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Careers Programme
Based in Hackney, we serve a culturally diverse community where many students may have limited access to professional networks or direct experience of a wide range of careers. Our careers provision is therefore designed to ensure that every student receives impartial guidance, meaningful employer encounters and clear information about education, training and employment pathways.
Careers education is delivered through our PSHCE curriculum from Key Stage 3 onwards. Students are taught about labour market information, employability skills, further and higher education routes, apprenticeships and technical pathways.
All students complete work experience in Years 10 and 12, providing structured exposure to the workplace. In addition, students benefit from employer talks, workshops and encounters with further and higher education providers.
The Academy maintains strong partnerships with a range of universities, offering campus visits, subject taster sessions and application support. Our Oxbridge Preparation Programme begins in Year 11 and continues through sixth form for high-attaining students.
Through our relationship with the Worshipful Company of Skinners, students also gain access to mentoring, industry insight and apprenticeship opportunities. Each year, two sixth form students are selected for the Skinners’ Company apprenticeship programme, receiving professional mentoring during and beyond sixth form.
Our approach ensures that students are informed, prepared and supported at each transition point, enabling them to make realistic and ambitious decisions about their next steps.
| Careers and Work Experience Coordinator | Senior Leader for Careers |
| Mr Thomas Soyemi | Mr Femi Olufola |
Our careers programme is fully aligned with the Gatsby Benchmarks for Good Career Guidance and supports students from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 5, ensuring equality of opportunity for all.
Key Stage 3 Careers Education and Equalex Provision
At Key Stage 3, careers education focuses on early aspiration-raising, self-awareness, and exploration of opportunities.
Skinners’ Academy works in partnership with Equalex, a specialist careers education provider, to deliver targeted programmes for Key Stage 3 students. Equalex provision supports disadvantaged students and those at risk of disengagement, builds confidence, motivation, and self-belief, introduces students to diverse career pathways and relatable role models, and develops early employability and life skills. This early intervention ensures students are well prepared for future decision-making.
The Gatsby Benchmarks
A Stable Careers Programme (Gatsby Benchmark 1)
Skinners’ Academy has a planned and structured careers programme that is reviewed annually and published on the school website. The programme is communicated to students, parents, carers, staff, and external partners through assemblies, curriculum lessons, tutor time, parent events, and online resources.
Learning from Career and Labour Market Information (Gatsby Benchmark 2)
Students access up-to-date and impartial labour market information to help them understand local, national, and global employment trends, growth sectors and skills shortages, and salary expectations and progression routes. Labour market information is embedded into lessons, careers events, assemblies, and one-to-one guidance.
Addressing the Needs of Each Student (Gatsby Benchmark 3)
Our careers programme is inclusive and responsive to individual student needs. We track participation in careers activities, provide targeted support for disadvantaged students, SEND learners, and those at risk of becoming NEET, and promote equality, diversity, and inclusion by actively challenging stereotypes. Students are encouraged to explore a broad range of ambitious and realistic career pathways.
Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers (Gatsby Benchmark 4)
All curriculum areas support careers education by highlighting how subject knowledge and skills link to future pathways. Teachers embed career examples and real-world applications into lessons, helping students understand the relevance of their learning.
Encounters with Employers and Employees (Gatsby Benchmark 5)
Students participate in meaningful encounters with employers through careers talks and assemblies, employer-led workshops and projects, skills days and enterprise activities, and mentoring opportunities.
Experiences of Workplaces (Gatsby Benchmark 6)
Where appropriate, students are offered opportunities to experience the workplace through workplace visits, virtual work experience, and work-related learning activities. These experiences help students develop employability skills and understand workplace expectations.
Encounters with Further and Higher Education (Gatsby Benchmark 7)
Students are supported to explore all post-16 and post-18 options, including sixth forms, further education colleges, apprenticeships and traineeships, and universities and higher education providers. Technical and vocational pathways are promoted alongside academic routes to ensure parity of esteem.
Personal Guidance (Gatsby Benchmark 8)
All students have access to impartial, one-to-one careers guidance from a qualified careers adviser. Guidance supports students to make informed subject and pathway choices, set ambitious and realistic goals, and plan next steps into education, employment, or training.
Monitoring and Evaluation
The careers programme is monitored and evaluated through student and parent feedback, destination and progression data, participation tracking, and regular review against the Gatsby Benchmarks. Skinners’ Academy utilises Compass+ and Unifrog to ensure thorough tracking and monitoring. The programme is reviewed annually to ensure continuous improvement and alignment with statutory guidance and best practice.
|
Year Group |
Key Careers Activities |
Gatsby Benchmarks |
|---|---|---|
|
Year 7 |
Introduction to careers and aspirations; Equalex workshops; skills and strengths exploration; careers assemblies, My Future, My Choice Careers Day |
1, 3, 4, 5 |
|
Year 8 |
Equalex careers programme; employer encounters; challenging stereotypes; introduction to labour market information, My Future, My Choice Careers Day |
2, 3, 5 |
|
Year 9 |
Options guidance; Equalex targeted support; employer talks; curriculum-linked careers learning; parental engagement, My Future, My Choice Careers Day |
1, 3, 4, 5, 8 |
|
Year 10 |
Work-related learning activities; employer workshops; careers fairs; post-16 pathways information; My Future, My Choice Careers Day, 1 week work experience |
2, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
|
Year 11 |
Personal guidance interviews; encounters with colleges, sixth forms and apprenticeship providers; application and interview preparation |
1, 3, 7, 8 |
|
Year 12 |
University and apprenticeship preparation; workplace experiences; employer mentoring; CV and interview skills development, My Future, My Choice Careers Day, 1 week work experience |
5, 6, 7, 8 |
|
Year 13 |
Post-18 planning; UCAS and apprenticeship applications; employer engagement; transition and destination support |
2, 3, 7, 8 |
