18 February, 2021
Ormiston SWB Academy has earned a prestigious Careers Mark Award, in recognition of the outstanding careers provision it delivers for students to equip them for their next steps in life.
The Careers Mark assesses the career and work-related learning experience that schools offer to their students, in line with the Gatsby benchmarks of Good Career Guidance. It awards schools that can demonstrate good progress against each benchmark and are delivering a successful, high-standard careers programme.
The feedback from the Careers Mark report stated that: “Ormiston SWB Academy is providing a good quality career education, information, advice and guidance programme for its learners” and that during the pandemic, “it has continued to keep this central for all learners and has adjusted inputs and plans in order to continue to support all learners.”
The report praised the career provision from Year 7 all the way through to Year 13. “From Year 7 learners are aware that school can be an influence on them and they see the Academy as helping them to do their best whatever that will be”. It also noted that “learners are very positive about the Academy, themselves, and their futures despite the disruption their education has had due to Covid-19.”
Inspired by a careers conference organised by OAT in the west region, Joanna Jones, career adviser at Ormiston SWB Academy, has been embedding career advice into the academy over the last four years, first developing the careers strategy with the senior leadership team and moving through the teaching staff. They are now building on the careers provision every year, to make it a norm within the academy and these efforts have been supported by OAT since SWB joined the Trust.
Ms Jones provides detailed resources to aid staff in delivering career talks within lessons, so that it can be integrated across the whole school curriculum and delivered on a regular basis, tailored to each subject area. The Academy also ensures that at least 50 per cent of their students acquire work experience, having the opportunity to conduct experience days with local employers to ensure everyone has a chance to experience different job roles and opportunities.
The work delivered by the academy, with the support of OAT, is aligned with its long-standing commitment to broadening student horizons and raising aspirations.
Rod Hughes, Principal of Ormiston SWB Academy, said:
“I am so proud of the hard work put in by our dedicated staff and pupils who have worked tirelessly to improve our career provisions and outcomes. In particular, I would like to give special thanks to the hard work of our hugely dedicated careers adviser, Joanna Jones, who has built up our careers programme from scratch and helped thread careers provision across our whole curriculum.
“At Ormiston SWB Academy, we ensure that all of our pupils aspire to attain the very best for their futures by ensuring they know what opportunities are open to them and how to achieve them. We are incredibly pleased our efforts and the hard work of our staff have been recognised by Careers Mark.”
Category: News
Tags: Careers, Careers Mark Award, Ormiston SWB Academy, SWB
