Our Careers Leader is Carine Foster, cfoster@wykhampark-aspirations.org, telephone 01295 251451.

At Futures Institute Banbury, our careers programme is designed for all students from year 10 to year 13. We believe that good career advice and guidance will help students to make informed and realistic decisions about their future and will help them focus and enjoy their lessons in the present. We aim to develop every student’s awareness of the qualifications and the skills needed for a successful entry into their chosen career. We are immensely proud to meet the Gatsby 8 Career Benchmarks from KS4 to Post 16.

Futures Institute Banbury has a stable and structured career programme delivered throughout the year in all Key Stages through the weekly mentor programme and assemblies. Drop Down Hours also play a crucial part in ensuring that students are provided with quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. Students have different career guidance at different stages depending of their age and their needs. Our local links allow our students to learn how the different STEM subjects help to gain entry to a wide range of careers as well as raising students’ aspirations and tackling stereotypes.

Gatsby Benchmark descriptions and AspirationS Campus Provision

Gatsby BenchmarksCareer Provisions and opportunities - Aspirations Campus
1 A stable Careers programmeAll students from year 10 to year 13 follow an embedded programme through daily PSHE provision delivered in mentor time and Drop Down Hours, especially designed to meet the need of each year group. To see further details, read below regarding Drop Down Hours provision per year group
2Learning from career and labour market informationStudents at KS4 and Post 16 are regularly provided with information about occupations in the local area. Local careers events are emailed to parents. Information is also shared in mentor time taking place every morning for 20 minutes for all students at Futures Institute Banbury and the Aspirations Campus.
3Addressing the Need of Each pupil.Students at Futures Institute Banbury and the Aspirations Campus have different career guidance needs at different stages. All students from all Key Stages will be invited to a free visit to a local University and various business companies such as Microsoft, BMW and JDE.
4Linking Curriculum Learning to CareersCareers guidance and prospect are also linked to curriculum learning via the teachers and subject departments. The AED projects at Post 16 and in Drop Down Hours in all Key stages give students the opportunity to see the direct link between their studies in the classroom and their potential further studies and the world of work. External visitors such as the Army, the Royal Navy, the Marines and ambassadors from local businesses offer students advice on courses and pathways to their personal aspirations. One to one interviews at the end of KS4, support students in making the right decisions to their chosen GCSEs, A-Levels or their applications to other educational paths.
5Encounters with employers and employeesThe Aspiration Campus works very closely with our external careers advisors, local businesses and places of education and our governors to ensure students have regular contact with employers and employees from varied sources. This is offered through guest speakers’ assemblies, workshops, educational visits, compulsory work experience and practice interviews. All year 10 also experience one to one mock interviews with volunteers from local businesses and given individual feedback of their responses.
6Experience of work placeIn addition to tailored visits to the world of work, students complete work experience in year 10 and in year 12. Furthermore, employability skills such as Communication, Initiative, Organisation, Leadership and Resilience are developed through the PSHE programme in order to create an employability portfolio that can be used in interviews.
7Encounters with further and higher educationAll students from year 10 to year 13 are offered visits to Universities (Reading and Oxfords Brookes) annually. Students and parents are also kept informed of open evenings and careers fairs at local colleges through their mentors and given support to apply to apprenticeships.
8Personal GuidanceIn addition to our whole school programmes, we also provide one-to-one interviews in year 9 before choosing GCSE subjects, individual career advice for KS4 and Post 16 students as well as support in writing CV and personal statements. Career advisors are also present at KS4 parents' and open evenings.

Download the Economic Wellbeing, Careers and Employability Skills diagram here to see the journey in more detail.

In addition to the various programmes in place, students at KS4 also experience regular encounters with employers and employees and visiting speakers. We also aim to invite selected groups of students to visit universities and attend workshops as opportunities arise or when a need is identified by the students, the parents or the school. 

Students appreciate the independent careers advice that they receive across the school. They particularly like the wide range of outside speakers who visit the school.
OFSTED Report May 2018

Career Interviews
Read our Provider Access Statement for Careers Provision here.

Furthermore, every student at key stage 4 is given personal guidance for career interviews by our external providers. During these interviews, the career adviser discusses the students’ ambitions and helps them explore the progress they are making to achieve their goal. At Futures Institute Banbury, we believe that having one-to-one guidance interviews with an external provider is very positive and allow all students to have an intended destination or receive extra support.

Information on this page was most recently reviewed in February 2023.

 

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