Careers Programme

Longley Park Sixth Form Academy Careers and Employability

Careers Education, Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) provides a gateway in which students move not only to higher education, vocational training or employment, but to the next stage of their development as members of society. Through working closely with a range of networks, from Sheffield Business Together to ASK (Sheffield Apprenticeship group) we provide opportunities to develop key employability skills which are highly valued by employers and universities. It is crucial in our aim to successfully equip all students with the necessary skills to enable them to become successful in all areas of their lives, both now and in the future.

By engaging parents and carers, employers and the local community our aim is for every student to fulfil their potential and be inspired to achieve a successful future, develop high aspirations and be ambitious.

We are proud to work closely with a range of networks and to be part of the Sheffield Careers Hub where we work closely with the Careers and Enterprise Company to further expand and improve our careers provision within the Sixth Form.

All students follow a careers and progression strand through the tutorial programme, receive additional information and skills-based input through their subject curriculum choices and they can also access careers and progression advice from our Pathways Centre located centrally in the Plaza.

Careers education covers the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks, including the following:

LPSF look to ensure that all stakeholders understand and form part of the careers provision. This means our provision is supported by our Trustees and senior leadership as well as being visible to our students and parents. We look to ensure that our careers provision is also evaluated by all stakeholders to ensure the merit of the provision.

Every student in the sixth form as well as parents at home have access to good quality labour market information on a large scale and also a more local level in Sheffield. Students have access to this information in order to inform future choices.

LPSF ensures that students have the access to support and advice that is suitable to the need of each and every student. Students are encouraged to access support from support teams in Sixth Form and are welcome to being a parents or friend with them to meetings around careers and destinations.

LPSF has teaching Careers Champions within each curriculum area whose focus is to ensure that subjects are linked to a wide range of future careers opportunities.

Each LPSF student will have opportunity to connect with employers and employees from in and around Sheffield. We will demonstrate this connection with a variety of different enrichment activities including visiting speakers and Plaza events and visits.

Read here our Progression Fair 2024 Blog, created by our Futures Manager, Tim Lyddiatt.

Whether or not your course has an in-built work placement unit or if you’re just interested in getting some experience of the workplace, we have a wide variety of options for you to increase your exposure to employment opportunities.

We work closely with a massive network of businesses and organisations in Sheffield and South Yorkshire to provide you with outstanding placement opportunities that will increase your skillset and maximise your employability.

Work placement is a vital step in preparing you for taking your next steps and whatever your personal attributes and aspirations are we can equip you with opportunities and experiences that will help you make the jump into gainful employment.

Our Careers team is always available to give advice, talk through your options, and help you with your CV, covering letter and approach to employers. We will also work with you to boost your confidence, communication, and organisational skills so that when you leave sixth form you are in the best position to get that dream job, progress onto university, or seek out and get that apprenticeship.

Are you an employer looking to partner with us to offer work placements?

We have a wonderful and vibrant community of organisations and businesses that we work with to offer students fantastic opportunities to become valuable assets to the workforce and their communities. If you’d like to join us, click here to register your interest.

LPSF looks to create and maintain strong relationships with higher and further education. We work closely with Sheffield Hallam University and The University of Sheffield. This work is supported by many of out university partners thought their outreach programs such as the "Discover" programme, through Sheffield University. We look to ensure that our students have all available access to any information surrounding their future and their desired route in education.

heppSY Activity – Privacy Notice

At Longley Park, we want to encourage as many students as possible to explore their options in Higher Education. To do that, we work with partner organisations to increase encounters with universities.

One of these, heppSY, needs to collect certain information about students in order to assess their work. Full details of how and why they do this are here.

All LPSF students have access to an impartial Level 6 qualified Careers Advisors. Currently our service is provided Sheffield Futures, alongside our own inhouse careers team. Our Careers advise is offered through our Tutorial program and appointments with our Futures Manager are also available throughout the day every day.

Longley Park Sixth Form Academy Careers Team

Careers Leader - Rae Nichols Assistant Principal, Student Engagement & Destinations.

Contact details: rnichols@brigantiatrust.net Tel: 0114 262 5757

Futures Manager - Tim Lyddiatt

Contact details: tlyddiatt@brigantiatrust.net Tel: 0114 262 5743

Careers Champions – Curriculum areas

STEM – Nicola Warman – nwarman@brigantiatrust.net
Business, Law and IT – Matt Goult mgoult@brigantiatrust.net
Health and Society – Sharon Faulkner – sfaulkner@brigantiatrust.net
Art and Media – Simon Beirne – sbeirne@brigantiatrust.net
Skills for Life (inc Maths and English) - Simon Beirne – sbeirne@brigantiatrust.net

We would like to develop closer working partnerships with local businesses and community organisations. These partnerships will provide our students with enrichment opportunities, experiences of the workplace and valuable careers education as part of our overall Careers Programme. We also welcome appropriate providers to join us at the following events:

Annual HE Fairs
Apprenticeships & Traineeship Fairs
Parents & Carer Evenings

Alternatively, if you feel that our students could support your business or organisation then please get in touch as we are looking to increase the number of community projects that our students can access.

Experience of the workplace – It is our aim that all students are given multiple opportunities to experience the workplace during their time at Longley Park. This could include hearing from an employer or employee as part of their lessons, visiting a work place as part of a workshop of general subject visit to completing meaningful work placements. If you believe you could support by providing an experience such as these or simply want to know more about working with us please contact Rae or complete this form here. In the meantime, why not follow our careers department on Twitter@LPSFCareers

For further information about our provider access please click here.

As a parent/carer, you are incredibly influential when it comes to the decisions your young person makes in all areas of their lives and that is especially true when it comes to their education and careers. We know that the choices which are open to your child today may be very different from when you were in their position and you may feel as if you’re unsure about what advice to offer. With that in mind, we want to try and make it as easy as possible for you to talk to your child about their options confidently; knowing that the information you have is as accurate and as up to date as possible.

You don’t need to become a qualified careers adviser to be able to offer your child advice and support with their education and career decisions. The most important thing you can offer is the knowledge of where to find the right information, so you can do the research into their options together. The information and links shared on this page will help to support you and your child with making those all important decisions.

Please find specific resources designed to support parents and carers in our resource section.

Tutorial is a bespoke programme, delivered to all students across all levels. Each year group has tailored activity appropriate to the level of study and age group of students, in relation to behaviour, welfare and personal development. The schemes of work are sequential as some learners will progress through all four years. However, progression opportunities are supported throughout programmes as it is sometimes appropriate for a learner to pursue alternative pathways at different times, dependent on their aspiration.

Tutorial includes group and 1-2-1 student support and delivery around careers in relation to the following.

CV writing and letters of Introduction
Mentoring Schemes access support
Career Ready access support
Summer School application support
Revision Strategies
UCAS advice, guidance and support
Interview Technique and Social conduct sessions
Employer Engagement
Apprenticeship advice and guidance
Gap year advice and guidance
Workplace advice and guidance
Revision Strategies
Student Wellbeing and Healthy Living
Safeguarding and PREVENT
Social and Community Values
PSHE Programme

Wider Careers and Progression Support

To further develop confidence, engage, motivate and inspire students to positive progression destinations, we provide the following services and opportunities. These are embedded into all areas of a student learner programme, in both curriculum and pastoral areas, and in wider engagement.

Visiting speakers from the world of work
Higher Education trips and visits are developed and offered to all students
Extension curriculum lectures
Workplace visits and employer encounters
Skills sessions
Motivation and confidence Sessions
University trips and opportunities
Access to L6 Qualified Careers Advisor through Sheffield Futures
Access to Daily drop in sessions at the Pathways Careers & Employability Centre in the Plaza
Access to appropriate software programmes to identify progression opportunities and track skills and activities
High Achievers scheme for eligible students

At Longley Park we believe supporting out local schools is a vital part of our work around careers and destinations. For this reason we are happy to support secondary schools in delivering information about next steps to their students and families to help them make an informed decision about post 16 and studying beyond GCSE.

As a Sixth Form below is some of the additional ways we support you people:

School Taster Events

Organised throughout academic year by curriculum staff to allow students to develop informed choices.

Application and Interview Process

Nov to Jan - Support in the application process
Feb to March - Longley Park interviews
After interviews are complete official offer letters are sent to applicants

Next Step Longley

Our Next Step event gives applicants a chance to find out what being a student at Longley Park Sixth Form is really like. They will have the opportunity to try taster sessions of their chosen courses, meet staff and other prospective students. Next Step Longley events run in the summer term.

Open Evenings/Information Events

An opportunity for partner schools, applicants, parents and carers to access information in order to help make informed study and progression choices

Events run through the autumn and spring terms

Enrolment, Induction and Initial Careers Assessment

Advice and Guidance using GCSE / equivalent qualifications to ensure students are enrolled onto appropriate study programmes to help ensure positive progression beyond sixth form.

Introduction to Longley Park, expectations of study, and standards to develop success and skills.

Data collection of student aspiration to share with curriculum to help tailor bespoke student opportunities.

Enrolment - Late August
Induction - Early September

If you would like any more information about the above or find out about how we can support the students at your school please contact Rae Nicholls, Assistant Principal for Engagement or Abi Shepherd, our Marketing and Liaison Manager.

Labour market information or (LMI) is a great way to research future jobs in the local area, understand the skills needed and the demand for future employment. LMI helps to better understand ‘the world of work’– Informa ranging from descriptions of different careers, their entry routes, promotional prospects, salaries paid, skills and qualifications needed, etc. Crucially for young people,

LMI also covers future demand – what kinds of jobs will be in demand after leaving school and what kinds of skills will be needed.

Careerometer can be used to explore and compare key information about occupations, help you learn about different occupations and identify potential careers. Simply type in the title of the job you are interested in and the widget provides a series of options from which you can select the most relevant to you. You can then look up another two occupations and compare. You can also select ‘display the UK average’ and compare the information with the occupation you have selected.

Useful documents sharing the latest careers related information.

MYPATH CAREERS

National Careers Service

Careerometer – LMI For All

Sheffield Chamber of Commerce

Sheffield Futures

Sheffield Hallam University

University of Hull

There is a tremendous amount of advice and guidance available through the internet. The links below will take you to a variety of resources to help you find the information you want.

The list includes links to: