Careers Guidance
Information and guidance on careers and jobs
Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)
Welcome to the Marden Bridge Middle School careers page.
High quality careers guidance is crucial in helping students emerge from school well rounded and ready for the world of work. We seek to secure independent careers guidance for all students, years 5 - 8 so they are inspired and motivated to fulfil their potential. We aim to support every student to develop high aspirations and consider a broad and ambitious range of careers. We hope to inspire every student through real-life contacts with the world of work which can help them understand where different choices can take them in the future.
Our careers programme provides access to a range of activities that inspire young people, including employer talks, careers fairs and motivational speakers as well as time to reflect on their achievements and skills development along the way.
PROVIDER ACCESS
Please get in touch if you have anything to offer our CEIAG programme.
Any providers wishing to request access should contact Lynsey Jackson, Careers Lead:
- Telephone: 0191 3499538
- Email: careers@mbms.org.uk
Introduction
We are actively engaging with the nationally respected Gatsby Benchmarks and welcome any input from parents and carers.
All pupils in year 8 are entitled to:
- Find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point
- Hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through options events, assemblies and group discussions and taster events
- Understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses
However, as a middle school, we have made the decision to include all year groups in our CEIAG provision to enable them to have early access to this valuable information.
What are the Gatsby Benchmarks?
The Gatsby Benchmarks provide the structure to our growing careers programme which aims to give all our pupils the advice and guidance they need to make informed decisions about their futures.
In 2014, Lord Sainsbury’s Gatsby Charitable Foundation published a report by Professor Sir John Holman, Adviser in Education at the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, titled “Good Career Guidance.”
The report identified eight benchmarks that are the core dimensions of good careers and enterprise provision in schools. These benchmarks are a central component of the DfE Careers Strategy first published in December 2017 and updated in 2023 and are what we as a school strive to achieve every day for all students at Marden Bridge Middle.
- A stable careers programme
- Learning from career and labour market information
- Addressing the needs of each pupil
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experiences of workplaces
- Encounters with further and higher education
- Personal guidance
How is the careers provision assessed at Marden Bridge Middle?
We are developing a multi-level approach to assessing careers provision:
- The views of students will be surveyed after key events across the year.
- An annual student survey will be carried out.
- Termly review of the school’s achievement of the Gatsby Benchmarks, with Careers Lead, Lynsey Jackson and SLT link, Jonny Instone. Evidence is recorded, progress against the benchmarks is tracked and used to inform priority planning for the following academic year.
- Employers and External providers delivering sessions to pupils to be sent feedback request forms which are used to inform the planning of future, recurring events.
- Evaluations by staff and pupils following any Employer or External provision to ensure only high quality sessions are repeated.
- The Careers Lead and SLT link meet regularly to discuss the day to day logistics of the school’s career program – making adjustments to improve the quality of current provision and plan for future provision to be increasingly effective.
Please keep checking the latest news and follow the School twitter feed @MardenBridge for updates to careers news and further advice. The twitter feed will retweet helpful information for parents and pupils too!
Business & Employers
Over the last 5 years, we have built up a bank of employers who work with us to provide careers related events, workshops and trips. As part of Gatsby benchmark 5 (Encounters with employers) we aim to provide employer encounters every year to our pupils.
We host a range of employers at our careers fair, assemblies and themed sessions.
How could you support our careers programme?
- Offer tailored sessions for students in school (eg talks or workshops)
- Attend or run after school clubs
- Ask employees to share their experiences
- Attendance at our careers fair
- Link with subjects to work with students (e.g, an engineering firm would be welcome to come in to judge some design work from a DT project)
How might supporting a local school benefit my business?
- Can help towards fulfilling your corporate social responsibility
- Helps to raise awareness of your industry and to inspire the next generation
- Increases awareness of your business within the local community
- Can help to shape the skill set of the next generation
We are always looking for new businesses to engage with, whether it’s a small targeted workshop for 15 students, whole class or year group sessions or attendance at a careers fayre, we would love to work with you. We work with self employed people, small businesses and large multinationals.
If you would like to be part of our employer community, please contact our career lead Lynsey Jackson careers@mbms.org.uk or call 0191 3499538.
Support is provided by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership with further access to the Enterprise Adviser network.
MBMS STUDENTS
The world of work is a fast paced and ever changing environment. It is therefore vital that you are fully informed and prepared for making choices regarding your next steps after leaving school. We aim to support you so that the transition from school to the real world is as smooth and uncomplicated as it can be, and to equip you with the knowledge and understanding to enable you to make the right decisions.
Good quality careers education will raise your aspirations.. It will increase motivation by linking activities in school with preparation for life. Career Education, Information and Guidance (CEIAG) will therefore contribute to raising achievement, help you focus on your longer-term career ambitions and ensure an equality of opportunity for all.
At Marden Bridge, we provide a comprehensive CEIAG programme to students in every year group, and this including aspects of work-related learning along with enterprise activities.
Grab every opportunity with both hands. It is never too early to start thinking about your future!
Skills development play a huge part in preparing you for life after Marden Bridge and you will discuss and develop these in every curriculum area, considering how each area of the curriculum could benefit the future you. Using our careers platform, Unifrog, you will be able to track progress through your middle school and high school years. There will also be discrete careers lessons within your Life Studies lessons.
In the Summer term of Year 7 students have the opportunity to meet 1:1 with a Connexions careers advisor
and discuss the best way to progress towards their chosen career.
Labour Market Information (LMI)
Labour Market Information is the name for facts and figures about jobs and employment. The information is used to give an overall picture of the past, present and future of work. The labour market is the term used to describe the amount of people working and looking for work, and the amount of jobs. Understanding the job opportunities available in our local area and further afield can help to shape the choices you make in relation to GCSEs and next steps.
Our region is home to a huge variety of businesses and organisations, which means you have a lot of choice when it comes to your career path.
There are certain areas of industry where the North East performs strongly and which we believe are likely to grow in the future, based on what we know at the moment.
CareerOmeter
To find out more and compare information about careers you may be interested in, use the 'careerometer' below. Click on the card(s), search for the job(s)/career(s) you are interested in and look at the job roles and responsibilities, average annual salary, weekly working hours and if it is an area of growth moving forwards!
Useful links for careers advice and guidance
If you want to explore careers outside of school, here are some useful websites:
- https://www.unifrog.org/ (you will need your login for this)
- https://www.lmiforall.org.uk/explore_lmi/
- https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/
- https://www.myworldofwork.co.uk/
- https://www.thewowshow.org/
Local Colleges and Sixth forms:
- Queen Alexandra Sixth Form – www.queenalex.co.uk/
- Tynemet College – www.tynemet.ac.uk/
- South Shields Marine School – www.stc.ac.uk/marine
- Newcastle Sixth Form – www.newcastlesixthformcollege.ac.uk
- Newcastle College – www.ncl-coll.ac.uk/
- Connexions – skillsnorthtyneside.org.uk/connexions/
- Kirkley Hall – www.northumberland.ac.uk/campuses/kirkleyhall-campus/
Apprenticeships
PARENTS & CARERS
Studies show that parents and carers are the biggest influencer on their child’s career decisions. This could be quite a daunting prospect, but we are here to help. We want to offer parents as much support as possible when it comes to your child’s career pathway. We will publish regular support guides and information on both the school website (within the “careers” area) and on our twitter feed.
Careers Advice
All of our Year 7students are given a 1:1 careers guidance interview with our Connexions service.
LMI (Labour Market Information)
LMI refers to the data we have about jobs and industries that helps us understand the economy. It provides an overview of growth areas in industry and patterns relating to employment, salaries and much much more. LMI information is available at a national, regional and local level.
Our region is home to a huge variety of businesses and organisations, which means young people have a lot of choice when it comes to their career path. So how do you know where to begin? There are certain areas of industry where the North East performs strongly, and which the North East Local Enterprise Partnership believe are likely to grow in the future, based on what we know at the moment.
In order for your child to make informed decisions about their future career, it is important for them to be aware of LMI (Labour Market Information). LMI relates to information regarding the various growth industries in our region. We provide LMI information in assemblies, lessons and events in order for pupils to get a better awareness of where the opportunities might be once they leave education. Unifrog is an excellent source of information around LMI. Your children will be shown how to use this in Life Studies lessons.
The four largest growth sectors in the North East are:
As a parent or carer, you have a leading role when your child is making decisions about their potential future career. That is why it’s important to be prepared and feel confident when they come to you for advice.
In years 5 and 6 we want pupils to develop an awareness of careers and what people in their community do. In years 7 and 8 pupils will start to look at the world of work, moving on to look at how GCSE subject choices in Years 8 and 9 affect career options. Young people today have more choices than ever before about what to do in the future but there are a number of factors affecting these choices. Youth unemployment, an increasingly competitive job market and fees for higher education all impact on a young person’s future, making it even more important for them to make the right choices for their education, training and employment.
For more information on LMI, follow these links:
The careers programme outlines the events across each year group for this academic year. These will run alongside our weekly Life Studies lessons and should provide exciting and enlightening experiences.
How can you help?
As they make choices and plans for the future, young people need support from the people who know them best; their families. Grab every opportunity available to find out more. It really is never too early to start looking at future career possibilities.
Talk to your son/daughter about careers they are interested in. Find out what they know already and encourage them to explore the online careers resources and speak to people you know in those fields. It is also worth regularly referring to labour market information.
Useful links for careers advice and guidance:
- www.how2become.com
- www.thecdi.net
- www.inspiringthefuture.org
- nationalcareers.service.gov.uk
- targetcareers.co.uk
- www.prospects.ac.uk
- www.myworldofwork.co.uk
- icould.com/explore/
- www.princes-trust.org.uk
- www.apprenticeships.gov.uk
- www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk
- www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship
- www.apprenticeshipguide.co.uk
Supporting adults to get into work
You’ve heard of our Connexions Service providing careers advice to young people in school, but did you know there’s support for all adults in North Tyneside too? Whether you are looking to find a job that fits around your family commitments, gain new skills, or simply gain a better understanding of local opportunities
Your North Tyneside Council Employment and Skills Team can help by providing:
- One-to-one confidential, local appointments (face to face, by phone or video call)
- Links with local employers and exclusive opportunities
- Help with job searching, application forms, CV writing and job interview skills
- Support into training and volunteering opportunities
- Help with your confidence, health, and wellbeing
- Advice on housing, money, and debt management
- Digital skills support and much more!
Follow them on Twitter and Facebook to read more about what they do
Visit the Website
Telephone: 0191 643 2111
MBMS Teachers and Staff
As a member of staff at Marden Bridge Middle School you can have a huge influence on the future of our students. You can shape and influence the choices they make and the pathways they intend to follow. It is therefore vital that you are empowered to support our students and have access to the most up to date information about careers and the possible destinations our students may pursue.
The Gatsby Benchmarks
These are the 8 benchmarks every school aims to achieve which would ensure an effective CEIAG programme.
- A stable careers programme
- Learning from career and labour market information
- Addressing the needs of each pupil
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experiences of workplaces
- Encounters with further and higher education
- Personal guidance
Labour Market Information (BM2)
The world of work is ever changing and it is vitally important that you are able to provide students with the most up to date information about the career field(s) that they are interested in. LMI is exactly this, up to date information about employment across all sectors. Specific information about the North East would suggest that there are 4 growth areas in the region; advanced manufacturing, digital, energy and health and life sciences.
For further LMI information, see the LMI section above.
Careers in the Curriculum (BM4)
Helping students to see the importance and relevance of what they're learning for the real world is vital. There are so many easy ways to incorporate careers into your subject curriculum:
- signpost careers that link with topic areas as they are being taught...and how the skills being developed are vital for the world of work. This could be done within a starter or plenary tasks.
- get students talking about careers in your lessons!
- create careers displays within your department areas - use the CEC My Learning My Future Subject Resources
- organise employer talks, activities and trips for your students
- undertake employer projects
FE and HE (Further and/or Higher Education) (BM7)
One route our students may take in the future is to progress into further or higher education.
- Further Education – College or Sixth Form (usually study at level 3 but can be level 1 or 2 depending on GCSE performance)
- Higher Education – University (or College) – students may choose to study an undergraduate degree or foundation degree.
Apprenticeships
There are many different apprenticeships that our students can choose to follow post 16. These apprenticeships range from business and finance, sport and leisure to construction and engineering. Depending on the apprenticeship, and the level, the requirements will vary.
Please talk to your students about the wide range of opportunities available.
Levels of Apprenticeship
Apprenticeships have equivalent educational levels
Name | Level | Equivalent Educational Level |
Intermediate | 2 | GCSE |
Advanced | 3 | A Level |
Higher | 4,5,6 & 7 | Foundation Degree and above |
Degree | 6 & 7 | Bachelor's or Master's degree |
Connexions - Personal Guidance (BM8)
All year 8 students have a 1:1 meeting with a Connexions advisor.
If you feel any student needs more support, please refer them to the Careers Lead.
For more information about the Gatsby Benchmarks, please visit:
Gatsby Benchmarks for Middle Schools Guidance for Middle Schools