Careers Programme Information

Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) at Burnage Academy for Boys

Our Aims and Rationale

Burnage Academy for Boys is committed to providing impartial and relevant CEIAG to students from years 7 to 11 as outlined in the School’s CEIAG Policy.

This is achieved through:

• Contexts that help raise motivation and attainment;
• Helping students to follow courses that are appropriate to their needs;
• Improving understanding of the world of work;
• Ensuring appropriate provision and guidance;
• Successful transition to the next stage of education and employment;
• Empowering students to plan and manage their own futures;
• Offering a responsive service that allows time for face to face guidance;
• Providing comprehensive and unbiased advice and guidance

Our offer is measured against the following guidance and benchmarks:

• Destination data 
• Gatsby Benchmarks Explained
• Careers guidance and access for education and training providers - GOV.UK

Delivery

The delivery of CEIAG is implemented through a progressive and purposeful model that ensures it meets the needs of the students enabling them to confidently progress onto the next stage in their lives. CEIAG is delivered across years 7 to 11. The school’s CEIAG lead, is responsible for the leadership of CEIAG in school, liaising with a range of outside agencies including colleges, employers, providers of technical education, traineeships and apprenticeships. 

We utilise a range of delivery methods with students:

• Access to a comprehensive online platform - Unifrog
• Meaningful encounters with the world of work and industry across their education;
• Guest speakers from different employment industries and sectors
• Higher Education talks from universities
• STEM subject activities
• Careers advice sessions
• Careers fairs
• Academic mentoring 
• Visits to employers, higher education establishments, universities
• Transition programmes for our most vulnerable students

Work Experience and 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, using Unifrog.
• 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.
• Occasionally, students are able to secure work experience placements at alternative times in their school career - each opportunity is considered on a case-by-case basis

Outcomes and Options After Year 11

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.

T-Levels

T Levels are vocational qualifications introduced as an alternative to A Levels and apprenticeships, designed for students who want to pursue a specific career path rather than a general academic route. They are aimed at 16-19 year olds and provide a mix of practical skills and theoretical knowledge relevant to a chosen industry.

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.

V-Levels

V levels are new Level 3 vocational qualifications in England, equivalent to one A-level, designed to combine practical career-focused skills with academic study and offer flexible post-16 pathways. They will be introduced in September 2027.

Access Arrangements

Employers, Industry and Alumni

We aim to continually build on our employer and alumni network to continue inspiring our students' futures through real-life encounters.

Burnage Academy works with external companies 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

Please refer to our Provider Access Statement for further details and Contact Us.

Alumni

There are a variety of capacities in which alumni can help the school:

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

If you are interested in volunteering, please get in touch through our website: Contact Us

Parent-Carers

Parent-carers are vital in promoting aspiration and success in our students. If you would like to discuss our CEIAG offer in more detail, please get in touch with the school office office@burnage.manchester.sch.uk and a member of the pastoral team will contact you.

Key staff

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

Sue Walton, Careers Advisor: s.walton@burnage.manchester.sch.uk

Becci Wadeson, Assistant Headteacher, Senior Management line manager for CEIAG

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

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.