Commitment to the Quality in Careers Standard through Investor in Careers
Milestone Academy is pleased to confirm that the Governors and staff are committed to achieving The Quality in Careers Standard and have incorporated this goal into the school’s current development plan.
Our aim is to provide an outstanding programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance activities that satisfy national requirements and provide guidance which enables us to address the career development needs of all our students.
Gatsby 8 Benchmarks
Every young person needs high-quality career guidance to make informed decisions about their future.
In 2013 Gatsby commissioned Sir John Holman – Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at the University of York, senior education adviser and former headteacher – who then wrote the ‘The Good Career Guidance Report’ which identifies a set of eight benchmarks that schools can use as a framework for improving their careers provision.
The 8 Gatsby benchmarks of good career guidance are:
for students
Here, you can find all sorts of information about how we are getting you ready for the future. This could include where you want to work or where you would like to continue learning.
message from the careers lead
While you are with us at Milestone, you will learn all about different jobs you can do and businesses you can work for.
You will think a lot about the future, especially what life might be like when you are an adult.
Your teachers and teaching assistants are all trained so that they can give you the best help possible. This includes helping you decide what you want to do when you are an adult.
Sometimes you will learn about careers in specific lessons. Other times, you will learn about careers while you learn about other things.
Your teachers will invite visitors to talk to you about jobs and careers.
You will also get special help from someone called a Careers Advisor.
When you are in Year 10 or above, you will get the chance to try different jobs. This is called “work experience.” Some of our students even do an extra-special kind of work experience called a Supported Internship when they are in Year 14.
If you want to know more about how we will teach you about jobs, careers and the future, you can ask your class teacher or any member of staff.
Kyle Marsh
Assistant Principal & Careers Lead
our goals
- You will learn about all kinds of jobs.
- You will also learn about what you can do when you are an adult.
- We will make sure you know who can
- We want you to know about different places you can work.
- We want you to know how school and work are different.
- We want you to know that you have the right to be treated with respect at work.
- We want you to know that how you act at work is different from how you act in your own time.
- You will learn to have different plans, in case your first plan doesn’t work out the way you hoped.
- You will learn how to apply for a job.
- You will be part of the team that makes decisions about your education.
- You will get experience in the workplace.
- We want you to think good things about yourself.
careers education
Our students learn about the world of work at all ages, but we teach you about careers in Phase 3 and Phase 4. We want you to know a lot about:
- Yourself
- What you can do if you put your mind to it
- How you can keep improving
You will learn all about careers, which means the jobs you might do, and where you will continue to learn.
We will give you the best information and advice that we can.
You will meet people who have different jobs. You might ask them questions. They will show you what tools they use, or tell you about what they do.
You will have lessons about careers, but you will also learn about careers when you go on school trips, when we have visitors and guests, and when you are out and about with your friends and family.
If you want to find out more about careers, you or your family can always talk to Kyle Marsh, our careers lead.
While you are at school here, you will be able to:
- Learn all about careers.
- Get a lot of feedback from your teachers and peers about how you can improve.
- Get help to understand what your choices are.
- Get advice from an independent person.
- Help us make a plan so that you can move into adulthood successfully.
- Get help with writing letters or filling in application forms.
- Make choices at different stages in your education.
Who can help?
- Class Teachers
- Phase Leaders and Assistant Principals
- Trust Careers Adviser: Ruth Evans
- Careers Lead: Kyle Marsh
Email: kyle.marsh@milestoneacademy.org.uk
Tel: 01474709420
annual careers day
This year’s Milestone Futures Showcase will take place on 1 May 2024.
Each spring, Milestone Academy hosts an annual Careers Event which all students and their families are encouraged to attend.
It is an opportunity for students and families to speak to external providers including FE providers, independent specialist colleges, residential care providers and support agencies about the different provisions that may be available to them when they leave Milestone Academy.
If you are an employer or provider, and would like to attend, please email Kyle Marsh, Careers Lead, at kyle.marsh@milestoneacademy.org.uk.
skills 360 reverse interviews event
On 22nd March 2023, Milestone Academy students attended a “reverse interviews” event hosted at Rowhill School by the Careers and Enterprise Company. Jenna Wells, our Enterprise Advisor, and Charlie Steggles, our Enterprise Coordinator, formed part of a great team that brought together 15 local employers so that our students could talk to them, ask questions about their organisations, and practice their own interview skills.
You can read an article written by one of our students below:
“On Tuesday I went to a careers event and met a lot of employers from different jobs that specialise in different things.
The things I’ve learned are how the employers got their jobs and how long they have worked there for and what their job is and what their job is about.
And also I’ve learned that the civil servant had to sign this secret contract to join her job and not talk about her job.
I also learned from the lady from The National Trust that there are different roles and if the deers have escaped and how long the building has been there and how many visitors she gets.
This safety manager I talked to a man that went around to different building sites to check if the building site is safe and tidy and a safe environment to work in.
A lady from the NHS is part of a charity that helps poor children raise money for them to get better and get equipment for surgeons to do surgery.
I met Ben from the Learning shop he Teaches people or young people how the working life works and the rules of the working life and the job that Ben does where he sorts or tells people that the computer is broken and they have to fix it.He is basically a manager.
I also met a man from Morrisons. He works in the sorting factory that sorts out sending out the items to the shop so if there is none of the certain stock he sends it to the shops to restock the shelves.
This lady works in a cafe in London that helps disabled people get into the life of work and communicate with the public and get set up for life.”
useful websites and resources
- Association for all speech impaired children (AFASIC)
- Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (ASBAH)
- British Association for Teachers of the Deaf (BATOD)
- British Deaf Association
- British Epilepsy Association
- British Institute of Learning disabilities
- Changing society for the better
- Contact a family (Families with children with learning difficulties)
- Council for Young people with disabilities
- Department of Health
- Directory of specialist colleges (Only on website – no hard copy)
- Disability Code of Practice for Schools (Disability rights commission)
- Down’s Syndrome Association
- Dyspraxia Foundation
- Foundation for people with learning difficulties
- ICAN (helping children communicate)
- Kent Start Profile
- LAT Additional Needs Engagement
- Local Charity who specialise in supporting people with learning difficulties
- MENCAP (understanding learning difficulty)
- National Autistic Society
- National Death Children Society (NDCS)
- Respond: challenging vulnerability and sexual abuse in the lives of people with learning disabilities
- Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB)
- Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID)
- SENSE (visual and or hearing impairment and associated disabilities)
- Unique – A charity for people who suffer from rare chromosomal disorders
For Parents & Carers
Here, you can find all sorts of information about how we are getting you ready for the future. This could include where you want to work or where you would like to continue learning.
our aims
- Students will have access to a wide variety of appropriate careers information
- Students develop knowledge of the different options that are open to them after year 11 and year 14
- Students and families have the relevant support and guidance so that they feel fully informed about the opportunities open to their young person
- Students develop an awareness and understanding of different roles in the workplace
- Students will be informed of the differences between school, college and work
- Students will begin to have an understanding of the concept of equal opportunities in relation to gender, ethnicity, socio-economic group, ability/disability and occupational choice
- Students will develop an understanding of differences between work and leisure and how to present themselves differently depending on the circumstances
- Students will be supported and prepared to make choices and discuss the importance of a back-up plan just in case their first choice proves prohibitive
- Students will develop the skills and confidence to help them make realistic and informed choices about their future in consultation with others.
- Students will be supported to complete an application form and prepare a Curriculum Vitae as required
- Students will be given the opportunity to develop their full potential at school
- Students will be given the opportunity to decide on post-16 options along with others
- Students in 6th Form take part in work experience both in school and with external providers
- Adult support is provided by the Academy if appropriate to support students on external work placements
- Students will be given the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of the world of work within the careers education programme
- Students are given the opportunity to complete ASDAN units developing their skills for the world of work, delivered as part of the curriculum
- Students will be supported to be aware of their abilities, skills, qualities, needs and values and explore how these may relate to different job areas
- Students will be supported to develop a positive self-image and have the ability to feel positive about their own future prospects
- Students will be prepared by increasing their level of self-confidence about the world of work and the role of employers
- Students may be given the opportunity to access a supported internship if appropriate
careers education
Students receive a comprehensive careers education programme which is within the curriculum and which follows the Gatsby Benchmarks. Our students have the opportunity to access individual and group careers guidance from an independent specialist.
Our students have access to accurate, up-to-date and comprehensive careers information at appropriate levels and through a wide variety of media.
We aim to offer a bespoke curriculum so that all students can access the different vocational courses if there is a specific interest. This may lead to vocational qualifications. Students have opportunities to listen to external speakers who will come into the Academy and talk to students positively about the opportunities that are available to them after year 14.
Careers Education is delivered at Milestone in Phases 3 & 4. How this is delivered is differentiated by pathway and department. We identify effective Careers education as supporting students to develop their
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Determination
- Self-Improvement as a learner
How we support our students to develop in these areas is cross-curricular, and where appropriate will go beyond discrete Careers Lessons, forming an integral part of that young person’s curriculum. Students work towards a variety of qualifications, including accreditations in Work-Related Learning, and BTEC units in Preparation for Work.
Some of our students in Year 14 may also access Supported Internships or Apprenticeships.
If you would like any more information about any aspect of our careers offer, please do not hesitate to contact Kyle Marsh, our careers lead.
During students’ time at Milestone Academy they are entitled to:
- A careers education programme: lessons, workshops, external speakers, work-related learning or taster days
- Regular feedback on their academic progress and how to improve so that they can achieve your goals
- Support to develop better self-awareness so that they can recognise their own strengths, areas for development, skills, motivations, and abilities
- Assistance when accessing and understanding information on open day, jobs, colleges, and apprenticeships
- Independent information, advice and guidance on their future career when they leave Milestone Academy
- An understanding of the opportunities that are available and how to access them, so they can make positive decisions for their future
- Access to Independent and Impartial Guidance so that they can make choices and plans that are best for them
- A transition plan so they can plan their future with our help
- Access to comprehensive, user-friendly web-based information to help them when making decisions
- Support with letters of application, filling in forms etc
- Help with choices in years 9, 11 and 14
Who can help?
Class Teachers
Phase Leaders and Assistant Principals
Trust Careers Adviser: Ruth Evans
Careers Lead: Kyle Marsh
Email: kyle.marsh@milestoneacademy.org.uk
Tel: 01474709420
annual careers day
This year’s Milestone Futures Showcase will take place on 1 May 2024.
Each April Milestone Academy holds an annual Careers Convention. We encourage students in secondary and their families to attend.
We invite local and national employers to meet our students and their families, ask each-other questions, and find out as much as they possibly can about the world of work.
It is also an opportunity for students and families to speak to external educators including:
- local FE providers
- independent specialist colleges
- residential care providers
- support agencies and service providers
We would like our students and families to find out as much as they can about the different provisions that may be available to them after they leave Milestone Academy.
In addition, some of our Year 10 students attend the Leigh Academies Trust Annual Year 10 Careers Convention, which usually takes place in June.
an article from a milestone mother
We are very proud of one of our students, Shaan, who – with the support of WorkFit, has been employed at the Odeon Cinema in Maidstone. We asked his mother if she would write an article reflecting on his journey at Milestone, and how he has achieved this remarkable next step in his career. To read Jas’ article and watch Shaan’s video, please use the link below.
useful websites and resources
- Association for all speech impaired children (AFASIC)
- Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (ASBAH)
- British Association for Teachers of the Deaf (BATOD)
- British Deaf Association
- British Epilepsy Association
- British Institute of Learning disabilities
- Changing society for the better
- Contact a family (Families with children with learning difficulties)
- Council for Young people with disabilities
- Department of Health
- Directory of specialist colleges (Only on website – no hard copy)
- Disability Code of Practice for Schools (Disability rights commission)
- Down’s Syndrome Association
- Dyspraxia Foundation
- Foundation for people with learning difficulties
- ICAN (helping children communicate)
- Kent Start Profile
- LAT Additional Needs Engagement
- Local Charity who specialise in supporting people with learning difficulties
- MENCAP (understanding learning difficulty)
- National Autistic Society
- National Death Children Society (NDCS)
- Respond: challenging vulnerability and sexual abuse in the lives of people with learning disabilities
- Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB)
- Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID)
- SENSE (visual and or hearing impairment and associated disabilities)
- Unique – A charity for people who suffer from rare chromosomal disorders
for staff & governors
As a member of the Milestone Academy community, you are at the forefront of helping our students prepare for their future. Each one of us has a major role to play in helping our students to unlock their potential, and lead fulfilling lives as independently as possible.
On this page, you will learn about our vision, our aims and objectives, and how we meet them. You will have access to a variety of useful resources and websites, and you will learn how to seek help if you need it.
our vision
Careers Education may be mandatory for Phases 3 and 4, but learning all about the wider world starts at the very beginning of a young person’s life – and never stops!
We have an obligation to teach our students about themselves, about the choices that they can (and must) make as they grow, and that they can be working hard to achieve their ambitions.
I’d like you to think of “careers” not as “what job do you want when you are older?” but rather “how will you connect with the world when you are an adult?” For us, careers might mean:
- Where you will work one day
- Where you will continue your education
- Where you will live and the support you might have
It also means:
- How you spend your leisure time and whether you choose a hobby
- Whether you complete any volunteer work
- How you will take care of yourself and pay your bills
- How you will help your family
At Milestone Academy we recognise that a ‘Careers Education’ for our young people is inextricably entwined with their core curriculum. We also respect that elements of careers education must be taught in discrete and designated lessons and learning activities.
Along with the Careers and Enterprise Company, Milestone Academy sees Careers Education as:
“Any activity which furthers knowledge, understanding, skills or experience with the purpose of leading to a life enhancing outcome including improving the possibility and probability of working in a range of settings.”
And a Careers Lesson as:
“(facilitating) any activity which uses a skill for the purpose of achieving an outcome which brings reward”
We want to prepare all of our young people for life beyond school and college.
At Milestone Academy, we are proud of the fact that we prepare the students for their adult life and the transition from full time education into the world beyond the Academy.
Structured careers education provides students with focused opportunities for personal and social development which supports transition into the adult world.
Ofsted have recently investigated the importance of young people gaining good quality Impartial and Independent Career Education, Information and Guidance throughout their education. It is well known that young people who have focused career ideas will achieve more through their adult life.
“An effective curriculum is at the heart of the wide offer provided across the school. Staff have an unwavering moral commitment to prepare pupils fully to lead a rich, successful and happy life. A thread permeates throughout the curriculum to prepare pupils for ambitious life goals.
One pupil stated excitedly, ‘I want to live in my own home, have a job and be happy.’ Pupils from key stage 4 have opportunities to engage in work placements. This has led to employment for pupils in a range of occupations, such as working in a local garage and in the superstore nearby.
The curriculum goes well beyond the academic, as it develops the whole child.
Pupils enjoy regular community visits, always with an educational purpose, such as trips to the garden centre and visits to a local superstore. Pupils develop confidence in managing risks, money management, travel and speaking to strangers in shops. Pupils enjoy the wide range of extra-curricular activities, including Scouts and trust-wide sports and enrichment opportunities.”
Ofsted Inspection Report 2019
Click on the link below to read our Ofsted report and for more information about our performance
If you have any questions, comments or queries about Careers Education at Milestone Academy, speak to your Phase Leader, Satellite Director, or Assistant Principal. They will all be very happy to help.
Thank you for the outstanding work you do for our students every day.
Kyle Marsh
Assistant Principal & Careers Lead
our aims
- Students will have access to a wide variety of appropriate careers information
- Students develop knowledge of the different options that are open to them after year 11 and year 14
- Students and families have the relevant support and guidance so that they feel fully informed about the opportunities open to their young person
- Students develop an awareness and understanding of different roles in the workplace
- Students will be informed of the differences between school, college and work
- Students will begin to have an understanding of the concept of equal opportunities in relation to gender, ethnicity, socio-economic group, ability/disability and occupational choice
- Students will develop an understanding of differences between work and leisure and how to present themselves differently depending on the circumstances
- Students will be supported and prepared to make choices and discuss the importance of a back-up plan just in case their first choice proves prohibitive
- Students will develop the skills and confidence to help them make realistic and informed choices about their future in consultation with others.
- Students will be supported to complete an application form and prepare a Curriculum Vitae as required
- Students will be given the opportunity to develop their full potential at school
- Students will be given the opportunity to decide on post-16 options along with others
- Students in 6th Form take part in work experience both in school and with external providers
- Adult support is provided by the Academy if appropriate to support students on external work placements
- Students will be given the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of the world of work within the careers education programme
- Students are given the opportunity to complete ASDAN units developing their skills for the world of work, delivered as part of the curriculum
- Students will be supported to be aware of their abilities, skills, qualities, needs and values and explore how these may relate to different job areas
- Students will be supported to develop a positive self-image and have the ability to feel positive about their own future prospects
- Students will be prepared by increasing their level of self-confidence about the world of work and the role of employers
- Students may be given the opportunity to access a supported internship if appropriate
careers education
Students receive a comprehensive careers education programme which is within the curriculum and which follows the Gatsby Benchmarks. Our students have the opportunity to access individual and group careers guidance from an independent specialist.
Our students have access to accurate, up-to-date and comprehensive careers information at appropriate levels and through a wide variety of media.
We aim to offer a bespoke curriculum so that all students can access the different vocational courses if there is a specific interest. This may lead to vocational qualifications. Students have opportunities to listen to external speakers who will come into the Academy and talk to students positively about the opportunities that are available to them after year 14.
Careers Education is delivered at Milestone in Phases 3 & 4. How this is delivered is differentiated by pathway and department. We identify effective Careers education as supporting students to develop their
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Determination
- Self-Improvement as a learner
How we support our students to develop in these areas is cross-curricular, and where appropriate will go beyond discrete Careers Lessons, forming an integral part of that young person’s curriculum. Students work towards a variety of qualifications, including accreditations in Work-Related Learning, and BTEC units in Preparation for Work.
Some of our students in Year 14 may also access Supported Internships or Apprenticeships.
If you would like any more information about any aspect of our careers offer, please do not hesitate to contact Kyle Marsh, our careers lead.
During students’ time at Milestone Academy they are entitled to:
- A careers education programme: lessons, workshops, external speakers, work-related learning or taster days
- Regular feedback on their academic progress and how to improve so that they can achieve your goals
- Support to develop better self-awareness so that they can recognise their own strengths, areas for development, skills, motivations, and abilities
- Assistance when accessing and understanding information on open day, jobs, colleges, and apprenticeships
- Independent information, advice and guidance on their future career when they leave Milestone Academy
- An understanding of the opportunities that are available and how to access them, so they can make positive decisions for their future
- Access to Independent and Impartial Guidance so that they can make choices and plans that are best for them
- A transition plan so they can plan their future with our help
- Access to comprehensive, user-friendly web-based information to help them when making decisions
- Support with letters of application, filling in forms etc
- Help with choices in years 9, 11 and 14
Who can help?
- Class Teachers
- Phase Leaders and Assistant Principals
- Trust Careers Adviser: Ruth Evans
- Careers Lead: Kyle Marsh
Email: kyle.marsh@milestoneacademy.org.uk
Tel: 01474709420
annual careers day
This year’s Milestone Futures Showcase will take place on 1 May 2024.
Each April Milestone Academy holds an annual Careers Convention. We encourage students in secondary and their families to attend.
We invite local and national employers to meet our students and their families, ask each-other questions, and find out as much as they possibly can about the world of work.
It is also an opportunity for students and families to speak to external educators including:
- local FE providers
- independent specialist colleges
- residential care providers
- support agencies and service providers
We would like our students and families to find out as much as they can about the different provisions that may be available to them after they leave Milestone Academy.
In addition, some of our Year 10 students attend the Leigh Academies Trust’s Annual Year 10 Careers Convention, which usually takes place in June.
useful websites and resources
Careers Education
- The Careers and Enterprise Company
- The Gatsby Benchmarks
- The A-Z of Job Roles (SEN/D)
- Careers SEND Resources
- Supporting Students with SEN
Transition to Adult Life
- Association for all speech impaired children (AFASIC)
- Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (ASBAH)
- British Association for Teachers of the Deaf (BATOD)
- British Deaf Association
- British Epilepsy Association
- British Institute of Learning disabilities
- Changing society for the better
- Contact a family (Families with children with learning difficulties)
- Council for Young people with disabilities
- Department of Health
- Directory of specialist colleges (Only on website – no hard copy)
- Disability Code of Practice for Schools (Disability rights commission)
- Down’s Syndrome Association
- Dyspraxia Foundation
- Foundation for people with learning difficulties
- ICAN (helping children communicate)
- Kent Start Profile
- LAT Additional Needs Engagement
- Local Charity who specialise in supporting people with learning difficulties
- MENCAP (understanding learning difficulty)
- National Autistic Society
- National Death Children Society (NDCS)
- Respond: challenging vulnerability and sexual abuse in the lives of people with learning disabilities
- Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB)
- Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID)
- SENSE (visual and or hearing impairment and associated disabilities)
- Unique – A charity for people who suffer from rare chromosomal disorders
for employers
Why hire a Milestone Academy student?
Students at Milestone Academy receive extensive training and education about the world of work. This includes:
- Work experience at an appropriate stage of their education. This is often in Year 14, but can be sooner if it is suitable for that young person.
- Social Skills training, including how to manage conflicts.
- Careers education from the age of 11 onwards. This includes trips and visits to a number of workplaces, visits to the Academy from external speakers, and workshops focused on developing employability skills.
Students at Milestone are self-confident, and learn without limits. They have all worked very hard to achieve their goals.
Milestone Academy students are also extremely well-mannered, motivated, and interested in learning and making a contribution. Some of our students and young people need more help than others, but we know that if they get the right amount of support at just the right time, they can flourish.