Welcome to your Future – Careers at Benfield

At Benfield School, we warmly welcome students, parents, and the wider community to our dedicated Careers page. Here, we journey together through a world of possibilities and aspirations. Our commitment extends beyond the classroom; we aim to be a guiding light in shaping the future careers of our students. This page serves as a valuable resource for all – illuminating paths for our students and offering insight for parents in supporting their children’s career aspirations.

Our Vision for Careers Education

We at Benfield School strive to inspire every student to believe in themselves and their potential. We understand that each journey is unique, and our role is to offer support, guidance, and encouragement at every step. Our high-quality careers education, combined with tailored advice and guidance, empowers our students to make informed, realistic choices about their future career paths.

Believing in high aspirations, we are dedicated to aiding our students in achieving personal success and fostering future economic well-being. It’s not just about the grades; it’s about building futures.

Our Careers provision is not just a gateway to future careers but also a testament to our belief in nurturing aspirations from the outset. As part of the NEAT Academy Trust, we embrace the ‘Cradle to Careers Strategy’, affirming that career education begins at the very beginning of a child’s educational journey.

Aligning with NEAT Academy Trust’s Vision

Our approach to careers education is deeply rooted in the NEAT Academy Trust’s philosophy. We believe in igniting aspirations from a young age and fostering a growth mindset that prepares our students for all walks of life. This vision is intricately woven into every aspect of our educational system, ensuring that career guidance is not an afterthought but a fundamental pillar of our teaching.

The NEAT Experience – Building Character and Skills for Life

Complementing our comprehensive careers programme is the NEAT Experience, an innovative and alternative curriculum running parallel to conventional academic studies. This unique programme allows each pupil to engage in and build a portfolio of experiences, enriching our students with essential character-building skills. These experiences are pivotal in equipping each pupil with the resilience, adaptability, and critical thinking necessary for life beyond Year 11.

Tracking and Evaluating Compass+/ Xello

To maximise the chances of future success for our pupils, we leverage multiple digital tools that can track, evaluate and inform our students’ journey through the Benfield Careers programme. By utilising the range of tools available on Compass+ (Careers and Enterprise Company), we can track and report on our entire provision, including monitoring engagement with careers-based learning for each individual pupil, and ensuring that we take active steps to reach the eight Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance. We also actively engage in self evaluation using Compass+ to help inform strategic decisions about the direction and delivery of our careers programme. 

In addition to Compass+, we have introduced Xello to our curriculum. Xello is an award-winning program that puts the student at the centre of their future planning. Students can document their journey as they build career-based knowledge, explore post-16 options, and create action plans. Xello also allows students to continually reassess their pathway as they gain new knowledge, skills, and experiences throughout their educational journey.

Informed Choices and Diverse Opportunities

In a world brimming with possibilities, making well-informed decisions is key. We provide our students with access to a wide range of information on various options, including academic, vocational, and apprenticeship pathways. Our aim is simple: to help each student find and follow a path that aligns with their ambitions.

Engaging with employers and introducing students to the world of work, we ensure that every pathway is valued, and every choice is informed. Whether a student aims to leap into higher education, step into an apprenticeship, or embark on vocational training, we are here to guide them.

Our Bespoke Careers Programme

Our bespoke careers programme is at the heart of our educational approach, supporting pupils at every stage of their learning journey. It’s designed to ignite passion, inspire action, and instil the skills needed to forge a successful career. Through this programme, students gain the knowledge and inspiration to take ownership of their career plans, enabling them to thrive in their chosen fields.  Our Careers Education is the golden thread that runs throughout our curriculum and provides purpose, direction, and meaning to every aspect of our pupil’s learning journey.  It weaves together academic achievement with practical life skills, ensuring that each student is not only prepared academically but also equipped with the insights and experiences necessary to thrive in their future careers and personal lives.

We proudly align our programme with the eight Gatsby Benchmarks as outlined in the Department for Education’s Statutory Guidance (January 2018), setting a gold standard in careers education.

Our programme not only focuses on academic achievements but also on developing well-rounded individuals ready to conquer their future.

Core Careers Offer

All pupils at Benfield School are entitled to receive a programme of careers education, work- related learning, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG and WRL). This will be delivered at appropriate times to support decision making.

Our core careers offer for all pupils includes:
• Access to independent careers guidance by a qualified professional – at least one interview by the age of 16
• Advice and support tailored to the needs of each student
• Activities which seek to challenge stereotypical thinking and raise aspirations
• Subject lessons linked to careers
• Employer encounters – at least one each year including STEM employers
• Experience of the workplace – at least one experience by the age of 16
• Opportunities to speak with/visit a range of further education, higher education and training providers
• Access to careers information via Tutor Time, bulletins, careers library and online resources
• Life Skills lessons
• Promotion of local labour market information
• Parental support and guidance

Our Pledge to Excellence in Careers Education

Our journey towards excellence in careers education is a commitment we proudly uphold. In collaboration with Careers Inc, Benfield School is on a mission to achieve the nationally recognised Quality in Careers Standard. This reflects our dedication to offering top-tier careers education, equipping every Benfield student for the exciting opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.