Careers
At St Aldhelm’s Academy, we are continuously working to achieve the Gatsby Benchmark, so that all students can explore different further education and careers. Our aim is that all students can leave our academy with the knowledge required so that they are able to reach their goals and have the future careers they want.
Careers Team
Mrs Watt began her academic journey studying Tourism and Events Management, where she quickly developed a strong interest in the business and management side of the subject. This led her to complete a further degree in Business, before following her long-standing ambition to become a teacher by gaining a degree in Teaching. Since qualifying, she has taught Business Studies and developed extensive experience in pastoral and school leadership. She spent several years as Head of Year 11 before becoming Behaviour Lead. She is now at St Aldhelm’s, where she continues to teach Business Studies, lead Year 11 and focus on raising standards and supporting students to achieve their potential.
Miss Carter started working at St Aldhelm's Academy in April 2018 as a part time Hair and Beauty Teacher. In the years that followed, she increased her working days and subject area, to include Religious Studies. She has worked in industry for over 18 years, specialising in advanced laser and aesthetic treatments. While previously working for Bournemouth & Poole College, she taught various beauty courses as well as working for the Apprenticeships team, supporting learners in the workplace. In September 2024, Miss Carter took on the role of Vocational and Careers Lead at the Academy in addition to her teaching role. Miss Carter is currently studying the Level 6 Careers Leader Programme and is very passionate about improving the aspirations and opportunities available to the next generation. If you have any suggestions on Careers Education that you would like to receive, please do speak to her in the Hub.
Mrs Hawkins - Careers Advisor
I am excited to join the Careers Team at St Aldhelm’s Academy. I have been enjoying working in schools across Poole and Bournemouth with EDT for the past four years, supporting young people on their career journeys.
I will be in school every Monday and Wednesday. You can find me in the Careers Office (upstairs, on the safeguarding corridor).
I will be seeing students generally for one-to-one appointments in Year 10 to start your career exploration and help with work experience ideas.
I will also be assisting Year 11’s to consider their Post 16 options and make informed choices in relation to choosing the best pathways for themselves and their career aspirations and assisting with applications to local 6thforms, colleges and apprenticeships.
Previously I have also worked with older students and adults at Bournemouth and Poole College as well as in the community, helping individuals with exploring new career pathways and developing their employability skills, to gain their next jobs or encouraging them to step back into education as an adult. Please email Mrs Hawkins if you have any questions: Amanda.Hawkins@saa.weareauthentic.education
To contact any of the careers team please email careers@saa.weareauthentic.education
Alternatively please call the school on 01202 732500.
Careers Policy and Provider Access Statement.pdf
Education
Our PHSE program provides students, in every group, with knowledge of what different workplaces are like. As well as what skills are required in different careers and how to successfully apply for them through CV writing.
Throughout the academic year, all our subjects will discuss with students' what future opportunities their subjects could provide. To complement the education students will receive from their teachers about future careers linked to their subject, classroom displays also provide further information relating to this.
Provider Access Legislation
The provider access legislation was enacted in January 2023. It is a key mechanism to further help learners understand and take-up, not just apprenticeships, but wider technical education options such as T-Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications.
The updated provider access legislation (PAL) specifies schools must provide at least six encounters for all their students:
- Two encounters for pupils during the ‘first key phase’ (year 8 or 9) that are mandatory for all pupils to attend
- Two encounters for pupils during the ‘second key phase’ (year 10 or 11) that are mandatory for all pupils to attend
- Two encounters for pupils during the ‘third key phase’ (year 12 or 13) that are mandatory for the school to put on but optional for pupils to attend.
In the context of the provider access legislation, a provider is an organisation that offers approved technical education qualifications or their representative, for example an FE college or training provider.
A provider, to whom access is given, must deliver an encounter that includes the following:
- Information about the provider and the approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships that the provider offers
- Information about the careers to which those technical education qualifications or apprenticeships might lead
- A description of what learning or training with the provider is like
- Responses to questions from the pupils about the provider or approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.
To make sure that we are in line with the provider access legislation, every year group has careers carousels where students will have the opportunity to listen to, and speak to, people from further education, apprenticeships and other employers.
During a student’s time at St Aldhelm’s Academy they will have the opportunity to visit universities, such as Bournemouth University. As well as go to events run by BCP, such as the careers fair at the BiC. We also work with organisation, such as ASK, to give our students knowledge and understanding of apprenticeships.
Throughout the year we invite guest speakers from further education, apprenticeships and other employers to speak to all our students in assemblies.
Work Experience
By the time students have left St Aldhelm’s Academy they will have all had the opportunity to go on work experience. This is an opportunity for them to speak to employers, write CVs and to find out what career may interest them to follow in the future.
Work Experience Policy - Jan 2026.pdf
Careers Advisor
By the time students have left St Aldhelm’s Academy every student will have had the opportunity to speak to our career's advisor. Meeting our careers advisor gives all our students the opportunity to explore what career they may like to do and, importantly, how they will get there. These are individual conversations where individual advise, and support is offered.
Assessing our Impact
At St Aldhelm’s Academy we look at the impact we have in our careers program. We do this through looking at data from intended destinations, final destinations, evaluations of events immediately after they have happened with feedback from staff and students. As well as listening to feedback from student focus groups, feedback from partner colleges, sixth forms and from speakers/exhibitors.