Careers Guidance at ESA

This section of the website is intended for Students, Parents/Carers, Teachers and Employers wanting to find out more about our Careers Education programme.

Our Careers Information Advice and Guidance programme aims to prepare our students for their future lives beyond school. This means that all students and parents should be made aware of all their options as they progress through school and their post-school options.

Students have access to Key Stage Google Classrooms with lots more resources and information about careers and destinations as well as dedicated sessions as part of Life Long Learning lessons.

Key Careers Staff

Our designated Careers Leader is Mrs. Sanderson, she can be contacted on julia.sanderson@esa.ac or you can call on 020 8386 6220

The SLT member responsible for Careers is Mr. Chris Mitchell.

The Governor with responsibility for careers is Gaby Becker.

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Our next review of our careers information will take place in the Spring of 2024.

Support from Careers and Enterprise Company/ Hertfordshire LEP and HOP

We are signed up to The Careers and Enterprise Company – The Enterprise Adviser Network programme. This is a free provision managed locally by Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership to support us to achieve all 8 Gatsby Benchmarks – a target set by the Department for Education in their Careers Strategy (Dec 2017). We have been matched with Banijay UK and Hertsmere Borough Council to help us to work towards the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks. Meetings take place on a regular basis to discuss progress.

We are using the Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal (www.hopinto.co.uk) and would encourage all students, parents and carers and teachers to use this portal to seek current live job or apprenticeship vacancies within Hertfordshire as well as being a one-stop shop for a variety of information about the Hertfordshire Jobs Market providing information and inspiration about a variety of careers.

Information for
Staff

All staff contribute to CEIAG through their roles as form tutors and subject teachers. Through PSHE and tutor time, teachers deliver specialist sessions. The Heads of Key Stage liaise with the Careers Leader to address the needs of all students, including support from teachers.

Staff have access to Google Classroom resources including subject specific careers information and links to ESA alumni career talks for subject-specific careers. Our careers advisor also works with each department to support careers within the curriculum.

ESA Careers Activity Plan

Year 10 and 11 - Key Stage 4

Students in Year 10 and 11 are introduced to various careers through the curriculum throughout the school and skills needed for employability modules are embedded in the  weekly LifeLong Learning Lessons. Students take part in a local careers day which looks at employers in the local area and the various career paths available locally.  In the summer term, year 10 students take part in a week-long careers focused activity which includes building a TV set in school and exploring the various careers in TV and taking part in careers focused workshops.  They also have access to the university and apprenticeship exhibition taking place during the week with an opportunity to ask questions and explore further and higher education. 

There is dedicated time for both students and parents to explore alternative Post 16 study options and apprenticeships as an alternative to 6th form at ESA as well as assemblies covering apprenticeships and post 16 studies and possible career outcomes. 

Visiting speakers are invited into classrooms to connect classroom learning with the world of work. Visits are also planned through curriculum leads to local theatres, studios and art galleries. All Key Stage 4 students also have the opportunity to book a 1-1 session with a qualified careers advisor. Students are also offered the opportunity to work with ESA Productions on live briefs from clients in video, animation and podcast productions.

Year 12 and 13 - Key Stage 5

Students in Key Stage 5 continue their research and understanding of the world of work through weekly Lifelong Learning Lessons and careers talks across the curriculum.  In Year 12 there are visits to University and Apprenticeship exhibitions as well as an in-house Futures Week with talks from visiting industry professionals, apprenticeship providers and universities as well as visits to various employers.

At the end of year 12, all students are supported in applying to University through UCAS, workshops on writing personal statements, apprenticeship and job applications. This support continues into Year 13. Further support is given from the head of Key Stage 5 and the UCAS coordinator. There are visits from universities to help with the application process and visits to universities locally.  

All Key Stage 5 students are offered a 1-1 careers meeting with a qualified careers advisor.   ESA also endeavours to ensure that all Key Stage 5 students have some work experience, either with ESA Productions or one of our Industry Partners. 

Asking for Advice

If you have any questions or are looking for more information about gaining further education and meaningful employment, you can get in touch with Julia Sanderson (Lead for Partnerships and ESA Pipeline, Careers Lead). 

Students

You can book a one to one session with Mrs. Sanderson to look at CV development, destinations and careers advice. 

Call on 020 8386 6220

Email at julia.sanderson@esa.ac

Parents

If you are a parent and are looking for further information about supporting your child’s quest to gain further education and meaningful employment please head to our Careers Resources for Parents page.

Employer Engagement

We recognise the importance in working with local employers in order to support our Careers Education and IAG provision. We are very keen to establish links with employers who will be able to open our students’ eyes to the world of work. We welcome further support from employers, specifically those within the creative industries.

We have built some sustained links with Banijay UK through their support as our Enterprise Adviser, but also have partnerships with Elstree Film Studios, Sky Studios Elstree, BBC Studio Works, Light Fantastic, White Light, Panavision, Arri Rental and NBC Universal.

Through this relationship some of our staff have worked with industry experts to develop our curriculums.  We are always looking for new employers/industry professionals who would be willing to come in to talk to our students during lesson time, as well as support our Careers Week the first week of July each year.

Learn more about our industry partners at elstreescreenarts.com

ESA Provider Access Statement

This statement sets out our arrangements for managing the access of providers to students at the school for the purposes of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with our legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997 (Known as The Baker Clause).

Students in years 10-13 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.

  • To hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through options evenings, assemblies and group discussions and taster events.

  • To understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.


Management of provider access requests Procedure

A provider wishing to request access to speak to students should contact Mrs Sanderson, Careers Lead: Telephone: 020 8386 6227 Email: julia.sanderson@esa.ac


Opportunities for access 

A number of events, integrated into the school careers programme, will offer providers an opportunity to come into school to speak to pupils and/or their parents. 


Premises and facilities

The school will make the main hall, classrooms or private meeting rooms available for discussions between the provider and students, as appropriate to the activity. The school will also make available any specialist equipment to support provider presentations. This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with Mrs Sanderson and appropriate declarations need to be completed by visitors beforehand. Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature at the Careers Office which is managed by Mrs Sanderson. The Resource Centre is available to all students at lunch and break times.

Tracking and Monitoring

A review of ESA’s Careers Curriculum is undertaken annually.  Students are asked for their feedback from their 1-1 sessions and from all visits, events and work experience undertaken.  

ESA measures and assesses its careers programme against the Gatsby Benchmarks.  The impact is measured through student and parent feedback.  The impact of the Careers Related Learning is measured by destinations and student progression. The programme is conducted in relation to the school’s equal opportunity policy, work experience policy, external visits policy and other relevant policies.

We are currently working towards the Quality in Careers mark.

Careers and Work Related Learning

Students at ESA can expect a wide variety of activities to enhance their Careers and Work Related Education. There are regular careers talks from alumni, appointments with our Careers Adviser, CV workshops, careers fairs and many other activities. Careers education starts in Year 10, and continues until students leave us in Year 13. 

To find out which career best suits your personality, free careers tests are available through Unifrog which all students have access to through their school account.  Once you've found a career that suits you, please click on one of the widgets below for Labour Market Information (LMI) on that career.

Labour Market Information

Use this tool from Careerometer to compare labour market information for different job roles. Just type the job role in to find information about pay and workforce change.

How to Apply: Industry Placement

Industry placements are invaluable experiences for students to gain new skills and test their capabilities in an industry setting. Our industry placements are expanding and we now have agreements with BBC, Lights Fantastic and White Light. Have your own contact? Organised your own work experience? Contact Mrs Sanderson julia.sanderson@esa.ac with the details

Careers Guides