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. 

The Careers Team includes Mrs Pascoe (Careers Advisor), Miss Mather (Head of Sixth Form & SLT Lead for Careers), Miss Daniels (Careers Coordinator) and Ms Blaskiewicz (UCAS Support)

Our Careers Advisor Mrs Pascoe, is a Level 6 qualified 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 once a week offering 1:1 careers guidance appointments. 

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 and career pathways such as 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

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

Strategic Careers Development and Gatsby Benchmarks (2026 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. 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 (2026)

  1. A stable careers programme
  2. Learning from career and labour market information
  3. Addressing the needs of each young person
  4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
  5. Encounters with employers and employees
  6. Experiences of workplaces
  7. Encounters with further and higher education
  8. Personal guidance

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 October 2026:

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 and also request feedback from parents through the ‘Your Child’s Future’ questionnaire. 

Parents/carers are always welcome to contact The Careers Team via email 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 through regular updates on year group Google classrooms. We encourage parents and pupils to explore the opportunities available and to have conversations about the future. 

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.

Dedicated time to complete a work experience placement is offered to Year 10 and Year 12 pupils and takes place in the final week of the summer term. 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 

  • Unifrog– every pupil from year 9-13 has an account to explore career interests and personalised support.
  • The National Careers Service
  • Apprentices and Amazing Apprenticeships provides information about apprenticeships
  • UCAS – Helping you find your dream job, university course or apprenticeship.
  • 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 Careers 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 Kim Mather (SLT Lead for Careers) at 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.