world. Many opportunities are provided for students to consider their own career planning, as students have full access to impartial careers advice and guidance.
At all stages of their school career students will have an opportunity to work with the Careers Advisor both in classroom activities and individual one to one interviews. Our aim is to offer all students a full package of support in order to help them make the right choices for a successful future. Smith’s Wood Academy holds a “Quality Award” for its outstanding contribution to Careers work within the Academy across all Year groups. ‘Career Mark’ is the mark of quality for Careers Education and Guidance.
The programme is overseen by the Assistant Principal, with responsibility for Careers and our impartial careers advisor. If you wish to support Smith’s Wood Academy with any activities or events please contact the Academy on 0121 788 4100 at least 6 weeks prior to your proposal.
Students and parents are welcome to contact the careers advisor at anytime to arrange a meeting or careers interview and receive impartial advice. This may take place over TEAMs or on the phone.
The Academy has secured support during 2020/2021 of an Enterprise Advisor from Balfour Beatty VINCI, who are responsible for designing and building part of the most exciting and challenging railway project in Europe: HS2.
Our Careers Policy
Read our Careers Policy.
Our Careers Programme 2023/2024
Read about our careers programme here.
Note to Employers and Education Providers
As part of Smith’s Wood Academy’s commitment to informing our students of the full range of learning and training routes on offer to them, the Academy is happy to consider requests from training providers, Vocational education and apprenticeship providers to speak to students and will also approach these partners ourselves when planning organising key Careers events throughout the school year.
In the first instance, providers wishing to speak with students should consult our calendar of Careers events published on the school website as we would welcome their input at our main Careers events throughout the school year.
These events provide ample opportunities to speak to students and parents both individually and in groups to offer information on vocational, technical and apprenticeship routes. These are usually held in the school hall and timings, facilities and parking and registration details are emailed to exhibitors in good time before the event. Enquires about these events can made to our CEIAG lead:
We also have a number of whole year group assembly slots which offer providers a short opportunity to quickly spread the word about their offer. These are 15 minutes slots to a whole year group of around 200 students in our main theatre which has tiered seating and a drop-down projector and speakers for sound. This space also doubles up as an excellent stage area for small performances. If you are a provider and would like to enquire on the availability of assembly slots please email our CEIAG lead. For presentations that require smaller groupings we can accommodate these in the careers zone or classrooms. ICT is available across the site and the academy readily uses Office 365. During the pandemic, we have welcomed those companies who can wish to work remotely dialling in to classrooms using TEAMs.
If a provider is unable to attend these events or feels that their presentation needs require different circumstances or that they are hosting an event they wish to promote, in the first instance they should contact Amanda O’Donnell to request a CEIAG visitor booking form.
The CEIAG visitor booking form asks for the role of the training, vocational or apprenticeship provider you represent, the aim of the presentation, if the request is for an assembly slot, the number of students the presentation or session is designed for, the length of the talk or presentation, the target year group for the session or presentation, what display or other facilities the session would require, how many provider staff (and names of staff) that will be visiting and what support from school staff you would require on the day.
Measuring Our Impact
We measure the impact of our careers, guidance and support through the use of the eight Gatsby Benchmarks and the Compass Audit and Tracker. Annually students are tracked, and a destination report sent back to the local authority.
In 2019 we had 90.7% of our students move on to further education (increase of 6.17%) and 4.7% go on to Apprenticeships and Training. Our NEET figure (Not in Education Employment or Training) in 2019 was 4%.
Read students destination information: Destinations 2015-2022
All requests should be emailed at least 6 weeks (a school half term) in advance an expected date for the planned session. All requests will be given due consideration by Smith’s Wood Academy’s CEIAG lead and Senior Leadership link and requests will be refused if:
- They impinge on students preparation for public or internal exams
- They clash with other school events such as visits, other speakers, well-being days, school photographs, sports days, public or internal exams, parents communication events etc
- The school is unable to provide staff to support the presentation or talk due to previous commitments
- Rooming for the talk or event is unable to be found due to timetabling clashes
Responses to requests will come from the school CEIAG lead. For requests that are approved, we will provide clear instructions before the event on visitor parking, visitor registration, a contact member of staff and their contact details, the teaching room or school hall to be used at the session and the presentation facilities this space offers.
As part of Smith’s Wood Academy’s wider CEIAG policy, the range of Careers provision for students is reported every academic year to the school governing body and Principal.
If you have questions regarding this or Smith’s Wood Academy’s wider CEIAG statement document, please do not hesitate to contact our CEIAG lead:
l.ellis@smithswood.fmat.co.uk
MADE Training
Smith’s Wood Academy works alongside MADE Training to provide students with motivational , exam and revision techniques & online tutorials.
The Academy has signed up to the Online courses and which provides access for the academic year (2020/21) for all of our Year 9-11 students.
Live workshops have taken place at the Academy called including Inner Winner & Rapid Revision.
MADE also work closely with our families and in the autumn term delivered workshops specifically for our parents at both Year 10 & 11 study skills evenings to support with forthcoming revision and exams.
INSPIRE
To inspire young people to focus, work hard and achieve their full potential.
EQUIP
To equip young people with the necessary thinking skills to successfully navigate their way through education and life
SUSTAIN
To support individuals and institutions in effecting positive, cultural and behavioural change
Useful Career Links
The following websites are of use to students who would like to research careers information at home:
Information for Students
Labour Market Information
British Science Week
Useful Higher Education Websites for University
Use the UCAS website to search for higher education courses at all universities and colleges nationwide. Lots of information here on how to apply
