Careers Education & Guidance

A good quality careers guidance and education programme will raise the aspirations of all young people. It will increase motivation by linking activities in school with preparation for life post 16 and post 18 and we offer extensive opportunities for external providers to meet with students to provide careers and labour market information and help to develop enterprise and employability skills. 

Careers guidance will contribute to raising pupil achievement, help students focus on their longer-term career ambitions and ensure an equality of opportunity for all. This aspiration links to the school's three key values:

                                  Kindness     Respect     Ambition

As a truly comprehensive school, we celebrate diversity and tolerance of others’ beliefs and promote wider curricular opportunities focused on employability and future choices, which further shapes our curriculum, giving exposure to, and understanding of, cultures and British Values.

At The Deepings School we provide a comprehensive programme to students in every year group and this includes work related learning, enterprise education and support with key stage option choices. Our careers overview and newsletter can be viewed at the bottom of this page. 

There are guides for students and parents on the respective sub pages, including information relating to:

• decision making 
• being prepared  
• career management skills
• supporting your child
• pathways and how to access impartial and unbiased information
• positive wellbeing

Sixth Form students are well supported as they make applications to university, apply for higher level Apprenticeships or other post 18 pathways, as are our SEND students. 

The school annually assesses the impact of the careers programme using the Compass self-assessment tool and this is verified via an external moderator. Views are sought from all stakeholders, to consider the needs of students and the local, national and global jobs market. Please refer to the careers policy document for details of student entitlement.

The date of the next policy review is January 2025. Destinations data can be viewed via the link underneath our quality award logo and on the summary document.

As part of their entitlement, students have access to external providers to learn about technical qualifications and apprenticeships.  Please see our provider access policy document, linked to this page and via the employers and training providers section. The school is also a National Apprenticeship Champion School, recognised for it's work in highlighting this pathway.

The Careers programme is developed in consideration of the CDI framework and the Gatsby Report's eight benchmarks. Three key areas are:

Self Development - through careers, employability and enterprise education

Careers Exploration - learning about careers and the world of work

Career Management - learning how to develop career management and employability skills (to include managing changes and transitions)

The Deepings School currently contracts an external, professionally qualified personal guidance adviser and any student can request an appointment via their pastoral team. The school shares student data, where appropriate, to ensure impartial and individual advice and support can be offered and with the Local Authority, with regard to intended destinations. Students, parents and carers should advise the school if they do not wish to give their consent for this. The school's privacy notice can be found via the following link download.asp (anthemtrust.uk)

With the permission of the student, action/next step plans are available to view by key members of staff and parents and carers, who have an important role to play in supporting their child with career planning. 

Year 10 and Year 12 students have the opportunity to undertake a period of work experience. For students unable to undertake a physical placement, there will be a programme of  'virtual' experiences and work-related activities delivered in school. This is an invaluable opportunity to develop employability skills and sample the world of work through meaningful encounters.

Careers guidance is on-going and is delivered through PSHE lessons, tutor periods, subject teaching, collapsed timetable events and external trips and is enhanced by working with local businesses and other external providers, to ensure compliance with the Baker Clause. Students will be following a careers and work-related learning programme developed by Unifrog, which builds on learning and skill development year on year.

The school retains the prestigious Careers Mark Platinum award, the first school in Lincolnshire to achieve this. This  National Quality in Careers Standard provides an additional assessment of the impact of our programme. Another successful re-validation took place in November 2023, when it was confirmed that the school is fully meeting all the Gatsby Benchmarks. Revalidation will take place again in November 2025.

The careers lead for The Deepings School is Jackie Harvey, Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for Personal Development.

Destinations