Provider Access Policy Statement - 2022-2025

Highbury Fields School: Provider Access Policy Statement 

This policy statement sets out the school’s arrangements for managing the access of providers to pupils at the school for the purpose of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with the Department of Education, July 2021: “Baker Clause” and the Provider Access Legislation, January 2023

Ownership:  Highbury Fields School

Date updated: January 2023

Rationale

High quality careers education and guidance in school or college is critical to young people’s futures. It helps to prepare them for the workplace by providing a clear understanding of the world of work including the routes to jobs and careers that they might find engaging and rewarding. It supports them to acquire the self-development and career management skills they need to achieve positive employment destinations. This helps students to choose their pathways, improve their life opportunities and contribute to a productive and successful economy.

As the number of apprenticeships rises every year, it becomes increasingly important that all young people have a full understanding of all the options available to them post-16 and post-18 including wider technical education options such as T-Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications.

Commitment 

Highbury Fields School is committed to ensuring there is an opportunity for a range of education and training providers to access students, for the purpose of informing them about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  Highbury Fields School is fully aware of the responsibility to set students on the path that will secure the best outcome which will enable them to progress in education and work and give employers the highly skilled people they need. That means acting impartially, in line with the statutory duty, and not showing bias towards any route, be that academic or technical. 

Highbury Fields School endeavours to ensure that all students are aware of all routes to higher skills and are able to access information on technical options and apprenticeships (The Department of Education, July 2021: “Baker Clause”: supporting students to understand the full range of education and training options, and the Provider Access Legislation, January 2023).

Aims 

The Highbury Fields School policy for Access to other education and training providers has the following aims: 

To develop the knowledge and awareness of our students of all career pathways available to them, including technical qualifications and apprenticeships. 

To support young people to be able to learn more about opportunities for education and training outside of school before making crucial choices about their future options. 

To reduce drop out from courses and avoid the risk of students becoming NEET (Young people not in education, employment or training).

Student Entitlement 

Highbury Fields School fully supports the statutory requirement for students to have direct access to other providers of further education training, technical training and apprenticeships.  The school will comply with the new legal requirement to put on at least six encounters with providers of approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships. The programme of careers related opportunities in each year group, some of which dovetail with the pastoral curriculum, have been carefully designed to support students’ journey at each stage of their secondary education. Encounters will take place throughout the year in workshops and events and as part of the assembly and Form Time programme including National Apprenticeship Week and National Careers Week.

This policy has been developed and is reviewed annually by the Careers Leader (Director of Sixth Form) based on current good practice guidelines by the Department for Education. 

Links with other policies 

It supports and is underpinned by key school policies including those for Careers, Child Protection, Equality and Diversity, and SEND.

Equality and Diversity 

Access to other providers is available and promoted to allow all students to access information about other providers of further education and apprenticeships. Highbury Fields School is committed to encouraging all students to make decisions about their future based on impartial information. 

Requests for access

Requests for access should be directed to L Tobia, Careers Leader. L Tobia may be contacted by telephone or email, ltobia@highburyfields.islington.sch.uk , Tel 02072882117

Grounds for granting requests for access

Access will be given for providers to attend during school assemblies, timetabled Careers and Careers or Raising Aspirations events that Highbury Fields School is arranging. Students, if it is appropriate for them to do so, may also visit other providers as part of their planned careers education. 

Details of premises or facilities to be provided to a person who is given access

Highbury Fields School will provide an appropriate room or assembly hall to be agreed. All rooms have computers, projectors and screens provided. Computer rooms can also be arranged. The Careers Leader or Careers Adviser will organise this, working closely with the provider to ensure the facilities are appropriate to the audience.  Appropriate safeguarding checks will be carried out.  Providers will be met and supervised by a member of the Careers Team who will facilitate.

Live/Virtual encounters

Highbury Fields School will consider live online encounters with providers where requested, and these may be broadcast into classrooms or the school assembly hall. Technology checks in advance will be required to ensure compatibility of systems. 

Parents and Carers 

Parental involvement is encouraged, and parents may be invited to attend the events to meet the providers. 

Management 

The Careers Leader coordinates all provider requests and is responsible to their senior management line manager. 

Complaints Procedure

Any complaints about this policy should be raised using the school complaints procedure which can be found on the school website. 

Monitoring review and evaluation 

The Policy is monitored and evaluated annually through termly Governors Academic Standards Committee meetings and feedback from student surveys. 

Policy Coordinator: Director of Sixth Form 

Policy Reviewed: January 2023

Appendix

Providers to whom Highbury Fields Students have had access to date include: 

Capital One

Barclays

The NHS/ Talent Foundry

The CCCG 

Harper Collins

London Mayor’s Fund, Access Aspiration

Uptree

Corpus College, Cambridge University

Destinations of previous pupils from Highbury Fields School include: 

Recent Higher Education destinations:

University of Bristol	University of Cambridge
University of Edinburgh	Imperial University
King’s College, London	University of Leeds
University of Manchester	University of Nottingham
University of Oxford	Royal Veterinary College
UCL	University of York

Year group careers related opportunities

Highbury Fields School recognises that students’ enjoyment of academic and social success is the best preparation for further and higher education and their future careers.  Across the studied curriculum and in their lessons, students learn vital knowledge and skills that enable them to be successful in later life.  To broaden students’ understanding of the purpose of education and the world of work, the school strives at every transition point to support students in making informed choices that enable their future success.  The programme of careers related opportunities in each year group, some of which dovetail with the pastoral curriculum, have been carefully designed to support students’ journey at each stage of their secondary education.

Year	Autumn term	Spring term	Summer term
7	Peer to peer communication and interaction workshops to support the making of new friends and develop team building skills	Team working and employability workshops delivered by PWC	Overnight trip to an activity centre to support confidence, determination and teamwork and enjoy being together
8	‘Staying friends’ workshops to support the sustaining of friendships and how to manage if/when arguments occur.  These workshops will also develop students’ skills in working with others	Capital One ‘Women in Tech’ workshops to support the understanding of and access to careers in science and technology	‘Try something new day’ to support the development of confidence in new situations and working positively with different people
9	Orienteering in a London park to develop team working skills	Preferences evening and follow-up meetings to support choosing of GCSE subjects Assemblies led by a local college to support students in understanding different post-16 options	Enterprise day to support the enjoyable development of entrepreneurial and teamworking skills Barclays ‘life skills’ workshops to support the understanding of characteristics and skills required in the workplace
10	Public speaking training to develop confidence in speaking in front of peers and adults	One to one careers interviews with the Education Development Trust to develop and understanding of potential further/higher education and careers and the qualifications required Meet the professionals event to develop and understanding of different career sectors Duke of Edinburgh bronze award to develop teamwork, resilience in different contexts and community service	Post-16 progression week, including: ●        College led assemblies to support understanding of vocational post-16 pathways ●        Sixth form taster day to develop an understanding of the sixth form curriculum and experience ●        University visits to support understanding of the UCAS process, university life and the value it brings
11	Mock results day to support students in making informed choices regarding their further education Careers meetings with Islington Progression team for targeted students who may need additional support in making informed choices	Sixth form/progression to further education interviews to provide students with support and guidance regarding their sixth form, college or apprenticeship applications
12	Future Success careers programme to provide encounters with different professions and develop work related learning skills	Future Success careers programme to provide encounters with different professions and develop work related learning skills Duke of Edinburgh silver award to develop teamwork, resilience in different contexts and community service	Future Success careers programme to provide encounters with different professions and develop work related learning skills Post-18 progression week, including: ●        University residential trip ●        Work experience/encounters ●        UCAS support
13	Future Success careers programme to support students with university/next steps preparation   Mock results day to support students in making informed choices regarding their higher education	Future Success careers programme to support students with university/next steps preparation	Future Success careers programme to support students with university/next steps preparation