Our Commitment
 

At Compass School, we are committed to providing all pupils with a comprehensive, impartial and future-focused Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) programme.
 

We support pupils to develop the knowledge, skills, confidence and experience they need to make informed decisions about their future education, training and employment. As a pupil referral unit, our careers programme is personalised to the individual needs, aspirations, readiness and circumstances of each pupil, while maintaining high aspirations and equality of opportunity for all.
 

Our careers provision is underpinned by the Gatsby Benchmarks for Good Career Guidance and the Department for Education's statutory guidance Careers guidance and access for education and training providers, updated June 2026.
 

Implementation of CEIAG and Pupil Entitlement
 

At Compass School:
 

1. Every Teacher is a Teacher of Careers. All staff contribute to pupils' understanding of the world of work by making links between curriculum learning, employability skills, careers and future pathways.
2. Our careers programme supports pupils to understand a wide range of academic, technical, vocational, apprenticeship, employment and training routes, ensuring that information and guidance is impartial and does not favour a particular pathway.
3. Pupils are supported to develop high aspirations, understand their own strengths and interests, and make informed decisions about their next steps in education, training or employment.
4. Careers education is embedded across the curriculum, with explicit links between curriculum learning and careers. Careers-related learning is supported through PSHE and the wider curriculum, including opportunities to develop personal, social and employability skills.
5. Pupils receive opportunities to develop work-readiness and employability skills, including communication, teamwork, resilience, problem-solving, self-management, enterprise, CV preparation and understanding workplace expectations.
6. Pupils are provided with opportunities to learn from employers and employees, including employer talks, workshops, workplace visits, careers events and other meaningful employer-led activities.
7. Compass School provides pupils with meaningful and varied workplace experiences. Across Key Stages 3 and 4, the school is working towards the Government's approach of two weeks' worth of work experience, comprising one week's worth of varied workplace experiences across Years 7–9 and one week's worth of meaningful work experience placement(s) across Years 10–11.
8. Workplace experiences are planned with pupils' individual circumstances in mind. This includes SEND, safeguarding, health and safety, readiness, attendance and other potential barriers to participation. Where a conventional placement is not appropriate, the school will make best endeavours to provide an alternative meaningful workplace experience.
9. Pupils receive opportunities to learn about technical education and apprenticeships, as well as academic and other progression routes.
10. In accordance with provider access legislation, also known as the Baker Clause, Compass School provides pupils in Years 8–11 with opportunities to meet providers of technical education and apprenticeships. There are two statutory provider encounters in the first key phase and two in the second key phase.
11. Provider encounters give pupils a genuine opportunity to hear directly from providers about their organisation, technical education qualifications and apprenticeships, progression and career routes, and what learning or training with the provider is like. Pupils are also given opportunities to ask questions.
12. The school seeks to ensure that statutory provider encounters within each key phase are delivered by two different providers, providing pupils with a range of perspectives and opportunities.
13. Year 7 pupils, although not subject to the statutory Baker Clause encounter requirement, receive age-appropriate careers education and opportunities to encounter employers, employees and relevant education or training providers.
14. Every pupil will have the opportunity for at least one personal guidance meeting with a suitably qualified careers adviser by age 16, with further guidance provided according to individual need.
15. Independent careers guidance is impartial, considers the best interests of the pupil and includes information about a range of education, training and employment options.
16. Pupils with SEND and other additional needs receive personalised careers support, reasonable adjustments and additional opportunities where required. This may include supported work experience, additional transition preparation, supported internships and tailored post-16 planning.
17. We work with parents and carers, commissioning schools, the local authority, careers advisers, Careers Hubs, employers and education and training providers to support successful transitions.
18. The school uses labour market information (LMI) to help pupils understand employment trends, local opportunities, emerging careers and the skills required for different occupations.
19. Information about careers, education, training, apprenticeships and employment opportunities is made available to pupils, parents and carers through the school website and other appropriate communications.
20. We encourage pupils to reflect on their careers learning, workplace experiences, personal guidance and future so that they can take increasing ownership of their progression.

Provider Access
 

Compass School is committed to providing appropriate opportunities for education and training providers to engage with our pupils.
 

We welcome providers who can offer pupils meaningful information about:
 

• Technical education qualifications
• Apprenticeships
• T Levels and other technical pathways
• Further education
• Vocational education and training
• Employment-based training
• Progression routes into employment
• Other approved education and training opportunities

Provider encounters will be arranged in accordance with the school's Provider Access Policy Statement and the statutory requirements applying to Compass School.
 

Providers will be given a genuine opportunity to explain their organisation, the qualifications and programmes they offer, the careers and progression routes to which these may lead, and what learning or training with the provider is like. Pupils will also have an opportunity to ask questions.
 

All provider engagement will be conducted in an impartial manner and will support pupils to make informed choices. The school will not show bias towards academic, technical, vocational, apprenticeship or employment routes.
 

Providers may request access to pupils by contacting the member of staff identified below. Requests will be considered in accordance with the school's safeguarding, visitor, equality, curriculum and operational arrangements.
 

Support for Pupils with SEND
 

Compass School recognises that pupils with SEND may require additional or different support to prepare successfully for their future.
 

The careers programme will be personalised where necessary, with the Careers Leader working alongside relevant staff, including the SENCO, careers adviser, pastoral teams, commissioning schools, the local authority and post-16 providers.
 

Support may include:
 

• Individual careers guidance
• Additional preparation for transition
• Supported work experience
• Reasonable adjustments to careers activities
• Supported internships
• Tailored post-16 planning
• Additional employer or provider engagement
• Support for pupils and families in understanding progression options

The aim is for every pupil, including those with SEND, to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence required for a positive next step after Compass School.
 

Working with Parents and Carers
 

Parents and carers play an important role in supporting young people with career and education decisions.
 

Compass School provides opportunities for parents and carers to access information about the careers programme, progression pathways, work experience, technical education, apprenticeships and post-16 options.
 

We encourage parents and carers to participate in careers conversations and transition planning and to work with the school and external professionals to support their child's aspirations and future plans.
 

Monitoring and Evaluation
 

Compass School monitors and evaluates the impact of its CEIAG programme to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of pupils.
 

Evaluation may include:
 

• Pupil participation and engagement
• Pupil feedback
• Parent and carer feedback
• Employer and provider feedback
• Personal careers guidance records
• Work experience participation
• Destination and intended destination data
• Progress towards the Gatsby Benchmarks
• Staff training and development
• Evidence of successful transition into education, training or employment

This information is used to identify strengths, areas for development and priorities for continuous improvement.
 

The Management Committee monitors the implementation of the school's careers provision, and this statement and the wider careers policy are reviewed annually, or sooner where there is a significant change to legislation, statutory guidance or the school's provision.
 

Management of Provider Access Requests
 

Providers wishing to request access to Compass School should contact:
 

Sally Howells
 Assistant Head
 Telephone: 02380 215320
 Email: sally.howells@compass-school.net
 

Requests should provide details of the organisation, the proposed activity or presentation, the intended pupil group, the proposed timing and any resources or facilities required.
 

Compass School will consider requests in accordance with its statutory duties, safeguarding arrangements, curriculum requirements and Provider Access Policy Statement.
 

Related Policies and Guidance
 

This statement should be read alongside:
 

• Compass School Careers Policy
• Department for Education statutory guidance Careers guidance and access for education and training providers, updated June 2026
• Gatsby Benchmarks for Good Career Guidance
• Keeping Children Safe in Education, where applicable to careers activities and work experience
• Compass School Safeguarding and Child Protection arrangements

The school will continue to develop its careers and workplace-experience provision in line with statutory guidance and emerging implementation guidance.