CAREERS AND PROGRESSION

The Bridge Progression Programme provides high quality Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) to help students make important decisions about life after school, enabling us to be true to our promise to our students - to be “A Bridge to Your Future”.

BRIDGE PROGRESSION PROGRAMME

Our Progression Programme supports the Bridge Mission:  to ensure that every student can succeed at a good university or equivalent, thrive in their chosen field and live a great life.

Our Programme is designed to ensure that our students are as prepared as possible to move successfully from year to year, Key Stage to Key Stage, to university or other educational pathway, an apprenticeship, training or employment.  We aim to raise students' aspirations, broaden horizons, and challenge stereotypes. 

Our comprehensive Progression Programme is delivered through a mixture of PSHE lessons, assemblies, tutor time, workshops, visits, work experience, the Progression Fair and the Year 9, Year 11 and Post-Sixth Form transition programmes, with clearly identified learning outcomes for each Year group.

Our award-winning partnership with UBS, a global financial services firm, adds a special dimension to our Programme, enabling our students to experience the business world on a regular basis. Each year, UBS volunteers contribute their insights in a variety of ways, helping our students to gain a better understanding of the world of work, different career paths, and the skills that are valued in the workplace, and to develop these skills. The Progression Programme is designed to ensure students’ understanding develops over time, and our students:

• Are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve positive destinations, and flourish in a global economy and fast-changing world
• Become confident, resilient, adaptable, and active citizens
• Understand their skills, talents, and interests and what they need to fulfil their potential, and succeed in the careers to which they aspire
• Make informed decisions about their next steps including choice of qualifications, educational and careers pathways

Covid-19 meant that we were unable to run our usual Progression Programme in 2020 and 2021.

BUSINESS VOLUNTEERS AND BRIDGE ALUMNI

An essential part of our Progression Programme is regular contact with people from the business world and former students, providing insights into the world of work and different educational pathways. Each year, our students meet business volunteers and Bridge alumni who are either in work, doing an apprenticeship, or at university.  Between Years 7-13 Bridge students benefit from career assemblies, enterprise workshops, work placements, subject-based activities, and Career Insight Talks.  Sixth Formers can have their CVs reviewed, mock interviews and a mentor from UBS. 

Our Programme is also enriched by the contributions of a range of expert organisations, colleges and universities, including The Brokerage, ELBA, Future First, the Careers Collaborative, Inspire!, Pathways Careers Training and Mentoring, Prospects, Pure Potential, Queen Mary University of London, Skills Builder, UBS, and Unifrog.

EXPERIENCES OF THE WORKPLACE

Bridge students usually have work experience in Years 10 and 12. Work experience is a valuable opportunity for students to learn first-hand about specific professions and careers.  Students can:

Students learn about the different educational pathways and qualifications from colleges, and technical qualification and apprenticeship providers. Students also visit at least one university before Year 11 and twice in the Sixth Form. In 2022/23, students in Year 7 will visit Queen Mary University of London.  The UBS Future Pathways Fund ensures that Bridge Sixth Form students from disadvantaged backgrounds can attend university open days.

PERSONAL GUIDANCE

Our full-time Higher Education and Careers Manager provides individual guidance to all our Sixth Form students. Our Year 11 students have personal interviews with an expert from Prospects. There are also tailored activities and guidance for students with specific needs including students with Special Educational Needs led by our experienced SENCo.

LINKING SUBJECT LEARNING WITH CAREERS

Our partnership with UBS brings unique opportunities and links with professionals and specialists in a range of fields, who provide 'real-life' insights which enhance subject-knowledge and show how classroom learning is used in the workplace. Regular contributions are made by UBS economists and technology experts, and there are A Level Mathematics workshops e.g. on how differentiation is used on the trading floor and a Geography workshop on tackling climate change by UBS sustainability experts - UBS's 5 Broadgate office won UK Most Sustainable Building of the Year Award 2017.

During Science Week, and at other times during the year, students learn about the relevance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM subjects) to a wide range of careers.  While Spanish students improve their language skills with Spanish-speakers from UBS.

ASSESSING OUR PROGRESSION PROGRAMME

To ensure our Progression Programme is outstanding we use feedback from students, parents and carers, teachers and employers to reshape our Programme each year. We also use the Department for Education's Destinations Measures to ensure we are achieving the best possible destinations for our students, and the nationally recognised Gatsby Benchmarks to assess our Programme. Our latest results can be found HERE, these put us in the top 11% of schools as we are fully achieving seven of the eight benchmarks.  The next evaluation will be in Autumn 2022.  We are also working towards meeting the Quality in Careers Standard, having achieved Level 1 in the Investors in Careers Award.

OUR PROGRESSION TEAM

If you would like to find out more about our Progression Programme, and / or contribute to our Programme, for example by joining one of the Careers Insight Talks, giving an assembly, hosting a work placement etc. and/or provide some feedback, please contact a member of our Progression Team:

• Careers SLT Leader: Principal, chris.brown@bridgeacademy.hackney.sch.uk
• Careers Leader: Diana Mensah diana.mensah@bridgeacademy.hackney.sch.uk 
• Acting Careers Leader and Bridge-UBS Partnership Director:  bea.malleson@bridgeacademy.hackney.sch.uk
• SENCo: evelyn.peck@bridgeacademy.hackney.sch.uk
• PSHE Coordinator: emma.daly@bridgeacademy.hackney.sch.uk
• Year 9 options programme: sophie.poole@bridgeacademy.hackney.sch.uk
• Year 11 and post-KS5 options programmes:  diana.mensah@bridgeacademy.hackney.sch.uk
• Governor with responsibility for Progression:  nav.khinda@ubs.com 

The Progression Team is supported by:

• Independent careers advisors from Prospects who provide impartial personal careers advice to all Year 11s, and students with SEND from Year 9
• The Careers Collaborative provides information on local economic priorities and opportunities, and helps schools to share best practice and deliver the Gatsby Benchmarks
• Our Enterprise Adviser Salome Raj-Staniland from TFL, who is also a STEM Ambassador
• The London Careers Hub supported by The Careers and Enterprise Company and the Mayor of London.  The aim of the Hub is to share best practice, help schools fully implement the DfE's Careers Strategy, meet Ofsted expectations in regards to careers education, and deliver a world class careers programme that ensures all students can make an informed choice about their future.

SEE CEIAG POLICY AND THE BRIDGE ACADEMY PROVIDER ACCESS POLICY