Bishop Challoner Catholic School

Our Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance programme will help you to:

• Understand yourself, your interests, likes and dislikes, what you are good at and how this affects the choices you make
• Find out about different courses, what qualifications you might need and what opportunities there might be
• Develop the skills you may need for working life
• Make realistic, but ambitious, choices about courses and jobs
• Develop a plan of action for the future
• Understand the different pathways after Year 11 including training, further and higher education and jobs
• Be able to make effective applications for jobs, training and further and higher education
• Develop your interview skills
• Improve your confidence

You will receive:

• Interviews with the Careers Adviser
• Careers lessons
• Form time activities
• Guided tutor time
• Access to the careers library – information is available in books, videos, leaflets and online
• Work experience in Year 10 and 12.
• Careers based Assemblies and projects, meant to guide you and inform you about the range of options you have for further education and future career possibilities
• One to one interview practice with external organisations in both Year 10 and 12
• Guidance on the range of Further Education options, with equal emphasis on University and Apprenticeship choices. 
• Other subject lessons linked to careers

You can expect to be:

• Fully supported throughout your time at Bishop Challoner, whatever your interests or chosen pathways
• Given careers information and advice that is up to date and impartial
• Treated with respect by all visitors to the school who are part of the careers programme

• Work Experience provides pupils a key opportunity to gain an insight into a workplace and help them develop an understanding of work looks like.

• Every year students in Year 10 at Bishop Challoner Catholic Federation of School undertake a week of work experience.
• In Year 12 students undertake a week of work experience.

Students are encouraged to find their own placements according to their interests and future career aspirations. The school will support student with this, though we are not able to provide places for all students within the school.

The school works hard to ensure that as many pupils as possible will receive work insight days along side work experience, so that as many pupils as possible have experience of a workplace.

Our school is committed to ensuring that all students, parents/carers and staff have access to high-quality, up-to-date Labour Market Information (LMI) to support informed decision-making at every stage of education and career planning.

Labour Market Information helps students understand:

• Which sectors are growing locally and nationally
• Future employment trends and opportunities
• Skills and qualifications employers are seeking
• Salary expectations and career progression routes

As an Inner London school, we recognise the importance of preparing students for opportunities within one of the UK’s most dynamic and diverse employment markets. London continues to offer significant opportunities in sectors such as finance, digital technology, healthcare, engineering, creative industries, education and construction.

We use Labour Market Information throughout our careers programme via careers lessons, assemblies, employer encounters, careers fairs, one-to-one guidance and progression events.

Useful resources for students, parents and staff include:

• National Careers Service
  Explore job profiles, salary information, qualification routes and skills assessments.
• LMI for All
  Access current labour market data, employment trends and career insights.
• UCAS
  Explore university, apprenticeship and post-18 progression routes.
• GOV.UK Apprenticeships
  Find apprenticeship opportunities and progression pathways.
• London Datastore
  Access data and insights into London’s economy, employment and future workforce trends.

Opportunities for Access

Providers will have the opportunity to engage with pupils through:

• Careers fairs
• Assemblies and workshops
• PSHE and tutor sessions
• Curriculum-linked activities
• Employer encounters and work-related learning

Both Year 10 and Year 12 cohorts are given the opportunity to participate in a reflective assembly after the completion of their Work Experience Week. They also complete a survey to help them reflect once again on the benefits of their Work Experience. This also allows us to measure the impact of the project on our pupils and address concerns in the future.

Staff regularly provide verbal feedback on their level of knowledge and involvement in offering careers advice, which informs us on when career-based CPD sessions are needed.

Along with Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership, we track the destination data for those students leaving us at 16.

Along with Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership, we track the destination data for those students leaving us at 18.

Bishop Challoner Catholic School provider access policy statement: Under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997 and the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022 we have a duty to provide pupils in Years 8-13 with access to providers of post-14, post-16 and post-18 education and training. This policy statement sets out how we manage access requests from these providers.

What are pupils entitled to?

Pupils in Years 7 to 13 are entitled to:

• Learn more about technical education qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities, as part of a careers programme which informs pupils of the full range of education and training options available to them at each transition point.
• Hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities on offer, for example, technical education and apprenticeships – this can be achieved through options evenings, assemblies, group discussions, and taster events.
• Understand how to apply to the full range of academic and technical courses available to them.

All pupils in Years 7 to 13 will receive at least six encounters with accredited providers of technical education and apprenticeships. These encounters will be divided accordingly:

• During the first key phase (Year 7 to Year 9) all pupils must attend two mandatory sessions by accredited providers
• During the second key phase (Year 10 and 11) all pupils must attend two mandatory sessions by accredited providers
• During the third key phase (Year 12 and Year 13) there will two sessions by accredited providers – these will be optional for pupils to attend

What opportunities are provided to allow access to pupils?

Via our school careers programme, we offer providers numerous opportunities throughout the school year to speak to pupils and/or their parents.

These sessions will be scheduled during the school’s main opening hours.

During these sessions, at a minimum, providers will be given enough time to:

• Share information about the provider and the approved technical qualifications and apprenticeships they offer.
• Explain what career routes these qualifications and apprenticeships could lead to.
• Provide insights into what it might be like to learn or train with that provider.
• Answer pupils’ questions.

Which providers have previously been invited to the school?

In previous terms and academic years, the school has invited the following providers to speak to pupils:

• Barclays
• JP Morgan
• The Met Police
• Ethos Sports
• HSBC
• British Insurance Brokers Association
• Stella Sport
• The Construction Youth Trust

Who should providers contact to discuss events and options?

Providers can speak to our career’s leader, Tim Gladstone, to discuss possible attendance at relevant events.

Our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy sets out the school’s approach to allowing providers into school to speak to our pupils.

What are the rules for granting and refusing access requests?

We will grant access requests that meet the following criteria:

• Those seeking access need to be DBS checked: When arranging appointments/ site/visits DBS details need to be provided prior to individual(s) arriving on site. [Should individual(s) have no DBS clearance available, and depending on the nature of the visit, they may be allowed on site pending the completion of a risk assessment and must be supervised at all times.]
• Access requests must offer a credible contribution to pupils’ understanding of career pathways and empower them to make informed decisions.
• Access requests must not impact too heavily on staff members’ workload. Staff should not be expected to deliver material or prepare material for companies seeking access.

We will refuse any access request that:

• Contradict the catholic ethos of the school, this to be determined by the EVC and headmaster where appropriate.
• Fail to show a clear, well defined, benefit to pupils understanding of careers pathways and choices.

• Fail to follow the schools safeguarding processes or in any way put pupils within the school at risk.

What can providers expect once a request has been accepted?

Once we have approved a provider, we will work with them to identify the best method for providing access to our pupils.

We will make the theatre, classrooms and library available to host discussions between providers and pupils. We will also make presentation equipment, such as smart board and screens, available to providers.

Arrangements will be discussed in advance between our career’s leader and a nominated member of the provider’s team.

Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus and other relevant course literature with the school librarian at the school library.

How are complaints regarding provider access managed?

If you have a complaint relating to the school’s provider access arrangements, you can raise it in line with the school’s Complaints Procedures Policy or you can contact The Careers and Enterprise Company directly on provideraccess@careersandenterprise.co.uk.

Approval and review

This policy statement was approved by the Quality of Education and Student Welfare Committee.

The next review will take place in September 2026