Careers
It is vital that young people are given the best education, advice and guidance on all the education and training opportunities available to them post-16.
Here at Co-op Academy Swinton we have a dedicated Careers Adviser, Mr Prendergast, to give our students Careers Guidance from Years 8-11 through one-to-one interviews and drop-in sessions. Mr Prendergast is in the academy on Mondays and Tuesdays and is based in Lower Hall.
Personal interviews with our Careers Adviser are held with students in Years 9, 10 and 11. In Year 9 all our students meet with the Careers Adviser in the Spring Term to discuss their Pathways Choices and ensure they choose the relevant subjects for their chosen career paths. In Year 10 our students are provided with whole class seminars on the world of work, followed up by personal interviews on request.
In Year 11 all students have a personal focused interview in the Autumn Term, an action plan is put in place and a follow up interview planned for the Spring Term. In September each year we also hold our annual Careers Information Evening for Year 11 students and their parents/carers. Representatives from local colleges, work-based training providers and members of the Learning Skills Council always attend the event.
Introducing our new Careers Resource, Unifrog
Unifrog is our Careers Resource, enabling parents/carers to access information directly at home with students online.
The Complete Destinations Platform
Unifrog is an online platform that supports schools and colleges to deliver their statutory duty to provide students with impartial and independent guidance on the full range of Post-16 and Post-18 options. Unifrog is the only place where students can compare every undergraduate course in the UK as well as international opportunities. Additionally, Unifrog provides students with access to the most comprehensive list of live apprenticeships available across the country including Higher, SLP and degree apprenticeships, as well as FE courses. Once students have explored their interests and compared the full range of pathways available to them, Unifrog provides one place for students to draft all materials needed for applications such as CVs and Personal Statements. All students, across all year groups, now have access to the platform in keeping with our commitment to provide students with outstanding careers guidance and tailored support when choosing their next step.
Benefits for Teachers
Unifrog is a whole-school careers platform. It allows teachers and careers advisors to track their pupils' progress and keep a record of their research and all of the careers interactions each student has received. It makes it easy for teachers and careers advisors to work with students to find the best next step for them. Staff are able to provide feedback on applications, comment on students' research, log careers interviews and interactions as well as upload action plans, and provide support and feedback on application materials.
Information for Parents and Carers
Every parent/carer can have their own login to Unifrog, where they can access the tools, information, and guidance to support their child to make their best next step. Contact your child's Head of Year to receive your unique login for Unifrog, and receive support on how to navigate the Unifrog platform.
Learn more about your child's journey with Unifrog HERE
Remote Careers Guidance
We anticipate that there will be many concerns regarding what happens next with post-16 progression for our Year 11 students. We provide a comprehensive remote Careers Guidance service to students to ensure they are fully prepared for the next steps in their education.
We support with:
- College and apprenticeships applications.
- Support with organising remote college interviews
- General Career guidance open to all students
- Signposting
- Parent/Carer Support
Resources
We have a careers section in the library with a range of careers information and college/university prospectuses which our students can access during library time. There is also a careers notice board in Lower Hall which has information on college open evenings, apprenticeship vacancies as well as general careers information.
We work closely with many local colleges and universities and often feature links to their latest information.
The University of Manchester offers a number of Pre-University schemes that give students a taste of higher education learning, life and the opportunity to earn a reduced A-Level offer to study with them for their undergraduate degrees. You can apply during sixth form but keep a look out for when applications open after receiving your GCSE results! Visit them at: access.manchester.ac.uk
How can I help as a parent?
Take a look through this handy booklet from Cascaid. It is designed to provide an overview of how you, as parents, can help support your child with their future options and the important choices they must make.
Apprenticeship Information from Amazing Apprenticeships
Please click HERE to see the latest Parents’ and Carers’ Pack from Amazing Apprenticeships.
Career of the Week
Take a look at our Career of the Week section where, each week we will bring you the key information for a career or role that maybe you hadn’t considered.
Careers Lead
Our Careers Lead is our Assistant Headteacher, Mrs F Fagan: felicity.fagan@coopacademies.co.uk
Mrs Fagan can be contacted on: 0161 921 1468
Supporting the students directly is dedicated Careers Adviser, Mr Prendergast. He is available to speak to students and offer Careers Guidance from Years 8-11 through one-to-one interviews and drop-in sessions on Mondays and Tuesdays and is based in Lower Hall.
Career Mark
Co-op Academy Swinton currently holds a Career Mark.
Career Mark is a Licensed Awarding Body for the Quality in Careers Standard — the national careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) award.
Career Mark uses five standards to assess the Quality in Careers Standard:
- Management
Measures the effectiveness of your systems for planning, managing and integrating CEIAG
- Guidance
Measures the effectiveness of an integrated programme of advice, guidance and support
- Curriculum
Measures how effectively your curriculum supports the development of learners’ knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes
- Information
Measures the accessibility, relevance, importance and effectiveness of information, the acquisition of skills to research and evaluate to be able to make well-informed and realistic career decisions
- Learner Outcomes
Evaluates learners’ knowledge, competence and attitudes towards career planning
For each standard there are a number of ‘assessment indicators’, which clearly present that standard in its component parts, making it easy for you to identify what’s required.
Careers Policies
Please see below our academy policies for Careers Support and Guidance:
Student's Career Learning Journey Year 7-11
Please see below our Road Map for Student's Career Learning Journey Year 7-11:
Job of the Week
Each week we will be focusing on a job of the week to allow our students to consider possible paths they can take past their education. This week's job, Journalist, can be found here:
Careers Strategic Plan 2024 - 2027
Please see below our Career Strategic Plan for 2024 - 2027