Careers Education

What is an apprenticeship?

It’s a real job, with hands-on experience, a salary and the chance to train while you work. You’re treated just like all the other employees, with a contract of employment and holiday leave.

If you’re 16 or over, you can become an apprentice as long as you spend at least 50% of your working hours in England - for the duration of the apprenticeship and you are not in full-time education.

When you're an apprentice:

• you get paid and train at the same time, with at least 20% of your time spent in off the job training, often at a college, university or with a training provider
• you train to be fully competent in your chosen occupation
• you’re on a career path - with lots of future potential for you
• Your apprenticeship can take between one and six years to complete, depending on which apprenticeship you choose, what level it’s at, and your previous experience.

Different apprenticeships are available all over England, at companies large and small, in a wide range of industries and organisations. From local organisations to large national brands.

You get valuable hands-on experience working whilst you learn, which helps you progress in your working life.

Completing your apprenticeship means you've earned and learned. Given your training is funded by contributions from the government and your employer, and you receive a regular salary, apprenticeships are a great option for getting on the job ladder or supercharging your career.

What are the different types of apprenticeship?

There are hundreds of different apprenticeships to choose from.

All apprenticeships make sure you're ‘job ready’ for the role you have trained for.

Apprentices earn a salary right from day one of their employment and training.

Amazing ApprenticeshipsApprenticeships

Currently Available Apprenticeships

Early Years Apprenticeship

Neale-Wade Academy is now working with the charity Future First to form an alumni to reconnect us with our former students and keep in touch with our school leavers. Having an alumni will support us in so many ways, from volunteers and in-school speakers to work experience providers and fundraisers.

If you are a former student of either Neale-Wade or Hereward school, please join our alumni community by clicking here. Please also make friends, family and collegues aware of this.

If you have any questions about the programme please contact Neil Matthews on nmatthews@cromwell.cambs.sch.uk

The Neale Wade Association

(formerly March Grammar School and Neale Wade Former Students Association)

Click here to be redirected to the Neale Wade Association website

Evidence shows that young people who had participated in a careers talk with employers improves outcomes and reduces NEETs compared to their peers who did not participate.

Neale-Wade Academy would love to hear from local businesses who would be willing to support our students with meaningful encounters in school or host a workplace visit.

There are many ways you can share your experience and help build our student’s knowledge of employability skills, the workplace, the labour market and job search skills.  At Neale-Wade Academy we have a whole host of activities you could join in with and we are always open to new ways of developing our future workforce if you have ideas of your own!

Examples include work experience placements for our year 10 &12's, small group workplace visits, mock interviews and assessment centres, Tutor time talks, presentations Careers Fairs and Employability Days.

If you are able to support for any of these, please contact me on
nmatthews@cromwell.cambs.sch.uk or 01354 606048

What are the Gatsby Benchmarks?

The Gatsby Benchmarks were developed on behalf of the Gatsby Foundation by Sir John Holman. They define what world class careers provision in education looks like and provide a clear framework for organising the careers provision at your school or college.

From November 2025, the evaluation questions a school uses to judge its performance against the benchmark have changed. The questions are now much more in-depth and encompass all subjects for Benchmark 4, a fuller evaluation of the Baker Clause and Provider Access Legislation for Benchmark 7, and an expansion of work experience for Benchmark 6. The goal is to further embed careers education into the heart of secondary education. Schools have a period of 12 months to evaluate their careers education in order to progress towards these new evaluations. The immediate consequence of this is that evaluation scores may drop a little as schools adjust their careers program to meet the more in-depth standard. 

The benchmarks are enshrined in statutory guidance and as a Careers Leader, it is your responsibility to oversee the implementation of the benchmarks in your education setting.

Find out more

For further information on the Gatsby Benchmarks and statutory guidance, please visit the following sites: 

Skills for jobs: lifelong learning for opportunity and growthStatutory guidance for schools and collegesGood career guidance: Gatsby

Compass+

Compass+ November 2025

This policy statement sets out the school’s arrangements for managing the access of providers to the school for the purpose of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.

All pupils in years 8 to 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 events, assemblies and group discussions and taster events. 
• to understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses. 

For pupils of compulsory school age these encounters are mandatory and there will be a minimum of two encounters for pupils during the ‘first key phase’ year 8 to 9 and two encounters for pupils during the ‘second key phase’ year 10 to 11. For pupils in the ‘third key phase’ year 12 to 13, particularly those that have not yet decided on their next steps, there are two more provider encounters available during this period, which are optional for pupils to attend. 

These provider encounters will be scheduled during the main school hours and the provider will be given a reasonable amount of time to, as a minimum: 

• share information about both the provider and the approved technical education qualification and apprenticeships that the provider offers 
• explain what career routes those options could lead to 
• provide insights into what it might be like to learn or train with that provider including the opportunity to meet staff and pupils from the provider.
• answer questions from pupils. 

Meaningful provider encounters

One encounter is defined as one meeting or session between pupils and one provider. We are committed to providing meaningful encounters to all pupils using the Making it meaningful checklist. 
Meaningful online engagement is also an option, and we are open to providers that who are able to provide live online engagement with our pupils. 

In previous terms/years we have invited the following providers from the local area to speak to our pupils: 

• College of West Anglia
• Peterborough College
• Cambridge Regional College
• North Cambs Training Centre - Chatteris
• Aim Apprenticeships
• Anglia Ruskin University – Cambridge and Peterborough Campuses
• Lincoln University

Management of provider access requests

Procedure

A provider wishing to request access should contact Neil Matthews, Career’s Lead by email at nmatthews@cromwell.cambs.sch.uk

Opportunities for access

The school offers the six provider encounters required by law and several additional events, integrated into the school careers programme. We will offer providers an opportunity to come into school to speak to pupils or their parents or carers. 

Premises and Facilities

The school will make the main hall, classrooms, or private meeting rooms available for discussions between the provider and pupils, as appropriate to the activity. The school will also make available AV and other specialist equipment to support provider presentations. This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the Careers Leader or a member of their team.

Meaningful online engagement is also an option, and we are open to providers who are able to provide live online engagement with our pupils. 

Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature, which will be distributed to students.  

Complaints

Any complaints with regards to provider access can be raised following the school complaints procedure or directly with The Careers & Enterprise Company via provideraccess@careersandenterprise.co.uk 

Approval and review 

Approved by Governors at Curriculum and Standards Committee dated

Next review date: 31 January 2025

Signed:                       Chair of Governors    Lucetta Crosskill 

Signed:                       Head Teacher                

Raising of the Participation Age

All young people are required to remain in education or training until their 18th birthday.  This does not have to mean staying in school.

Students can choose to study or train in any of the following ways:

• Stay on full-time in a school, college or with a training provider (many young people also do a part time job alongside this).
• Take up an apprenticeship or traineeship.
• Work or volunteer full-time, together with part-time accredited education or training.

Parents can make an appointment along with their child by contacting Mr Neil Matthews, Careers Leader, nmatthews@cromwell.cambs.sch.uk

UnifrogApprenticeshipsNational Careers

Careers Appointments can be made for students and parents by contacting me, Mr N Matthews, Careers Manager

Tel: 01354 606048 Email: nmatthews@cromwell.cambs.sch.uk

Or students can visit my office to make an appointment

UnifrogMychoice16ApprenticeshipsNational careersAmazing ApprenticeshipsBarclays Life SkillsUCASCollege of West AngliaPeterborough CollegeCambridge Regional College

At Neale-Wade Academy we have invested in Unifrog a one-stop-shop for students across KS3, KS4 and KS5 regardless of their interests or academic ability.   Using this platform our students can compare every university course, apprenticeship and FE course in the UK as well as university in 30 other countries across the world. This is alongside getting access to labour market information and advice on careers and subjects for all routes.

Helping students to record and evidence their key activities & competencies and prepare their CVs and personal statements alongside the teacher reference, CEIAG interactions recording and destination tracking tools - all in line with the Gatsby Benchmarks - Unifrog helps us to keep a track of students' progression into their next step after school to ensure everyone is given the best possible level of support.

Students will be issued with their own login for Unifrog and can then keep a record of their own Career journey.  Parents can also access Unifrog – information on how both students and parents can login will be provided by school.