Co-op Academy Walkden

Policy Statement on

Provider Access

2025-2026

Access for colleges, training providers, university technical colleges, and all other post 16 providers offering technical votation and academic routes and apprenticeships

Approved by: M. Hacker   Date : September 2026

Last reviewed on : September 2026

Next review: September 2027

This policy statement sets out our academy’s  arrangements for managing the access of education and training providers to students for the purpose of giving them information about the various post 16 routes.

It sets out:

• Procedures in relation to requests for access
• The grounds for granting and refusing requests for access
• Details of premises or facilities to be provided to a person who is given access

1.Statutory requirements

All schools / academies are required to ensure that there is an opportunity for a range of education and training providers to access students in years 8 to 13 for the purposes of informing them about approved technical education, qualifications or apprenticeships. This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.

In addition to the Baker Clause, an amendment to the above stipulates that schools must allow colleges and training providers access to every student in years 8 - 13 to discuss non-academic routes that are available to them. It is expected that by doing so this will help address the UK’s productivity challenges and address skills shortages experienced across several sectors of the economy. In line with the updated Provider Access Legislation, from January 2023, all students will have at least six encounters with providers of approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships.

This is broken down into key phases: -

• 1st key phase:    Year 8 or 9 two encounters for students that are mandatory for all to attend
• 2nd key phase:   Year 10 or 11 two encounters for students that are mandatory for all to

                                  attend

• 3rd key phase:    Year 12 or 13 two encounters that are mandatory for the academy to offer  

                       but optional for students to attend

2.Pupil entitlement (intended learning outcomes)

At Co-op Academy ... we will use Gatsby Benchmarks as a framework of best practice  to develop and improve our careers provision to ensure that we not only fulfil legal duties of providing opportunities for a range of education and training providers to access all students in Year 7 to year 13 but to also have  CEIAG programs that meet the needs of an ever changing cohort. All of our students are entitled:

1. 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;
2. To hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships
3. To understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.

These provider encounters will be scheduled during the main academy hours and there will a minimum  expectation that our providers will provide :-

• Information about the provider and the approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships they offer

• Information about the careers to which those technical education qualifications or  apprenticeships might lead i.e career routes

• Description of what learning or training with the provider is like,  including the opportunity to meet staff and students where possible

          • Opportunities for students  to ask questions , including our most vulnerable and those

            with additonal learning needs.

Further detail of our  CEIAG programme is available on our website

3. Management of provider access requests

3.1 Procedure

A provider wishing to request access should contact  and complete the form below

CEIAG Leader : Kate Walker

Telephone:         0161 850 1625 ext 8046

Email: kate.walker@coopacademies.co.uk

The following information is needed:-

1.Name of provider requesting access and details of provision:

____________________________________________________________________________

2.Contact name of provider and contact details:

____________________________________________________________________________

3.Number of staff who propose to visit

____________________________

4.Aims and objectives of session including suggested year group(s)

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

5.Proposed format, timings and duration of session including facilities and equipment required:

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

3.2 Opportunities for access

Our academy will  offer the six provider encounters required by law and a number of additional events, integrated into our  careers program. We will offer providers an opportunity to come into our academies to speak to students and/or their parents or carers.

Calendar of encounters

Year 7

Autumn term

• Open Evening engagement
• Student aspirations via PD tutors
• Trips and visits: based on student aspirations
• Introduction to Unifrog for students and parents
• Assemblies
• Virtual Careers Safari through PSHE

Spring term

• Careers through PSHE: “Introduce and Inspire”
• FSQ
• Student aspirations via PD tutors
• Trips and visits: based on student aspirations
• Equalex: ‘Employability’
• National Careers Week
• National Apprenticeship Week

Summer term

• Year 7 Progress Review Evening
• Student aspirations via PD tutors
• Trips and visits: based on student aspirations
• Equalex: ‘Employability’

Year 8

Autumn term

• Lunchtime careers drop-ins
• Virtual Careers Safari through PSHE
• Student aspirations via PD tutors
• Trips and visits: based on student aspirations

Spring term

• Careers through PSHE: “Introduce and Inspire”
• Student aspirations via PD tutors
• Trips and visits: based on student aspirations
• Equalex: Enterprise Project: Unilever; Dragons Den
• Lunchtime careers drop-ins
• National Careers Week
• National Apprenticeship Week

Summer term

• Year 8 Progress Review Evening
• Unifrog activities
• Lunchtime careers drop-ins
• Student aspirations via PD tutors
• Trips and visits: based on student aspirations

Year 9

Autumn term

• Lunchtime careers drop-ins
• Careers through PSHE: “Investigate and Explore”
• Student aspirations via PD tutors
• Trips and visits: based on student aspirations

Spring term

• Lunchtime careers drop-ins
• Year 8 Progress Review Evening and Options Evening
• Equalex: Careers Uncovered
• Assembly: Choices/options
• Student aspirations via PD tutors
• Trips and visits: based on student aspirations
• National Careers Week
• National Apprenticeship Week

Summer term

• Equalex: ‘Career Safari’
• Lunchtime careers drop-ins
• Student aspirations via PD tutors
• Trips and visits: based on student aspirations

Year 10

Autumn term

• GM higher visits for specific subjects
• Student aspirations via PD tutors
• Trips and visits: based on student aspirations

Spring term

• GM higher visits for specific subjects
• Student aspirations via PD tutors
• Trips and visits: based on student aspirations
• Careers through PSHE: “Apply and Demonstrate”
• Y10 Progress review evening
• National Careers Week
• National Apprenticeship Week

Summer term

• GM higher visits for specific subjects
• Student aspirations via PD tutors
• Trips and visits: based on student aspirations
• Equalex: work experience
• College Visits/Sampling
• Mock Interviews

Year 11

Autumn term

• GM higher ‘Go For Growth’ Mentoring Intervention
• Post-16 Fair
• Salford Colleges - drop in sessions
• 1:1 Careers Advice Meetings
• Post-16 Provider Assemblies
• PD sessions: College Applications / CV Writing
• Y11 Progress Review Evening
• Student aspirations via PD tutors

Spring term

• Careers through PSHE: “Apply and Demonstrate”
• 1:1 Careers Advice Meetings
• PD sessions: College Applications / CV Writing
• Student aspirations via PD tutors
• National Careers Week
• National Apprenticeship Week

Summer term

• Careers Drop-ins

Additional support for vulnerable students

Additional Careers Guidance Meetings

Bespoke college sampling and transition

The Hive enterprise project

Worsley College - The Glass House - experience of the workplace (Friday lunch service)

EHCP reviews

Bespoke college application clinic

Home visits

Bespoke mock interview prep and interviews

Staff CPD

Autumn term

New staff - introduction to CEIAG

LMI updated - application and impact

Spring term

Further Education pathways (bespoke to departmental need)

Summer term

Gatsby Benchmarks (bespoke to staff need)

3.3 Safeguarding

Our  policy on safeguarding, which can be found on our website, sets out our approach to allowing providers into our academy as visitors to talk to our students

Education and training providers will be expected to adhere to this policy.

3.4 Premises and facilities

Our academy will make the main hall, classrooms or private meeting rooms available for discussions between the provider and students, as appropriate to the activity.

The academy 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.

Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature at reception, from here they will be delivered to the Careers Library, in the Careers Advisors Office. This facility is available to all students at lunch and break times.

4. Monitoring arrangements

Co-op Academy Walkden arrangements for managing the access of education and training providers to our students is monitored by Kate Walker, Assistant Principal for Personal Development.

This policy will be reviewed by Kate Walker, annually. At every review, the policy will be approved by the Community Council and the Principal.

5. Student destinations

Last year, our year 11 pupils moved to a range of providers in the local area after school. Here are the destinations  of our Y11 students that left our academy in  July 2024:-

Sixth Form College: 19%

FE College: 69.8%

Apprenticeships: 3.7%

Employment with training: 1.4%