Careers Programme Information

Burnage Academy for Boys is committed to maximising the benefits for every pupil by developing and promoting a whole school approach to Careers Education, Guidance and Enterprise Education.
 

Key contacts

Mark Aspinall, Head of Careers: m.aspinall@burnage.manchester.sch.uk

Suzanne Acton, Careers Advisor: s.acton@burnage.manchester.sch.uk

Anna Seton (KS3 Careers support)

All can be contacted via the school office (0161 4321527)
 

Goals

At Burnage Academy we encourage and enable our students to:

• Think for themselves and become excellent decision makers
• Develop the necessary skills to make a successful transition from school and contribute with confidence to an increasingly competitive and technological world
• Discover a passion for lifelong learning
• Thrive on the many enriching opportunities available in a happy and caring environment
• We will measure impact of our careers programme using the Gatsby benchmarks and destination data.
• Careers Policy 
• Destination data 
   

Aims

Burnage Academy aims to:

• Provide secure, independent and impartial careers guidance for all students.
• Support and encourage the enhancement of the curriculum by adding vocational relevance and interest to all subjects.
• Provide a clear view of the current labour market and identify opportunities for all students and how this may impact on future changes.
• Encourage all boys to participate in work related learning activities.
• Support boys to achieve high standards and fulfil their individual potential.
• Provide a broad and varied range of entrepreneurial skills and employment activities, offering each boy the opportunity to develop his talents.
• Ensure the benefits and experiences gained from relevant work-related learning and enterprise are valued, assessed, reported on and accredited in all appropriate circumstances.
   

Curriculum and Vision

To inspire Burnage Academy boys to pursue the highest academic, personal and moral standards and empower them to become responsible global citizens who have a positive impact in the world.
 

Objective

• To ensure all students have 7 encounters with the world of work and industry across their education;
• Guest speakers from different employment industries and sectors presenting on Apprenticeships opportunities
• Higher Education talks from universities
• STEM subject set days
• Cogent Skills- challenge days at Manchester Science and Industry Museum
• Careers advice sessions
• Academic mentoring Programmes
• Transition programmes for our most vulnerable students
   

For Industry and Alumni

Objective

To build on our employer and alumni network to continue inspiring our students on their futures through real-life encounters.

Burnage Academy is working with The Careers and Enterprise Company and Future First to bring more businesses and alumni into the school, we would like to explore the following opportunities;

• Networking events
• Careers Fairs
• Guest speakers and Industry Talks
• Challenge events

Alumni

We have recently joined forces with Future First in order to develop our links with past students. This is a very exciting opportunity as ex-students can let us know, in a formal way, if they are interested in working with our current cohort of students. There are a variety of capacities in which they can help the school:

• Talks and presentations
• Networking events
• Mentoring
• Video link presentations
• Attending events

If you are interested in signing up to our expanding network of alumni the visit the web link below to register your interest and I look forward to hearing from you:

http://www.Futurefirst.org.uk
 

Industry Week

Objective

• To ensure all students at Burnage Academy can independently look for a placement at the start of year 10 in a sector where they are considering as a career path.
• Self-placement system- we have re-developed our work experience to a self-placement rather then mandatory to ensure all students maximise their potential in the world of work
• At the start of year 10, your son can independently look for a placement in an industry and or sector that he considers as a career path.
• Self- application including arranging for this placement and sorting out the insurance documents will enable your son to develop independent, resilient skills and build his self-confidence in the world.
• The school will only support placements that are deemed appropriate.
• If your son has not been successful in securing a placement, he will be able to participate in Industry week which will involve participating in workshops, meeting Burnage Academy alumni and listening to guest lectures from some of the industry’s top experts in different sectors from IT, Business, Science etc.
  
   

Outcomes and Options After Year 11

Objective

To enable all Year 11 students and their parents/careers to have the opportunity to decide on their progression routes- Apprenticeships/Further Education.
 

A Levels

Typically students chose to do a combination of 3 subjects. Depending on which college they chose they will have a choice of up to approximately 25 subjects to choose from. A Levels are a very academic way of learning and students need to be prepared to for this. For most subjects students assessed by 3 exams at the end of year 2 to determine their final mark. Certain subjects such as Art, Drama and Science still incorporate an element of coursework towards the final grade. Each A Level is graded A-E and for University entry each grade is given a number of UCAS points, depending on the course and University your son wants to apply for the number of UCAS points required varies. If your son wants to go and study Medicine or Dentistry at University then presently A Levels are the only option to achieve this.
 

BTEC

BTEC qualifications are vocational and suit students who like to learn by practical assessments and coursework. BTEC’s are offered in a wide variety of subject areas across all different levels so allow students who don’t achieve 5 GCSE’s grade 4-9 the opportunity to start on a lower level and work their way up. BTEC qualifications are acceptable for entry to many degree courses, a Level 3 extended Diploma is equal to 3 A Levels and attracts the same number of UCAS points.
 

GCSE Resit Programme

A Number of local colleges offer the chance to do a package of 5 GCSE’s in one year for students who did not gain the required grades first time round. This can be a useful option for students who are ambitious to go onto A Levels.
 

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships combine working with studying and are increasing in number year on year at present due to the Government placing a bigger emphasis on their importance. Generally an apprenticeship will involve working 4-5 days a week for a company and studying for the remaining time either on day release in college or with the support of a tutor at your workplace.

Apprenticeships have many advantages such as being paid to learn and gaining invaluable experience in the workplace. However many students don’t realise the commitment required in firstly securing a vacancy and then the requirements within the workplace. Gaining an apprenticeship takes hard work and in many cases strong grades at GCSE, specifically Maths and English Language are essential.

Useful links

National Careers Service

Prospects - for highly detailed careers information

NHS Health Careers - over 350 NHS jobs explained

Apprenticeships

UCAS University Applications - Careers section on every degree, and check entry requirements for different courses.