Stoke High School has successfully been awarded the Quality in Careers Standard in recognition of its support and advice for students’ future planning.
Achieving the nationally recognised standard means the academy meets the highest level of careers education, helping learners to gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their next steps and prepare for their future learning or work opportunities.
The academy, part of Ormiston Academies Trust, was granted the dedicated careers accreditation following a rigorous assessment process which examined its career guidance and advice across learning and teaching, its curriculum, and partnership with wider employment networks.
In particular, the academy was praised for its work to provide unique opportunities for personal growth outside of the classroom, through initiatives such as the student parliament, sports clubs, or subject related activities such as the Maths Challenge and STEM events, which set the young adults up for success in their next steps. The assessment highlighted how the academy successfully fulfils the Gatsby Benchmarks, a Government measure of world-class careers provision.
It’s been amazing to see how much our students have loved learning about their potential careers, and we have no doubt they will go on to achieve great things.
Karen Baldwin, Principal, Stoke High School
Alongside this, the final report noted the students’ passion for exploring potential careers from an early age – speaking on their regular trips to local careers fairs, visits from the Department of Work and Pensions, and attending college open evenings, one student said, “I felt like I was in heaven with so much choice!”. The academy was also praised for its financial education, providing dedicated finance courses from the Institute of Banking, and for encouraging students to explore wider career and qualification options.
The dedicated provision has helped students to secure work experience, or prepare for future careers, with one learner saying “‘I aim to have a clothing brand, and then I want to train to be a dentist. I will study biology, chemistry, maths and textiles at college so I can do both of these.”
Going forward, the academy is committed to building on its resources, partnerships, and staff experience to continue providing exceptional careers education for all their students.
Karen Baldwin, Principal said: “As an academy, we are truly committed to ensuring all our students have the best knowledge, experience, and guidance that enables them to take the next steps in their education or career with confidence and excitement. We have invested a great deal into our careers provision, and we have excellent teachers and leaders who go the extra mile to create opportunities for our learners to explore their passions and be inspired by what they can achieve, so we’re really proud that we have been recognised with this award.
“It’s been amazing to see how much our students have loved learning about their potential careers, and we have no doubt they will go on to achieve great things – equipping them with the skills and information to fulfil this potential is a core part of our mission at Stoke High. We look forward to building on the success of our careers work and continuing to grow this important programme.”