Careers education

The Dixons Unity Academy careers programme aims to provide all students with regular access to employers, further education providers, expert guidance and workplace experiences to support students in making informed and educated decisions about their next steps. The careers programme is an integral element of the Dixons Unity Academy curriculum and careers information is interleaved with subject specific content delivered through the curriculum.

Our commitment to careers provision extends beyond the legal minimum entitlement for students and is underpinned by the Gatsby framework with a commitment to meeting all eight benchmarks.

The intended outcomes of the careers programme include, but are not limited to:

• students will undertake various work related experiences
• students will reflect upon and refine their aspirations
• students will increase their knowledge of education, training and career opportunities
• students will develop a career plan to help them achieve their sentence and realise their potential

The careers overview and what to do document can be found below, you can also access 'Start', an online platform designed to support students and parents in transitioning to the next step of their career. 

If you require any support in accessing 'Start', or have any questions about the careers programme at Dixons Unity Academy, please contact Angela Downing, Associate Assitant Vice Principal.

Resources for students

Resources for parents/carers

Resources for career and labour market information
 

Useful links

Resources and information for staff:

Our academy careers leader, Ms Smith is responsible for the planning and delivery of the careers programme across all year groups. Please contact Ms Smith by email if you would like to get involved with facilitating or delivering any aspect of careers at Dixons Unity or have any questions regarding the careers programme.

Ms Clynes is the senior leader responsible for monitoring the planning and delivery of the careers programme at Dixons Unity. Please contact Ms Cylnes by email if you have any queries about our careers programme.

Independent careers adviser

Natasha is an external Career Consultant who works for Skills House, part of Leeds City Council. Natasha initially explores students' current perceptions of future career and education choices alongside feedback from their grades and teachers: this is followed by an informative session of possible options and actions for students to undertake. Every student in Year 11 is entitled to an independent careers advice meeting. A summary of each interaction with Natasha is shared with the Year 11 student directly with key next steps for the student to undertake.

Information for employers
 

We are always looking to invite employers from different sectors to come in and work with our young people. If you are interested in hearing more about working with our young people, please get in touch with our careers lead.

Destinations

We are committed to supporting all of our students, not only during their time with us at Dixons Unity, but also in their Post-16 options and beyond. We are so fortunate that many of our previous students come back to Unity to share their experiences of their next steps and this is an invaluable message for our current students. If you are an alumni of Dixons Unity and would like to come back to share your story, please get in touch with Ms Smith by email. We would love to hear from you and arrange for you to come back and speak to our current students.

Careers Education Review

The careers education programme at Dixons Unity is constantly under review and refinement. A formal, annual review takes place each August when we publish the Careers policy which sets out the intended careers programme for the academic year ahead.