The designated lead for Careers and CEIAG (Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance) at Blacon High School is Miss R. Thomas, Assistant Headteacher. She will also work with a wider network of staff and external agencies to fulfil the school aims below. The named Governor for Careers and CEIAG is Mrs J Gilmour.

Parents and carers, pupils, staff and employers can read about our CEIAG programme on this page, links below can be accessed or the designated lead can be contacted at school by sending an email to rthomas@blaconhigh.cheshire.sch.uk or by phone on 01244 371 475.

Staff can access Careers across the Curriculum resources for their subject in the Staff Drive Careers folder. 

Parent/Carer Post 16 Guide

Aims

We aim to raise aspirations, challenge stereotypes and encourage students to consider a wide range of careers. Through careers education and guidance it is hoped that students will be encouraged to make the most of their talents and to go on to jobs or courses which suit their personality, interests, skills and abilities. We aim to ensure our students make informed key choices that which will affect their future and also to help them become aware of their strengths, areas for development and interests in relation to the world of work.

The Careers Strategy and statutory guidance

The government’s Careers Strategy was published in December 2017 and was followed in January 2018 by statutory guidance for governing bodies, school leaders and school staff. If you would like to read more about this guidance, click the link below.

Guidance Document

The Gatsby benchmarks mentioned in the documentation linked above are a framework of 8 guidelines about what makes the best careers provision in schools and colleges. Blacon High School’s Careers Strategy is built around them.

The benchmarks are-

• A stable careers programme.
• Learning from career and labour market information.
• Addressing the needs of each pupil.
• Linking curriculum learning to careers.
• Encounters with employers and employees.
• Experiences of workplaces.
• Encounters with further and higher education.
• Personal guidance.

The school’s success against the Gatsby benchmarks is measured using a tool called the Careers Compass Tool and the results of this informs the school CEIAG action plan.

CEIAG Implementation and Impact.

• Careers Action Plan 2024-25

We also intend our students to:

• Develop a broad understanding of the world of work with an ability to respond to changing opportunities.
• Develop independent research skills so that they can make good use of information and guidance.
• Develop and use their self-knowledge and awareness of their strengths, skills and personality, when thinking about and making choices.
• Develop the skills they need to review achievements, plan future actions, make decisions, present themselves well and cope with change and transition.

Commitments

We are committed to:

• The provision of resources and advice to enable students to understand and develop career choices and to ensure that careers education is seen as part of the overall curriculum and learning framework for all year groups.
• Encouraging students to achieve and to be ambitious.
• Further involving students, parents and carers in the further development of careers work.

As well as having one-to-one careers interviews in school in Year 11, students across all year groups will be working with a number of external providers to ensure they have the broadest experiences possible in order for them to make informed and purposeful decisions about their next steps after their GCSEs.

To assist us with reaching success against the Gatsby benchmarks, Blacon High School currently work with;

 

MPLOY Solutions- w/c 27th April 2026

Work experience programmes for the education sector https://www.mploysolutions.co.uk/

Each year, we work with MPLOY Solutions to support our Year 10 students as they take their first steps into the world of work through self-placement work experience.

MPLOY Solutions support and manage the logistics and processes that ensure each placement runs smoothly and safely. From handling important paperwork to completing health and safety checks, their expertise helps us provide a structured and supportive framework for our students.

Self-placements allows our Year 10 students to take ownership of their placement. With the specialised support of MPLOY Solutions, we’re able to guide students through the process while giving them the freedom to explore real-world working environments.

This partnership continues to have a hugely positive impact, helping our students build confidence, develop key employability skills, and gain valuable insight into the world beyond school.

 

Airbus: Enhancing Careers Education across the Curriculum

We’ve had the privilege of working with Airbus (a global leader in aerospace engineering) for a number of years, building a strong relationship and we are pleased to announce an exciting new programme between our school and Airbus.

As part of this partnership, Airbus will be working closely with our staff and students throughout the academic year to deliver a programme of careers-focused workshops and experiences. This initiative will be implemented across the curriculum and offered to students in all year groups, supporting the development of key employability skills and understanding of future career pathways.

The programme includes:

• Site Tours: Organised visits to Airbus facilities, providing students with direct insight into the operations of an aerospace organisation.
• CV Writing Workshops: Sessions designed to help students develop effective, professional CVs tailored to their future aspirations.
• Mock Interviews: Practical interview experience with Airbus professionals, supporting students in building confidence and communication skills.
• Career Insight Activities: Engagement with a wide range of roles and pathways within Airbus, from engineering and design to project management and digital technologies.

We look forward to sharing updates as the programme develops and to seeing the positive impact it will have on our students’ aspirations and achievements.

 

Higher Horizons

Higher Horizons is a collaborative network of universities and colleges offering outreach activities to schools. www.higherhorizons.co.uk

We also liaise on a regular basis with our local colleges, 6^th forms and training providers; the majority of our students choose from these providers for their next steps. Please see below our Destination Data from 2016 - 2023.

Destination data 2017-2024

 

• Cheshire College South and West -  Visit Website
• Reaseheath -  Visit Website
• Coleg Cambria -  Visit Website
• Upton High School 6^th form -  Visit Website
• Christleton 6^th form -  Visit Website
• Bishop’s High School 6^th form -  Visit Website
• Queen’s Park High 6^th form -  Visit Website
• Catholic High 6^th form -  Visit Website
• Deeside Sixth-  Visit Website
• TTE training - Visit Website

Chester University Widening Participation Team

This team works closely with secondary schools to help raise students’ aspirations and discuss exciting future opportunities. We deliver bespoke events, which are carefully designed according to your schools and colleges requirements. www.chester.ac.uk/outreach/what-we-do/secondary-school-activities

Overview of Provision

These websites provide additional support when considering possible future study options and careers

www.successatschool.org  – careers information

www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk  – select job profiles

www.prospects.ac.uk  select options with my subject (you will need to create a profile and register to use this but it is free to do so)

Labour Market Information (LMI) Links

There are many career websites available that contain LMI, here are a selection: