Please refer to this national website: https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/careers-leaders/gatsby-benchmarks/

The Gatsby Benchmarks are a renowned framework of 8 benchmarks that define what world-class careers provision in secondary education looks like. We are happy to celebrate with you that Aston Academy has scored 100% in 7 out of 8 categories and 91% in the eighth. We are delighted with this, as not all academies, by any means, score so highly.

Needless to say, we will be working hard this year to secure 100% on all 8 Benchmark criteria!

Here at Aston Academy, we are wholeheartedly committed, through our aspirational careers programme of comprehensive and inclusive activities, to preparing all our learners to make informed decisions about their future/next best steps; ensuring they maximise their potential and successfully transition into positive and aspirational destinations.

We are proud to share that we continue to hold the honour of being a “Flagship” school for RNN College (Rotherham College, North Nottinghamshire College and Dearne Valley College). This status guarantees more opportunities for more of our students as places and priorities are made reliably and consistently available to Aston students.

Provider Access Legislation

We work with a variety of local partners, providers, organisations, and businesses to ensure that our students have the most comprehensive list of options available to them both locally and nationally. To see our full provider access arrangements please see the Provider Access Legislation.

Provider Access Legislation Arrangement

2 Encounters during Y8 and Y9 - 2 Encounters during Y10 and Y11

Provider to deliver:

• Meaningful information of the apprenticeships or approved technical/vocational education that the provider offers
• A developmental visual and verbal thread of the careers the technical qualifications or apprenticeships can lead students to
• A description of the day to day learning experience and be like at the provider
• To provide opportunity for Q&A from students regarding qualifications or apprenticeships

All events are attendance tracked and recorded.

Year Group	What/How	Provider/Outcomes	Other Interventions
8	2 Assemblies Vocational and Academic Routes Apprenticeships	RNN and ASK apprenticeships presenting about the technical and apprenticeships, and experiences within. Attendance tracked. National Apprenticeship Week Activities with School	Access to up-to-date information on Apprenticeships, technical information through PSHE lessons & bespoke workshops National Apprenticeship Week Activities Student Council leadership Opportunities National Careers Week 2025 Shadow a parent at work day
9	1 Assembly, 1 Workshop Vocational and Academic Routes Apprenticeships	RNN and Sheffield College Workshops National Apprenticeship Week Activities with School	Access to up-to-date information on Apprenticeships, technical information through PSHE Lessons National Apprenticeship Week Activities Student Council leadership Opportunities National Careers Week 2025 GUTS Project, March 2025
10	Assemblies: Aston 6th Form provision, Apprenticeships Assembly (ASK), RNN Assembly Sheffield College Assembly, HEPP Assembly Bespoke Workshops	RNN – Apprenticeships and Technical Qualifications Assembly HEPP Workshop - Raising Aspirations (informing advantages and inclusivity of Higher Education) Sheffield College Workshops National Apprenticeship Week Activities with School Work Experience Week, July 2025	Access to up-to-date information on Apprenticeships, technical information through PSHE lessons and Careers Interviews Student Council leadership Opportunities FE and HE Visits, 2024-25 National Careers Week Activities 2025 National Apprenticeship Week Activities 2025
11	Assemblies: Aston 6th Form provision  Apprenticeships Assembly (ASK) RNN Assembly Sheffield College Assembly  HEPP Assembly Bespoke Workshops	RNN – Apprenticeships and Technical Qualifications Assembly HEPP Workshop - Raising Aspirations (informing advantages and inclusivity of Higher Education) Sheffield College Workshops Face to Face encounters with Employers - November 2025	Access to up-to-date information on Apprenticeships, technical information through PSHE lessons and Careers Interviews Student Council leadership Opportunities FE and HE Visits, 2024-25 National Careers Week Activities 2025 National Apprenticeship Week Activities 2025

Should you have any further questions about apprenticeships, please contact one of the team:

• Mrs. Booker: Careers Leader
• Mr. Shaw: Careers Advisor
• Mr. Raymond: Careers Advisor

Through the Careers Team, we can offer you a range of opportunities to plan and research your future study/employment options, so if you have any careers related questions or concerns, or if you need advice or guidance, please contact our careers team.

For more careers information please see the sections below.

Your Career, Your Future!

At Aston Academy, we are here to support you to start planning your career and future ahead! And we are here to support you through your learning journey from day one.

“80.75% of students say their parents help them to make key careers decisions"

This section of our website is aimed at helping parents and carers source information to help support young people in their future decisions.

Types Of Jobs Students who have a vision of where they want to be in the future may find it easier to plan their next steps more easily. To help students and parents to get an idea of what types of jobs are out there we would suggest looking at a number of these websites:		Education Options There are a variety of educational routes available to students post 16. Click each link to find out more: Higher Education Apprenticeships Rotherham 6th Forms Rotherham Colleges Sheffield College Rotherham Training Providers
SEND There are a variety of educational routes available to students post 16. Click each link to find out more: Rotherham SEND Schools and Colleges Rotherham SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service) Rotherham Council Website		Labour Market Information With developments in technology, there are now numerous jobs that did not exist 10 years ago. It is important to keep up to date with what is happening locally, nationally and internationally. Where do people work in Rotherham? Sources of Labour Market Information SY Shape Your Future Booklet

Being part of our business support network will provide you moments of great satisfaction but striving to make a difference can also be an exciting challenge! Having employers like you helping to inspire young minds and transform attitudes through a range of activities and opportunities is the foundation of an excellent careers programme as set out by the Gatsby Foundation’s eight Benchmarks of good practice.

Useful Websites

• Panjango online subject areas.
• Labour market information
• MYPATH Careers Resources (mypathcareersuk.com)
• Speakers for Schools
• My Learning My Future
• CEC Resource Directory (careersandenterprise.co.uk)
• Careerpilot : Jobs by subject

Careers Interviews

To book an appointment for student 1-1 Careers Interviews, please contact Mr. Shaw, Careers Advisor careers@astonacademy.org

It’s free

The majority of virtual work experience placements are free, although some employers charge for the opportunity; working from home will also mean students will not incur any travel related costs.

Future proof

Remote working is likely to be important to many businesses in the future and learning how to conduct business and work online will develop extremely valuable skills for the modern workplace.

Enhancing Transferable skills

It’s not always easy working from home and taking part in virtual work experience placements will help students develop those soft skills that all employers are seeking, such as organisation, time-management and self-motivation.

Supports Knowing what’s right for you (or what isn’t)

Understanding what a job or a career entails might help students make decisions about whether or not that role is right for them in the future.

Useful Links:

The Parents’ guide to virtual work experience

A guide to the benefits of virtual work experience and a selection of employers that offer this.

Forage

Bite-sized 5 – 6 hour virtual work experience programs that give students a genuine career advantage with Fortune 500 companies

Barclays Life Skills

A comprehensive careers advisory platform including virtual work experience

Speakers for Schools

A charity which helps young people access high quality work experience to help them plan for their future careers.

Springpod

This platform will allow students to explore work experience and university taster courses.

Volunteering and work experience are a great way to gain skills and experience, help others, meet new people and have fun! The latest roles for young people are listed below. If you’re interested in any of these opportunities, please contact the organisation(s) directly to find out more, using the details provided. If you need any advice about volunteering please see Mr Shaw.

Sheffield Opportunities

• Contact us on: vc@vas.org.uk or 0114 253 6649 (Mon – Thurs)
• www.sheffieldvolunteercentre.org.uk
• Facebook: @SheffieldVolunteerCentre
• Twitter: @VolunteerSheff

Sheffield Volunteering.com

• https://www.sheffieldvolunteering.com/

Rotherham Opportunities

• https://www.varotherham.org.uk/
• Email admin@varotherham.org.uk
• Call: 01709 829821

NHS Volunteering Opportunity’s

• https://www.therotherhamft.nhs.uk/Get_Involved/Volunteers/Volunteer_Vacancies/

Sheffield Health and Social Care

• https://www.shsc.nhs.uk/get-involved/volunteering/volunteering-opportunities

St Johns Ambulance

• https://volunteering.sja.org.uk/opportunities/

Sheffield Music Hub

• https://www.sheffieldmusichub.org/pages/friends-volunteers-of-sheffield-music-hub

Thornberry Animal Sanctuary

• https://www.thornberryanimalsanctuary.org/volunteer/

Please find a comprehensive overview of activities and opportunities Aston Academy that took place within National Apprenticeships Week 2023 and supporting resources for Students, Parent/Carers and Teachers.

Nationally, the week is celebrated between Mon February 6th and Fri February 10th, and although we at Aston Academy would very much like to mark the week, we have chosen to celebrate slightly later: Mon Feb 27th to Fri March 3rd. 

The theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2023 is ‘Skills for Life’. We reflected, therefore, on how apprenticeships can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career and help businesses to develop a talented workforce that is equipped with a wide range of skills for the future.

Over the course of the week students engaged in a variety of educational experiences to learn about a variety of careers that can be accessed via the apprenticeship route and also how the apprenticeship route can help students succeed in the world of work.

Within the week, we held an informative assembly for all year groups presented by Emma Briggs from Rotherham College and RNN Group, giving students the knowledge of apprenticeships and array of sectors available. To find out more information please visit https://www.rotherham.ac.uk/course-type/apprenticeships/

Students within Y9 and Y10 also attended bespoke interactive workshops from Sheffield College to support them make informed choices on their futures and the wide range of vocational and apprenticeships available. For more information please visit https://apprenticeships.sheffcol.ac.uk/

To search for local apprenticeships, please visit the National Apprenticeship Website https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

Parent/Carers, Students and Teachers Resources and Information

Below are a series of clips which have been provided by the National Apprenticeships website to support teachers, students and parents/carers to find out more about the apprenticeship programmes from within specific subject areas. Students also watched these in their associated lessons to this week.

 

Below are links to video clips and subject specific posters, which provide a QR link to take you to even more information.

Interactive Resource

Apprenticeship Arcade

Here is also another free online resource which is well worth highlighting: the Amazing Apprenticeships Arcade, which provides students with a series of games that have been created to engage students in the classroom, or at home with you, and set them enjoyable (yet educational) home learning tasks through this fascinating, fun portal. The suite of games will provide interactive and fun ways for students to explore and learn about apprenticeships, whilst working in groups or individually.

https://amazingapprenticeships.com/apprenticeship-arcade/

 

At Aston Academy, we are passionate to ensure every young person gains good career guidance, education and experiences, empowering young people to have confidence to make informed decisions about their future.

Within our holistic careers program that drives for excellence, is monitored regularly through the Gatsby Benchmarks, driven through a forward-thinking approach, creating cultural capital and a golden thread throughout the School to support every young people to reach their full potential.

Our 8 Gatsby Benchmarks and Current Scores (as at Term 1, 2025) are:

1. A stable careers programme ​ 100%
2. Learning from careers and labour market information 100%
3. Addressing the needs of each student 100%
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers 100%
5. Encounters with employers and employees 100%
6. Experiences of workplaces 100%
7. Encounters with further and higher education 91%
8. Personal guidance 100%

The Outcomes of the Benchmarks (inline with the CDI framework)

The outcomes of the Gatsby Benchmarks and Astons Careers Program is to clarify and empower the skills, knowledge and attitudes that young people need to gain a positive career, being able to make a positive contribution to the community and develop life and employability skills that will be developed alongside academic knowledge.

At Aston Academy we are dedicated to ensure that every student is given detailed information to make informed choices on their post 16 next steps.

Researching your next steps and pathways to your career’s aspirations are a fantastic way of having confidence in your future

 

 

Useful websites are: National Careers Service https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/explore-careers

Options at Post 16: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/career-choices-at-16

Skills Assessments: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/skills-assessment

1-1 Impartial Careers guidance meetings are available with Mr Raymond and Mr Shaw.

careers@astonacademy.org

Post 16 options

A Levels – You would normally choose 3 subjects to do at a sixth form college, these subjects are more ‘academic’ and there are exams at the end of each year.

Useful Websites: Aston Post 16: http://www.astonacademy.org/page/?title=About+Us&pid=95

Sheffield College 6^th Form: https://sixthform.sheffcol.ac.uk/

Thomas Rotherham College: https://www.trc.ac.uk/

Vocational Courses – can often be referred to as BTEC, you would choose one subject and usually has a more of a job related interactive approach and involve coursework.

Useful Websites: Rotherham College: https://www.rotherham.ac.uk/courses/

Sheffield College: https://www.sheffcol.ac.uk/courses

UTC College https://www.utcsheffield.org.uk/

Apprenticeship – An apprenticeship usually complies of one day a week at a college or training provider, and you will work for the rest of the week with an employer.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

AMRC https://amrctraining.co.uk/apprenticeships

NHS Apprenticeships https://www.syrechealthandsocialcarecareers.co.uk/apprentices-students-trainees

T Levels – Equivalent to A levels, this is delivered through 80% college and 20% work placement and has been developed with employers and businesses. It prepares you for work, further training or study through academic work and work placements. https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/

Levels and Grades (May vary subject to providers entry requirements)

• Entry Level – no qualifications or GCSE Grade1
• Level 1 – Normally require at least 3 grade 2’s
• Level 2 – Normally require at least 3 grade 3’s
• Level 3 (BTEC) – usually require minimum 5 Grade 4’s and above including English Language and maths
• Level 3 (A Levels) – Normally require an average of Grade 5 or above preferring 5’s in Maths and English Language.

Apprenticeship Information

Websites: https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

https://amazingapprenticeships.com/

Higher and Degree Apprenticeships: https://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/

An apprenticeship is a real job where you learn, gain experience and get paid.

You’re an employee with a contract of employment. By the end of an apprenticeship, you’ll have the right skills and knowledge to embed into your chosen career.

It can take between one and six years to complete an apprenticeship depending on which one you choose, what level it is and your previous experience. It’s funded from contributions made by the government and your employer.

Requirements:

To become an apprentice, you must:

• Be 16 or over
• Not already be in full-time education

As an apprentice you will:

• Learn and gain hands-on experience in a real job
• Get a paid income
• Get training for a specific job role
• Be on a specific career path with future potential of Employment