Careers Support and Guidance at The Coppice Academy

Ethos: At The Coppice every student plays their part in making our Academy a unique learning environment. Each young person has talents which we recognise and encourage, relationships and friendships to develop, challenges to overcome and a bright future ahead of them to look forward to. 

Aims: To equip each student with the skills and experience, developed over 5 years at the academy, to make informed and positive choices about education, work and training, post 16 and into adult life.  

Overview: Using the Gatsby Benchmarks as a guide and working with Stoke & Staffordshire Careers Hub we have a bespoke carers education program, flexible enough to meet the needs of each cohort.  

At The Coppice Academy we are proud of the guidance given to individual students and their parents and the transition process in place as students move into the next setting. We are always reviewing and reflecting our practice to tailor to each cohort and the individual needs of Coppice students. We have strong links to local businesses, workplace training providers and further education settings.  Coppice Academy recognises that is has a statutory duty to secure independent careers guidance for all of our young people. (The Education Act 2011 / Careers guidance and access to education and training providers January 2018). 

We plan Independent Living and Work Skills lessons (ILWS) to equip students for future training and employment. These include time management, communication, internet awareness and safety, research skills, workplace literacy and numeracy, independent travel training, money skills and budgeting, healthy food choices, positive relationships, personal presentation and application / interview skills.   

We also plan activities based on evidence about the importance of giving young people more opportunities to connect with employers of all sizes, and from all sectors. These encounters will inspire pupils and allow them to learn about what work is like, or what it takes to be successful in the workforce.  

Past examples of this include: KS4 Café, community visits to Pizza Express, Asda, Sainsbury’s, links to Stoke Food Bank, Careers talks from Dougie Mac, activity days, Staffordshire Fire Service visits and assemblies, links to Martec Training, on-going partnerships with Newcastle Borough Council Green Team, Vocational Weeks and work placements where appropriate based on individual student needs. Each student has an Individual Careers Log tracking these experiences from Y7-11 (please click here for an example). 

We work hard to prepare students for life beyond The Coppice through strong and ongoing links to Further Education and Training providers. We invite these providers to attend parents’ evenings and reviews and also organise visits for KS4 students, support taster days if appropriate and tailor transition routes for individual students starting with our annual Post 16 Information Event each Autumn. 

 

 

Overview of careers guidance: 

All year groups: 

  • Timetabled ILWS lessons 

  • Visits by and assemblies led by local businesses 

  • Activity days linked to WRL 

  • STEM days 

  • Curriculum links in each subject to future careers 

  • Access to future providers at parents evenings 

  • Independent Careers Advice in Year 9

Key Stage 4 

  • Vocational curriculum  

  • Tailored work placements 

  • Transition visits and information days (FE providers / training) 

  • Taster days 

  • Work based training through the curriculum (Café, Horticulture, Construction, Hospitality & Catering, Art, Gateway Progression, Sports) 

  • Community links & careers days 

  • Independent Careers Advice in Year 11

Careers, Education, Information, Advice & Guidance Policy - please click here 

Please click here to view the Coppice Provider Access Information

Please click here to view our Careers Strategy Policy

Please click here to view our PAL Policy

 

For further information, including ways you can help support our students, please contact R Watkin, Careers Lead, email: office@coppice.set.org or call 01782 973500. 

We are working with Beverley Ashley, Careers Consultant of Stoke on Trent & Staffordshire Careers Hub,

email: beverley.ashley@staffordshire.gov.uk, tel. no. 01785 854720.