Measuring the Impact of Our Career Provision

Our Commitment to Excellence in CEIAG

At Blackpool Aspire Academy, the delivery of a comprehensive Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) program is a primary strategic imperative. A robust impact measurement framework is not merely a reporting requirement; it is the mechanism by which we ensure every student is equipped to navigate complex future pathways. By aligning our provision with national standards, we bridge the gap between classroom learning and the professional landscape, ensuring that our students—regardless of their starting point—possess the social capital and knowledge to succeed.

Our commitment to excellence is anchored by core partnerships with the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC), the Lancashire Career Hub, and the Career Development Institute (CDI). These partnerships represent more than collaboration; they provide an essential external quality baseline and rigorous validation of our internal standards. These relationships ensure the academy remains in full compliance with statutory requirements, including the provider access legislation. These pillars form the foundation of our program, ensuring transparency and equitable opportunity for all.

To maintain these high standards, the academy employs a rigorous, multi-faceted evaluation framework. This evidence-based approach begins with the systematic application of the Gatsby Benchmarks as our primary metric for institutional progress.

The Gatsby Benchmarks

The eight Gatsby Benchmarks serve as the definitive comparative metrics for world-class careers provision. At Blackpool Aspire Academy, these benchmarks are utilised as a strategic roadmap rather than a static checklist. By conducting termly assessments, the academy moves beyond baseline compliance to drive improvements, identifying specific curriculum areas that require enhancement to ensure the highest level of student outcomes.

Our approach utilises the Compass Plus tool and Unifrog to track institutional progress with precision. This evaluation is a deeply collaborative process, involving formal termly reviews conducted by our Enterprise Coordinator (Mr. Sam Bates) alongside the academy’s Deputy Headteacher, Mr. Ewart, acting in his capacity as the Careers Lead. This senior-level oversight ensures that our careers strategy is integrated into the broader school leadership agenda.

This assessment cycle is executed in December, March, and July, providing the data necessary for agile adjustments to the program throughout the academic year. To ensure total transparency and institutional accountability, the most recent evaluation conducted by the Careers and Enterprise Company is published at the foot of this webpage. While these benchmarks provide the structural integrity of our program, they are further refined by the qualitative insights of our diverse stakeholders.

Comprehensive Stakeholder Feedback and Inclusive Evaluation

A high-quality careers program requires a 360-degree feedback loop to remain relevant and impactful. We systematically gather insights from a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including students, teaching staff, our Independent Careers Adviser, our Engagement Coach, employers, and external partners. This multi-perspective approach ensures that every encounter—from employer workshops to work experience—is evaluated for its quality and its ability to enhance student aspirations and skill sets.

We utilise several mechanisms to capture these vital insights:

  • Student Voice: Captured via surveys, focus groups (such as student parliament), and post-event evaluation forms. We employ differentiated approaches for students with SEND to ensure that the evaluation process is inclusive and that their unique needs are reflected in our planning.
  • Specialist Internal Review: We seek targeted feedback from the SENCO, the pastoral team, and S. Blackwell (Deputy Headteacher and Pupil Premium lead). This ensures that support strategies for our most vulnerable cohorts are not only active but effective.
  • Employer and Partner Feedback: Assessments from external contributors to ensure our activities align with current industry standards and labour market requirements.

Destination Data and Subgroup Analysis

The definitive Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for the effectiveness of our careers provision is the successful, sustained progression of our students. Blackpool Aspire Academy conducts longitudinal tracking of student for the immediate year that they leave us (Year 12) This data is collected and analysed annually, specifically focusing on the cohorts that left the academy the previous school year, to monitor their transition into further education, apprenticeships, higher education, training, or employment.

To ensure equity of opportunity, we conduct a rigorous stratification of this data, breaking down outcomes by key subgroups, including Pupil Premium, SEND, and at-risk students. This analytical depth allows the academy to:

  • Inform strategic resource allocation by directing support where it is most needed.
  • Identify and address specific progression gaps among vulnerable groups.
  • Shape targeted intervention strategies that move beyond generic guidance to provide bespoke support.

While destination data measures the final outcome, we maintain a simultaneous focus on the real-time monitoring of engagement to prevent barriers from forming during a student's journey.

Monitoring Participation and Removing Barriers

Equity of access is a prerequisite for a truly inclusive careers curriculum. We utilize a dual-platform digital approach to ensure both institutional and individual accountability. Compass+ is utilised for recording statutory attendance and participation data, while Unifrog provides a granular view of how individual students engage with career-planning resources.

This data-driven monitoring allows us to identify patterns of under-engagement within key subgroups (Pupil Premium, SEND, and at-risk groups) in real-time. A critical component of our quality assurance is the role of the Engagement Coach and Careers Advisor. These specialist individuals are tasked with implementing targeted actions to increase participation among under-engaged cohorts, specifically focusing on identifying and removing the practical or aspirational barriers to involvement and igniting a passion for post 16 pathways. These operational insights are then reported back to the leadership team to inform the overarching strategic review.

Governance, Accountability, and Strategic Review

Robust governance is the cornerstone of our commitment to excellence. We maintain a clear reporting line that ensures institutional accountability and the continuous evolution of our careers provision.

The strategic reporting cycle is led by the Deputy Headteacher, in their capacity as the Careers Lead, who submits termly reports to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and the Careers Link Governor (Mrs S. Matthews). These reports detail our progress against statutory requirements and the Gatsby Benchmarks. This information is then disseminated to the local governing board on a termly basis by the Careers Link Governor, ensuring high-level scrutiny.

The findings from these reviews are directly integrated into the Academy Improvement Plan (AIP). Our progress is measured against specific, annual strategic KPIs, including:

  • Student Career Readiness: Measured through skill acquisition and confidence metrics.
  • Targeted Employer Engagement: Ensuring high-quality encounters for all year groups.
  • Curriculum Integration: Evaluating the depth of careers links within academic subjects.
  • Equality of Opportunity: Closing the gap in participation and destination outcomes for disadvantaged students.

These insights are shared transparently with all stakeholders via the academy website and annual reports, reflecting Blackpool Aspire Academy’s unwavering commitment to preparing every student for a successful and meaningful future.