Provider Access Statement

Waterhead Academy: Provider Access Policy

Rationale

High quality careers education and guidance in school is critical to young people’s futures. It helps to prepare them for the workplace by providing a clear understanding of the world of work including the routes to jobs and careers that they might find engaging and rewarding. It supports them to acquire the self-development and career management skills they need to achieve positive employment destinations. This helps students to choose their pathways, improve their life opportunities and contribute to a productive and successful economy.

As the number of apprenticeships rises every year, it becomes increasingly important that all young people have a full understanding of all the options available to them post-16 and post-18 including wider technical education options such as T-Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications.

Commitment

Waterhead Academy is committed to ensuring there is an opportunity for a range of education and training providers to access students, for the purpose of informing them about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. Waterhead Academy is fully aware of the responsibility to set students on the path that will secure the best outcome which will enable them to progress in education and work and give employers the highly skilled people they need. That means acting impartially, in line with the statutory duty, and not showing bias towards any route, be that academic or technical.

Waterhead Academy endeavours to ensure that all students are aware of all routes to higher skills and are able to access information on technical options and apprenticeships (The Department of Education, July 2021: “Baker Clause”: supporting students to understand the full range of education and training options, and the Provider Access Legislation, January 2023).

Aims

• The Waterhead Academy policy for Access to other education and training providers has the following aims:
• To develop the knowledge and awareness of our students of all career pathways available to them, including technical qualifications and apprenticeships.
• To support young people to be able to learn more about opportunities for education and training outside of school before making crucial choices about their future options.
• To reduce drop out from courses and avoid the risk of students becoming NEET (Young people not in education, employment or training).

Student Entitlement

Waterhead Academy fully supports the statutory requirement for students to have direct access to other providers of further education training, technical training and apprenticeships. The school will comply with the new legal requirement to put on at least six encounters with providers of approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships.

This will be facilitated through our Personal Development Focus Week and Assembly programme where allocated CEIAG themes inclusive of National Apprenticeship Week, and National Careers Week will be included. Furthermore, our whole school CEIAG calendar of events will also support the whole school CEAIG strategy.

Development

This policy has been developed and is reviewed annually by the Careers Leader and Line Manager Mrs Taylor on current good practice guidelines by the Department for Education.

Links with other policies

It supports and is underpinned by key school policies including those for Careers, Child Protection, Equality and Diversity, and SEND.

Equality and Diversity

Access to other providers is available and promoted to allow all students to access information about other providers of further education and apprenticeships. Waterhead Academy is committed to encouraging all students to make decisions about their future based on impartial information.

Requests for access

Any provider wishing to request access should contact our careers leader; Mr N. Wilson, Tel; 0161 620 5859 or via email; n.wilson@waterheadacademy.co.uk.

Grounds for granting requests for access

Access will be given for providers to attend during Academy assemblies, timetabled PHSE lessons, Tutor-Time and during any related CEIAG events that Waterhead Academy facilitates.

Details of premises or facilities to be provided to a person who is given access

Waterhead Academy will provide an appropriate room or assembly hall to be agreed. All rooms have computers, projectors and screens provided. Computer rooms can also be arranged. The Careers Leader or Careers Adviser will organise this, working closely with the provider to ensure the facilities are appropriate to the audience. Appropriate safeguarding checks will be carried out. Providers will be met and supervised by a member of the Careers Team or appointed staff member who will facilitate.

Live/Virtual encounters

Waterhead Academy will consider live online encounters with providers where requested, and these may be broadcast into classrooms or the school assembly hall. Technology checks in advance will be required to ensure compatibility of systems.

Parents and Carers

Parental involvement is encouraged, and parents may be invited to attend the events to meet the providers.

Management

The Careers Leader coordinates all provider requests and is responsible to his senior management line manager.

Complaints Procedure

Any complaints about this policy should be raised to N. Wilson email: n.wilson@waterheadacademy.co.uk

Mr N. Wilson responsible will raise the complaint to Mrs Taylor; Vice Principal of the Academy and Mr J. Wilson; Principal of the Academy.

Monitoring review and evaluation

The Policy is monitored and evaluated annually via the Senior Leadership Team and Governing Body.

Policy Coordinator: N. Wilson

Policy Reviewed: November; 2023

Appendix

Providers who have been invited into Waterhead Academy to date include:

• - The Manchester College
• - Oldham Sixth Form College
• - Oldham College
• - Hopwood Hall
• - Bluecoat Sixth Form
• - Xaverian College
• - St Johns Ambulance
• - DHL
• - Teach First
• - Wilmott and Dixon
• - NHS
• - Greater Manchester Police Force
• - Army
• Positive Steps
• Oldham Enterprise Trust
• KOOTH
• BEX Financial Literacy
• Department for Work and Pensions
• Civil Service
• Representatives from Speakers for Schools
• White Rose Beauty College
• Northern Care Alliance
• National Highways
• Oldham Community and Leisure

Destinations of our pupils

Students from the Class of 2023 moved to a range of providers in the local area after leaving Waterhead Academy:

The Academy offers the six provider encounters required by law and a number of additional events, integrated into the school careers programme that provides an opportunity for providers to come into school to speak to pupils and/or their parents/careers: