Careers Programme

Let your light shine – Preparing for bright futures through SHINE

At Bury Church of England High School, our Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) programme is an integral part of the SHINE Curriculum, sitting within the strand of Personal Development and Living in the Wider World. Careers education is not delivered as a stand-alone subject; instead, it is embedded and sequenced across the SHINE framework, and interwoven through curriculum learning, enrichment opportunities and pastoral experiences.

This coherent, whole-school approach ensures that all students are well prepared for life beyond school, developing the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to make informed, aspirational and realistic decisions about their future education, training and employment.

Our Vision

We believe that all students should leave Bury Church of England High School as confident, responsible and resilient young people, equipped with the knowledge, skills and character to make informed, aspirational decisions about their futures.

Intent 

• Our stable careers programme is designed to ensure that all students, including those with SEND or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), are well prepared for successful transition into further education, apprenticeships, employment or training, and for the ever-changing world of work.

  Through a sequenced and inclusive Careers Education programme, embedded across the SHINE Curriculum, we aim to:

  • raise aspirations and support social mobility

  • develop employability and transferable skills

  • provide access to impartial careers information and guidance

  • promote inclusion, equality and opportunity for all learners

  • respond to local and national labour market demands

  • strengthen community engagement and social responsibility through Action for Change projects

  Across their school journey, students experience meaningful encounters with employers, training providers and education institutions, helping them to understand the wide range of pathways available and make confident decisions about their next steps.

   

  Statutory duty
• Bury Church of England High School meets its statutory duty in line with the Department for Education’s Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (updated May 2025). Full details can be found in our CEIAG Policy.

The Gatsby Benchmarks 

The Gatsby Benchmarks are a nationally recognised framework that set out what high-quality careers education should look like in schools. At Bury Church of England High School, our careers programme is fully aligned to all eight Gatsby Benchmarks, ensuring every student receives planned, inclusive and high-impact careers education that prepares them for future education, training and employment.

Below is an overview of how Bury Church of England High School meets each of the eight Gatsby Benchmarks through a planned, inclusive and high-quality careers programme.

BM1: A Stable Careers Programme

We deliver a planned and sequenced careers programme embedded within the SHINE Curriculum from Year 7 to Year 11. The programme is reviewed annually, and monitored through Compass+ and senior leadership oversight.

BM2: Learning from Careers and Labour Market Information

Students learn about local, regional and national labour market information (LMI) through SHINE lessons, assemblies, employer talks and college sessions. This helps pupils understand which careers are growing, what skills employers need, and how subjects link to future opportunities.

BM3: Addressing the Needs of Each Pupil

Careers guidance is personalised to meet individual needs. We track participation, destinations and NEET risk, and provide targeted support for SEND pupils, disadvantaged learners and those requiring additional guidance, including enhanced transition planning.

BM4: Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Careers education is embedded across all subjects. Teachers highlight how subject knowledge and skills connect to real-world jobs and industries, reinforced through Careers in the Curriculum weeks, displays and employer engagement.

Examples include:

• Science: links to healthcare, engineering and environmental careers

• English: journalism, publishing and marketing

• Geography: sustainability, planning and environmental management

• Maths: business finance and data analysis

• PE: leadership, coaching and sport science

Every term, a Careers in the Curriculum Week reinforces these connections through lessons, displays, guest speakers and employer encounters.

BM5: Encounters with Employers and Employees

Students engage with a wide range of employers through assemblies, careers fairs, workshops, mock interviews and social action projects, helping them gain insight into different sectors and workplace expectations.

BM6: Experiences of Workplaces

All Year 10 students take part in work experience, with personalised or supported placements available where needed. Additional workplace insight is provided through visits, virtual tours and employer-led activities across year groups.

BM7: Encounters with Further and Higher Education

Students experience encounters with colleges, universities, apprenticeship and training providers through assemblies, visits, taster days and application support, ensuring they understand the full range of post-16 and post-18 pathways.

BM8: Personal Guidance and Impact 

All students receive impartial one-to-one careers guidance from a qualified careers adviser by Year 11, with earlier or additional interviews provided for targeted pupils. Guidance is recorded and used to support informed next-step decisions.

Impact is monitored through:

• Student reflection and portfolio evidence within SHINE lessons;

• Start, mid, and end-of-year surveys;

• NEET tracking for three years post-GCSE;

• Regular evaluation with student and parent feedback.

This ensures our careers programme remains responsive, inclusive and effective.

Experiential and Enrichment Opportunities

• Career learning extends beyond lessons through hands-on, real-world experiences, including:

  • Be safe be cool (Year 8) – employer-led workshops across sectors

  • Annual Careers Fair (All year Groups) – colleges, universities, apprenticeship providers and employers

  • Work Experience (Year 10) – supported placements, including in-school and external opportunities

  • University Visits and Employer Encounters (Years 9-10) 

  • Social Action and Enterprise Projects (SHINE – Action for Change Year 7-11) – developing leadership, teamwork, and community engagement

  These activities develop key employability skills , communication, problem-solving, teamwork and resilience , that are central to the SHINE values of Respect, Responsibility, and Resilience.

  Our Enhanced Transition Programme

  We ensure that every student, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), can access personalised guidance and meaningful career experiences. Adapted resources, supported placements, and tailored one-to-one sessions ensure equity of opportunity and smooth transitions to post-16 destinations.

  At Bury Church, we also offer an Enhanced Transition Programme for identified students who require additional preparation for post-16 pathways.

  This includes:

  • Individual transition planning meetings involving parents, the SENCo, and the Careers Adviser.

  • Early college visits and supported taster days to familiarise students with new environments.

  • Collaborative planning with post-16 providers to ensure continuity of support and appropriate adjustments.

  • Step-by-step guidance on applications, interviews, and travel planning to promote confidence and independence.

  This enhanced support ensures that all learners, regardless of need or circumstance, are well prepared, confident, and supported in making successful and sustained transitions into further education, training, or employment.                                                                         

  Contact our SENCO for more information: SENCO Mrs J Edge  Email; Jodine.Edge@bury.tbft.uk 

   

  Meet the Team 

   

   

  Careers support for Parents and Careers

  We value the role parents and carers play in supporting young people with their future career pathways. If you have any questions about your child’s next steps, post-16 options, or careers guidance, we encourage you to get in touch.

  Parents and carers are welcome to contact either our Careers Adviser or the Senior Leader for Careers using the email addresses below.                           

  Careers Advisor - Mr Steven Halden    Email steven.halden@bury.tbft.uk

  SLT Careers link - Rachael Doherty-Kirkwood   Email rachael.dohertykirkwood@bury.tbft.uk                                                                            

Appointments can be arranged to discuss how we can support your child with career planning, decision-making, and progression routes. 

We are committed to working in partnership with families to ensure every pupil is informed, supported, and prepared for their future.

Provider Access Policy 

The Provider Access Policy sets out how training providers, colleges, universities and apprenticeship organisations can access students to share information about technical education, apprenticeships and other post-16 pathways. 

Bury Church of England High School complies with its statutory duties under Section 42A of the Education Act 1997 and the Provider Access Legislation. In line with the Department for Education’s statutory guidance on Careers guidance and access for education and training providers, the school ensures that students have meaningful access to impartial information about the full range of post-16 and post-18 pathways, including further education, apprenticeships and technical education.

Our Provider Access Policy sets out how approved providers can request access to pupils, ensuring encounters are planned, inclusive and support informed decision-making.

Provider Access Policy 2025/2026

 Destination Data 

Activity Survey 2022Activity Survey 2023Activity Survey 2024