Careers

At Ellesmere College, our Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) programme is designed to prepare every student for adulthood by building their confidence, independence, skills and aspirations. Our approach is rooted in the Preparation for Adulthood (PfA) outcomes, is fully embedded across our two sites, and reflects our commitment to inclusive, person‑centred and high‑quality careers guidance.

Our CEIAG provision is driven by our Careers Strategy 2025–2028, guided by our Compass+ evaluations, and aligned to the updated Gatsby Benchmarks (2025), which place emphasis on inclusion, data‑informed support, meaningful encounters and whole‑school leadership.

Our Commitment

We are dedicated to ensuring that every young person:

• Gains experiences that support the development of independence, employability and decision‑making
• Accesses a curriculum and pathways that are personalised to their strengths, needs and aspirations
• Benefits from a careers programme shaped by parents, carers, employers, providers, governors and staff
• Receives high‑quality, impartial careers guidance

We adopt a whole‑school and whole‑community approach, recognising that preparing for adulthood begins in from the age of 4 and continues throughout the student journey.

✅ What Students Can Expect at Ellesmere College

Our careers programme ensures that all students have access to a rich, progressive and personalised CEIAG offer. Throughout their time with us, students can expect:

✅ 1. A Stable, Structured and Visible Careers Programme (Gatsby 1)

• A clearly sequenced, whole‑school careers curriculum underpinned by learning outcomes that are appropriate to the curriculum pathway they are on
• Guidance linked to EHCP targets, PfA outcomes and individual interests
• Regular evaluation involving students, parents/carers, teachers, employers and careers advisers
• Published and accessible information on the school website

✅ 2. Access to High‑Quality Careers and Labour Market Information (Gatsby 2)

Students and families benefit from:

• Current information about future pathways, qualifications, careers and local labour market trends
• Staff trained to share accurate, up‑to‑date information
• Support to explore employment possibilities related to personal strengths, EHCP outcomes and SEND needs

✅ 3. Guidance Tailored to Each Young Person (Gatsby 3)

We ensure all learners receive:

• Personalised support that recognises barriers, additional needs and aspirations
• Systematic tracking of encounters, interventions and careers progress
• Record‑keeping that supports transitions, including for pupils who change school

✅ 4. Curriculum Learning Linked to Careers (Gatsby 4)

Across all areas of learning, students learn:

• How knowledge and skills connect to real life, work and future opportunities
• How subject learning supports independence, problem‑solving and employability
• About pathways relevant to their learning area and future ambitions

✅ 5. Meaningful Employer Encounters Each Year (Gatsby 5)

Annually, students engage with a diverse range of employers through:

• Careers Days, visiting speakers and workplace projects
• Enterprise activities, vocational tasters and employer‑led workshops
• Encounters designed around preparation, interaction, and reflection

✅ 6. Progressive Experiences of the Workplace (Gatsby 6)

All students—particularly those in KS4 and Post‑16—access:

• On‑site, school‑based, community-based and employer‑based work experiences
• Work shadowing and visits that develop confidence and real‑world understanding
• Opportunities adapted for SEND needs with appropriate support

✅ 7. Encounters with Further, Higher and Technical Education Providers (Gatsby 7)

Students meet a full range of providers, including:

• FE colleges
• Independent training providers (ITPs)
• Apprenticeship and Supported Internship organisations

These interactions help learners understand what training is like, what qualifications are offered, and the routes that link to employment.

✅ 8. Personal Guidance from Trained Careers Advisers (Gatsby 8)

All students receive:

• At least one careers guidance meeting by age 16 and another by 18
• Additional meetings when significant transitions are approaching
• Impartial, personalised advice aligned with EHCP outcomes

✅ Working in Partnership with Parents and Carers

Parents and carers play a vital role in shaping aspirations. We involve them through:

• EHCP Annual Reviews with a strong transition focus (especially Years 9–14)
• Regular communication through Weduc and Evidence for Learning
• Access to online resources, newsletters and provider information
• Opportunities to give feedback that shapes our ongoing development through parent and carer surveys

✅ Employer Partnerships and Community Connections

To help students prepare for adulthood, we work with:

• Local and national employers
• FE colleges and independent training providers
• Apprenticeship organisations
• Supported internship host sites
• Community groups and alumni

These partnerships help broaden opportunities and ensure work-related learning is meaningful, safe and progressive.

✅ Monitoring, Evaluation and Destination Tracking

Ellesmere College works closely with the Leicester and Leicestershire Business and Skills Partnership (LLBSP) Careers Hub. This is an external organisation that supports us to develop and strengthen our careers education strategy across the whole school. 

We evaluate our careers programme through:

• Termly Compass+ reviews – this tool is used by schools and colleges in England to support the analysis and evaluation of careers activity against the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks of best practice
• Leadership and governance oversight –
• Student and parent/carer feedback
• Analysis of encounters, progression and readiness
• Destination tracking and, where available, long-term outcomes data

In 2025/26, we have completed the Careers Impact System Internal Leadership Review and Peer-to-Peer Review to further strengthen our evaluation.

We are committed to reducing NEET outcomes for our learners by offering personalised, high‑quality support from Year 7 onwards.

✅ How We Communicate Our CEIAG Offer

We ensure students, families, staff, providers and employers are kept informed through:

• The careers section of our website
• Displays and celebration events
• Weduc and Evidence for Learning updates
• Parent/carer forums and workshops

Labour Market Information (LMI)

Labour Market Information can tell you

• What jobs and skills employers are looking for
• Which industries are recruiting and where they are located
• The number of people in certain types of jobs
• Growing or declining job areas and general employment trends

Take a look through this Labour Market Information website. It’s designed to support people with SEND to think about their future options – Leicester and Leicestershire – Your Futures

Alumni

Are you a former student from Ellesmere? We’d love to hear your story and perhaps feature you on our website or invite you to call back to our school and talk about your career pathway.  Please do get in touch!