Access for colleges, training providers, university technical colleges, universities and all other post 16 providers offering technical, vocational and academic routes and apprenticeships

Updated November 2024

Nottingham Academy

This policy statement sets out the arrangements for managing the access of providers to students for the purpose of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer.

Pupil Entitlement:

All students in years 8 to 13 are entitled:

• to find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point;

• to hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through options events, assemblies and group discussions and taster events;

• to understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.

In line with the updated Provider Access Legislation, from January 2023, all schools must provide a minimum of six encounters for all students with post 16 providers, as above. This is broken down into key phases: -

1^st key phase Year 8 or 9 Two encounters for students that are mandatory for all to attend

2^nd key phase  Year 10 or 11 Two encounters for students that are mandatory for all to attend

3^rd key phase  Year 12 or 13  Two encounters that are mandatory for the school to put on but are optional for students to attend

These provider encounters will be scheduled during the main school hours and the provider will be given a reasonable amount of time to, as a minimum:

• share information about both the provider and the approved technical education qualification and apprenticeships that the provider offers

• explain what career routes those options could lead to

• provide insights into what it might be like to learn or train with that provider (including the opportunity to meet staff and students from the provider)

• answer questions from all students, including our most vulnerable and those with additional learning needs

Nottingham Academy defines an encounter as at least 1 hour, during the academy day.

The academy days runs from 8.35am until 3.05pm.

This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.

As part of our careers programme, we will consider requests from approved training, apprenticeship, technical and vocational education providers, including University Technical Colleges where appropriate, to speak to our students. Nottingham Academy will also approach these providers directly when planning and organising key career related events throughout the school year such as school assemblies, webinars within the curriculum, including live events, careers engagement events and parents evenings. Meaningful encounters may be planned using the Making it meaningful checklist.

 

The quality and impact of careers provision at Nottingham Academy is monitored by our Senior Leadership Team, Trust Wide Advisers for Careers and Employability and the Academy Advisory Council. Access and opportunity to engage with technical, vocational and training providers will form part of this process.

Nottingham Academy has a range of facilities available for providers to use in support of our careers programme. This includes a main hall at our Bridge site (Year 7 and 6th Form), a theatre space seating 300 students at our GC1 site (Year 8-11), classrooms and sports halls.

 

Destinations of our students

Last year our year 11 students moved to range of providers in the local area after school:

College of Further Education – 151 students

Continued Education in School – 76 students

Employment with Planned Training – 6 students

Employment Without Planned Training – 1 student

Training Not Employed – 2 students

 

Last year our year 13 students moved to the following universities in the UK:

Aberystwyth University

Anglia Ruskin

Aston University

Birmingham City University

Bishop Grosseteste University

Cardiff University

City University London

De Montfort

DeMontfort

King's College London, University of London

Manchester Met

Newman University, Birmingham

Nottingham Trent University

Sheffield Hallam

University of Derby

University of Derby

University of Leicester

University of Leicester

University of Lincoln

University of Liverpool

University of Nottingham

University of Sheffield

Some students also attend universities in America.

 

 

Management of provider access requests

All requests made by providers should be emailed at least 6 weeks in advance of the expected date of the session.

In the first instance, requests by providers should be sent to: -

Name of Careers Leader: - Leonie Smikle

Careers Leader email address: - lsmikle@nottinghamacademy.org

Tel No: - 0115 7483380

  

Please complete this table and copy into email to Careers Leader or complete the below form or complete a Microsoft Form.

All visitors will be subject to our safeguarding policy.

A DBS check will not be required.

 

Name of provider requesting access and details of provision	e.g., Nottingham College, Further Education College and Apprenticeship provider for 16–18-year-old students
Contact Name at Provider and Contact Details	Name and Job Title: Email address: Telephone number:
Proposed date, time and length of session
Number of staff who propose to visit
Aims and objectives of session including year group	e.g., Year 10 Assembly Post 16 Options including entry requirements, courses available, labour market information & sectors relating to courses, positive destinations on completion of courses
Please demonstrate which Gatsby Benchmarks relate to the session and how (link to information re Gatsby Benchmarks Good Career Guidance | Education | Gatsby)	e.g., BM1 After reading Careers Programme, support to further enhance this BM4 linking GCSE subjects to career related learning and future progression routes BM7 Provide a meaningful encounter of further education
Proposed format, timings and duration of session including facilities and equipment required	e.g., One hour assembly, theatre or main hall to accommodate year group. PowerPoint presentation including videos. Questions and answers session for students. Literature to take away following assembly.
Support required from Nottingham Academy including staffing	To enable the academy to provide appropriate supervision

 

Granting Requests and Refusal of Requests

Once your request has been submitted, the Academy Careers Leader will respond to you within 10 working days. All requests will be given due consideration from the designated Careers Leader and Senior Leadership Team.

Once the request has been granted, we will ask you for a range of information to share with our students and parents before the session. This may be a prospectus, letter, presentation to share with students and parents in advance of your session.

This should include: -

• Details of the opportunities you offer including technical education, courses and entry requirements
• What is learning like with your institution?
• How do you prepare students for their best next step on successful completion of your course/training?
• Provide examples of linking courses with careers relating to the labour market and recent positive destinations of students who have completed their learning with you

Requests will be considered against: -

• Clashes with other planned activities or visits.
• Interruption to preparation for public or internal examinations.
• Availability of school staff, space and resources to host the session.

• All requests will also be considered in line with the academy Safeguarding policy. For questions on this policy statement or the wider careers programme at Nottingham Academy please do not hesitate to contact us.
• Nottingham Academy will keep a log of all provider requests for access and the outcomes and record on Compass Plus to support the delivery and evaluation of the careers programme.

Opportunities for access

Nottingham Academy offers the six provider encounters required by law (marked in bold text) and a number of additional events, integrated into the school careers programme. We will offer providers an opportunity to come into school to speak to students and/or their parents or carers.

This policy statement will be evaluated with the Careers Leader and Trust Wide Advisers for Careers and Employability as part of the Compass Evaluation, 3 times each academic year.

If a provider has reason to make a complaint in relation to this statement please email Bob Sloane, Secondary Education Director (robert.sloane@greenwoodacademies.org) who will investigate further.

 

DATE OF APPROVAL November 2024

DATE OF NEXT REVIEW September 2025