Careers at Woodlands Academy
At Woodlands Academy, preparing students for the next stage of their learning and life post-16 is central to our ethos.
Our curriculum offer is designed to support students to develop the vital skills needed to enhance their career opportunities and further career aspirations as well as planning for students to experience meaningful encounters with employers in the local area. As part of our commitment to informing our students of the full range of learning and training pathways available, we work alongside local businesses to create work experience opportunities, as well as working closely with local colleges and training providers to support our students and their families post-16.
To view our careers calendar please click <here>.
We work with the North Yorkshire Business and Education Partnership (NYBEP) to review the use of the Gatsby Benchmarks as a guide to further develop our careers and information guidance programme (CEIAG). We also work alongside Paul Rhodes, Woodlands Academy’s Enterprise Adviser, who helps to support and develop links with local and national businesses. Students can also benefit from working with our Specialist Careers Advisor, Bev Dawson, who works directly with students to help support them to make well informed decisions about their future.
Parental involvement in careers education is always welcomed and encouraged. Parents can keep up to date with careers work going on in the academy through the newsletters and parent overviews, post-16 events and through the Annual Review (EHCP) process.
To view our careers map, provider access information, parent support, careers service and labour market information please follow the additional links tab
Developing aspirations
As part of the careers programme at Woodlands Academy we hold several flagship events across the school year. These events are excellent opportunities for students to meet with and make links with potential employers, as well as developing and showcasing their skills to families and the wider community.
Each year Woodlands Academy takes groups of students to the Scarborough Science and Engineering week, hosted at the Scarborough Spa. Students are invited to a quiet afternoon session, held especially for students with additional needs. Students are able to meet with local, regional and national employers and training and education organisations to find out more about the next steps into STEM careers.
For the last two years students in Upper school have run their own popup shop at Scarborough Market. Students were responsible for the full running of the shop. This included designing and making the products sold as well as being responsible for the financial side of running a business and dealing with money. This was alongside interacting with the public each day and developing vital interpersonal skills that are crucial to accessing the word of work.
Our highly popular Easter, Summer and Christmas Fairs are held annually and are an opportunity for students to showcase their skills to families as well as members of the wider community. These events are student driven and led, with students taking responsibility for organising stalls: creating products to sell; working out pricing and costs; catering the events; as well as greeting and guiding visitors to the Fairs.
We are also excited to host our first Employer Engagement Event at Woodlands Academy. This event is currently being developed in partnership with NYBEP and will be an opportunity to introduce students to a range of career areas, with employers setting up stands for students to visit and see what is on offer.
Alongside these flagship events, students attend careers assemblies, have PSHE lessons that help develop their social and communication skills to access the world of work, study the PSHE core theme topic of ‘Living in the wider world’, as well as having the opportunity to take part in work experience while at Woodlands Academy.
There are a number of opportunities for employers to take part in careers activities with our students and we welcome new employers to work alongside us. If you are an employer and would like to be part of the careers offer, please contact the Careers Leader. The Provider Access Policy found via the additional links has more details.
Gatsby Benchmarks: how we achieve them
Please click on the links below to find out more about how we meet the Gatsby Benchmarks.
- A Stable Careers Programme
- Learning from Labour Market information
- Addressing the needs of every student
- Linking curriculum learning to career
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experience of workplaces
- Encounters with higher and further education
- Personal guidance
What Woodlands students did next…
The academy loves to follow the progress of former students and celebrate the successes they achieve after leaving Woodlands Academy.
Below are some of the current further education and career destinations of former pupils.
