Future Horizons – Careers programme Year 7 – Year 13

We are committed to providing all of our pupils a comprehensive programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance and work-related learning.  This is called the Future Horizons programme.

The Future Horizons team includes Mrs Pascoe (Head of Futures), Miss Mather (Head of Sixth Form & SLT Lead for Futures), Miss Baker (Careers Admin Apprentice) and Ms Blaskiewicz (UCAS and HE Support)

Mrs Pascoe, Head of Futures is Level 6 qualified in Career Guidance and Development professional and a Careers Development Institute (CDI) registered member.  She has 20 years of experience in private sector recruitment and working in further education before moving to Writhlington School in 2014.  She has worked at Beechen Cliff School for four years and is in school three days a week.

Mrs Pascoe can be contacted via email: careers@beechencliff.mnsp.org.uk or via the main school switchboard phone number: 01225 480466.

We offer support, advice and guidance to all pupils and their parents/carers.  It is a friendly, confidential and impartial service.  Whether you know exactly what you aspire to do or have no idea, we can support you in a wide range of topics from Sixth Form, Further, Technical and Higher Education, Apprenticeships, the labour market or taking a gap year.

All pupils take part in a careers programme that:

  • Aims to inspire as well as inform and guide pupils
  • Is centred around the pupil and their needs
  • Is integrated into the pupils’ experience of the whole curriculum
  • Encourages all pupils to consider their career throughout Key Stages 3, 4 and 5
  • Encourages all pupils to develop decision making skills
  • Provides each pupil with high quality, impartial advice
  • Raises aspirations and promotes equality and diversity

Strategic Careers Development and Gatsby Benchmarks (2025 Update)

Beechen Cliff School is committed to delivering a high-quality, evidence-based careers programme that empowers all pupils to make informed choices about education, training, and employment. From September 2025, the school aligns its Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) provision with the updated Gatsby Benchmarks, now embedded in statutory guidance.

We review our programme three times per year using the Careers & Enterprise Company Compass+ tool, ensuring that careers provision is inclusive, coherent, and responsive to each pupil’s needs. Compass+ helps us assess progress against the eight Gatsby Benchmarks, identify strengths, and target areas for improvement, with an emphasis on leadership, use of labour market information, employer engagement, and monitoring impact.

The Updated Gatsby Benchmarks (2025)

  1. A stable careers programme – maintained, fully resourced, and embedded across the school.

  2. Learning from career and labour market information (LMI) – all pupils have access to relevant, up-to-date information.

  3. Addressing the needs of each pupil – provision is personalised and inclusive, with targeted support for disadvantaged or vulnerable learners.

  4. Linking curriculum learning to careers – all subjects demonstrate clear relevance to career pathways.

  5. Encounters with employers and employees – pupils experience meaningful, varied interactions with the world of work.

  6. Experiences of workplaces – all pupils have opportunities to visit and engage with real work environments.

  7. Encounters with further and higher education – pupils explore a range of academic, vocational, and technical options.

  8. Personal guidance – all pupils have access to impartial, professional careers advice at key transition points.

Our annual and termly reviews ensure the programme remains strategic, measurable, and continuously improving, fully aligned with both the DfE Statutory Careers Guidance (2023) and the Provider Access Legislation.

The following document illustrates how Beechen Cliff School meets each of the updated Gatsby Benchmarks through coordinated school-wide provision, employer partnerships, and targeted individual support. The latest update is from August 2025:

Gatsby Benchmarks – Whole School Justification document

Parents/Carers

We work closely with parents/carers to support their child/children to make informed career choices. Parents and carers are encouraged to attend the careers events, information evenings and options evenings. We also ask for parents to volunteer to contribute to our careers programme throughout the year.

Parents/carers are always welcome to contact Mrs Pascoe, Head of Futures careers@beechencliff.mnsp.org.uk to seek advice and ask any questions you might have regarding their child’s careers pathway.

We also regularly provide information via our weekly Careers newsletter and year group Careers Classrooms and encourage parents to explore the opportunities available and to have conversation with their children.

Work Experience

Work Experience is a vital part of our Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) programme. In today’s competitive labour market, gaining practical experience provides pupils with a significant advantage when transitioning from full-time education to further study, apprenticeships, or employment.

Work Experience is offered to Year 10 and Year 12 pupils and takes place in the final week of the summer term and during their placement, pupils will:

  • Explore the skills and qualities employers value in the workplace.

  • Develop communication, teamwork, and professional confidence.

  • Gain insight into different careers, helping them make informed post-16 and post-18 choices.

Useful Websites 

  • Careerpilot offers expert careers information and tools for 11-19 year olds, all in one place  
  • The National Careers Service
  • Apprentices and Amazing Apprenticeships provides information about apprenticeships
  • UCAS – Helping you find your dream job
  • Plotr is a website created to help 11-24 year olds discover and explore careers they’ll love.  
  • LifeSkills, created with Barclays, is a free, curriculum-linked programme, developed with teachers to help improve the skills and employability of young people in the UK.  
  • icould has a range of video clips showing real people talking about their jobs and careers.  https://icould.com/
  • Prospects – Looking for that perfect career?  We guide millions of pupils to make the right choice.  Match your skills and personality to 400+ job profiles. 
  • Gap Year Information and Opportunities –  Omio,VSO,UCAS

Baker Clause / Provider Access Statement

As part of our commitment to providing pupils with high-quality careers guidance and access to the full range of education, training and employment pathways, Beechen Cliff School fully welcomes the opportunity for external providers to speak with our pupils, parents, and staff.

We have established relationships with a range of providers, and we are pleased to consider requests from any provider of technical education, apprenticeships, further or higher education, whether relating to academic, vocational, or technical pathways.

Opportunities for access may include assemblies, workshops, careers fairs, small group sessions, or participation in events and activities as part of the Future Horizons programme. The quality and impact of this programme are monitored by the Senior Leadership Team and the Governing Body.

All requests for access will be considered based on the quality and relevance of the proposed activity, staffing availability, and the potential for disruption to planned school activities or assessments. Beechen Cliff School will endeavour to offer suitable facilities, such as the school hall, classrooms, or meeting spaces, for agreed activities once approval has been granted.

In the first instance, requests for access should be sent to Emma Pascoe (Head of Futures) careers@beechencliff.mnsp.org.uk

Links to our other Careers Pages

For our Careers Policy please click here.

For information on Work Experience please click here.

For information on the impact of our Future Horizons and Careers Programme please click here.