Our careers programme

At Ark All Saints Academy, we believe that all scholars should be prepared for university and beyond. The Careers, Aspirations and Pathways Programme at AASA promotes academic excellence and ensures scholars can make their own choice about going onto study at university or following another pathway such as an apprenticeship. It also includes preparing them for future career success and ensuring they have the tools to navigate and excel in the field or pathway they choose.

The AASA Careers, Aspirations and Pathways programme works within the Gatsby Framework and Oftsed parameters, whilst also imbibing our school motto, ‘To grow in confidence, to live responsibly, to act with integrity and to be successful’.

To grow in confidence - we recognise the importance of helping to develop our scholars' belief in their self and their abilities. We aim to expose them to a wide range of experiences, industries and insights to help them progress in their chosen pathway. We invite and partner with people and organisations from culturally diverse backgrounds that scholars can relate to. In this way, scholars will understand how their skills, qualities and interests can be maximised and developed to achieve success.

To live responsibly - our scholars will come to understand the need to act with responsibility in their careers. We will achieve this through engagement with employers and training providers, as well as Higher and Further Education organisations.

To act with integrity within the workplace and the wider community - We aim to foster scholars' own sense of duty and responsibility towards achieving their own academic and career goals.

To be successful - whilst scholars are encouraged to be successful academics, we also recognise that academic results are not the only indicator of success. We foster habits that will enable scholars to become independent young people, and go on to be successful in the world of work, in their community and everyday life.

In Years 7-8, activities are integrated into the PSHE curriculum, which focuses on the our scholars' personal development, values and key life skills. 

In the upper school, the careers programme is carried out through:

• 1-2-1 Guidance sessions
• Whole school Labour Market and Careers Info sessions
• Citizenship Week
• Enrichment programmes
• Visitors/Speakers
• Trips
• Assemblies
• Workshops
• Tutor time
• Onsite Further Education and Careers Fairs
• Work shadowing and World of Work opportunities

For a more detailed overview, please click on the link "Careers Plan 2022-23" below for more information.

Our careers programme is enhanced by a range of partners, such as Into University, NCS, Kings College and corporate partners such as Blackstone, Mace, PwC, Capgemini and Ernst Young and London College of Communication.

We welcome interest from organisations who would like to be involved in the AASA programme. If you would like to contact us, then please email careers@arkallsaintsacademy.org

As part of our commitment to informing our students of the full range of learning and training pathways on offer to them, we are happy to consider requests from training, apprenticeship and vocational education providers to speak to students.

Ark All Saints Academy also proactively seek to build relationships with these partners as we plan our Pathways and Enrichment activity throughout the school year to ensure that providers have multiple opportunities to speak to students and their parents across years 7-13, to offer information on vocational, technical and apprenticeship qualifications and pathways. Ark All Saints Academy ensures that Academy staff involved in personal guidance and pastoral support are up to date on their knowledge of these post 16 and post 18 pathways, through a programme of Continuing Professional Development.

Opportunities for providers to speak with students may include school assemblies, employer and provider engagement events or opportunities to speak with students and parents on a one-to-one basis supporting GCSE, post 16 or post 18 option choices. Ark All Saints Academy’s Pathways and Enrichment programme is monitored for quality and impact by the Academy’s Senior Leadership and Governance Teams.

In the first instance, requests by providers should be sent to the Academy’s Careers, Aspirations and Pathways Lead, Naseem Khanam (careers@arkallsaintsacademy.org) with a minimum of 6 weeks’ lead time. All requests will be considered on the basis of; staffing availability to support the activity.

Information for Parents and Scholars: 

To support careers, learning and pathways research, the websites below are highly recommended.

• Post 16 service - Southwark Council- for a list of all Southwark and nearby post 16 colleges and 6th forms
• www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk – lots of career information. Go to Job Profiles section to research career ideas.
• www.icould.com – careers explained including real life career journeys to help with choices. Also includes other useful career and progression ideas.
• www.ucas.com – UCAS – holds all Higher Education course information. You can research courses and entry requirements.
• www.russellgroup.ac.uk - The Russell Group represents Britain’s leading universities – this website gives some useful information on post 16 subject choices – look under students and then click on school and college in the UK.
• www.university.which.co.uk/advice/a-level-choices - helps with A level choices
• www.bestcourse4me.com –looks at career and study option
• https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship - for apprenticeships vacancies and information.
• Another really useful website to try out is The Student Room The Student Room they cover everything from preparing for GCSE and A level exams, to university interview tips, how to find some of the most competitive apprenticeships to general forums about everything related to learning, student finance and careers.
• For the latest labour market information, please visit https://www.icanbea.org.uk/career-o-meter/