Careers Education at Joseph Norton Academy

Joseph Norton Academy views the careers curriculum as a means to break down barriers and make careers education relevant and accessible for all learners. The SEND Code of Practice states that ‘with high aspirations, and the right support, the vast majority of children and young people can go on to achieve successful long-term outcomes in adult life’. Furthermore, it adds that education providers and their partners should work together to help children and young people to realise their ambitions in relation to:

  • Higher education and/or employment – including exploring different employment options

  • Independent living - enabling people to have choice and control over their lives and the support they receive, their accommodation and living arrangements, including supported living

  • Participating in society – including having friends and supportive relationships, and participating in, and contributing to, the local community

  • Being as healthy as possible in adult life

A Careers programme of study has been developed based on The Career Development Institute’s ‘Career Development Framework’ (2021) with an emphasis on Six Learning Areas.

  1. Grow throughout life

  2. Explore possibilities 

  3. Manage Career 

  4. Create Opportunities 

  5. Balance life and work 

  6. See the big picture

For Key Stages 2 to 4 Careers Education is embedded within the PSHE curriculum. Students receive a bespoke and targeted offer to address any barriers to participation in education and employment. 

The Calderdale & Kirklees Careers Service attend annual reviews from Year 9 onwards to support students and families and give impartial careers guidance, encouraging, supporting and enabling young people to have high goals and reach their potential. C&K Careers also deliver class workshops and support pupils through the post 16 application process.

Gatsby Benchmarks & Baker Clause 

Joseph Norton Academy measures progress against the Gatsby Benchmarks via the termly completion of the Compass+ evaluation and this information is shared with the Local Authority. The Gatsby Benchmarks were a recommendation from the  Good Career Guidance report by John Holman and have been widely adopted nationally following the DfE’s Careers Strategy in 2017 which recommended all schools work towards the benchmarks. The benchmarks are: 

  1. A stable careers programme

  2. Learning from career and labour market information 

  3. Addressing the needs of each pupil 

  4. Linking curriculum learning to careers 

  5. Encounters with employers and employees

  6. Experience of workplaces 

  7. Encounters with further and higher education 

  8. Personal guidance 

Joseph Norton Academy is fully compliant with the Baker Clause and all students from Year 7 onwards have at least one employer/workplace encounter and one further education/apprenticeship encounter each year. Joseph Norton continues to work with local employers to ensure that work experience and encounters are appropriate and meaningful. Joseph Norton Academy has successfully held a careers week programme in January 2023 where all students had encounters with a range of employers including. All Key Stage 4 pupils have had a work experience opportunity. 2

We are always looking for local businesses that want to inspire and educate our students about the world of work and expand our careers programme. If you think you could help us to deliver talks/presentations, activities, workplace visits or work experience, please contact our Careers Leaders.

Our Provider Access Policy Statement can be found on the Policies and Procedures page. The Careers Leader at Joseph Norton Academy is Oliver Taylor.