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Careers

Careers

The Gatsby Benchmarks

The Gatsby Benchmarks

The eight benchmarks are a framework for good career guidance developed to support secondary schools and colleges in providing students with the best possible careers education, information, advice, and guidance.

  1. A stable careers programme
  2. Learning from career and labour market information
  3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
  4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
  5. Encounters with employers and employees
  6. Experiences of workplaces
  7. Encounters with further and higher education
  8. Personal guidance
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The Parents' Guide to:

  • The Parents’ Guide to Apprenticeships 2021-2022
  • The Parents’ Guide to Study and exam revision (GCSE)
  • The Parents’ Guide to Post 16 Options (full edition)
  • The Parents’ Guide to Post 16 Options (summary)
  • The Parents’ Guide to Study and exam revision (sixth form)
  • The Parents’ Guide to Post 18 Options (summary)
  • The Parents’ Guide to University 2021-2022
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FE, HE and apprenticeship links

FE, HE and apprenticeship links

Posted on 16 July 2021

Last week we welcomed Junior Saunders from ASK Apprenticeships who came into school to talk to our Year 12 students all about Apprenticeships and more.

Our students now have a greater understanding of Apprenticeships and are better armed to make informed decisions about their futures.

Many thanks to Junior for an engaging and informative presentation.

Junior Saunders from ASK Apprenticeships

Posted on 1 July 2021

Yesterday we welcomed Iona Jones from University of Bath who came to speak to the Year 12 students about all the things they need to consider when choosing a university and making an application. The presentation was very informative and engaging.

Year 12 student, Mia, said “Iona’s talk has made me feel much less daunted by the process of writing my personal statement as I have been feeling worried about it. Thank you for making the whole uni process feel more achievable. I don’t feel so out of my depth now”.

Many thanks for visiting, Iona. Your wise words have put a lot of minds at rest.

Iona Jones from University of Bath

Employers

Employers

Thank you

Thank you to all our Employer Partners who have supported our students since the school opened. For more details, take a look at the many companies we've had the privilege of partnering with.

Employer Partner links

Careers talks by employers

Posted 20/03/2022: On 17 March the last of our Year 12 Engineering students visited local firm Bradman Lake who have welcomed all the engineering students to look around their fab operation in small groups over the past few weeks.

Bradman Lake are leaders in packaging equipment solutions based in Keynsham

Bradman Lake are leaders in packaging equipment solutions based right here in Keynsham.

Many thanks to Ian McDermott for welcoming and hosting all our students.

Posted 17/03/2022: On 16 March we welcomed Year 13 students from IKB, Wellsway and SBL to our apprenticeship event where students met the lovely Becca Thurston, Early Careers Manager from Wessex Water who talked to the students about the variety of opportunities available at Wessex Water and how to stand out from the crowd when applying for apprenticeships.

They were then treated to a session with the one and only Junior Saunders from ASK Apprenticeships who got them all registering on the Government apprenticeship website and searching for apprenticeships there and then.

It was a brilliant event which has armed the students with lots of information on the apprenticeship route should they choose that option.

Many thanks to Becca and Junior for coming along.

Building great careers

Ex-IKB student Harry Foy and teachers

Years 10 and 12 met industry visitors yesterday from Clarke Bond and Mott MacDonald who spoke about the huge variety of careers in engineering and construction locally and around the world, as well as the different routes available into these careers. They also showed students some of the exciting projects they have worked on, including the construction of IKB Academy.

Speakers included former IKB Academy student, Harry Foy who is studying for a degree apprenticeship in civil engineering while working at Mott MacDonald on exciting water and flood engineering projects and hinted at his work for the defence industry, although he couldn't tell us too much about that!

Harry shared with students the advantages of studying A Levels at IKB Academy and how his work experience at Buro Happold in Year 12 gave him lots to talk about at interview and ultimately secured his place on the degree apprenticeship.

Talks from young people working in industry to Year 10 and 11 studentsBoth organisations spoke about upcoming work experience and apprenticeship opportunities available to IKB students and they are really looking forward to hearing from anyone interested in either. For more information, contact Miss Barclay, Careers Leader

Many thanks to everyone who came to talk to the students:

  • Paul Callan, Quantity Surveyor & Project Manager, Mott MacDonald
  • Harry Foy, Apprentice Civil Engineer, Mott MacDonald
  • Mike Hayward, Geographical Information Systems, Mott MacDonald
  • Leah Deverick, Structural Engineer, Clarke Bond
  • Vicky Karavatsi, Graduate Structural Engineer, Clarke Bond

Trips to employers

Beaufort Bespoke 

IKB students visit Beaufort Bespoke joinery company.

Many thanks to John Cooper at Beaufort Bespoke, a local high end joinery company who shared his passion for bespoke design and problem solving when designing the museum exhibit for Underfall Yard.

The Year 13 students got an insight into the complexities and expense of such a job. They now understand the importance of the design and manufacturing issues that need to be considered.

They were impressed that such a cool company is just a short walk from IKB.

Posted: 25/11/19

IKB Alumni

IKB Alumni

We absolutely love hearing from our past students! If you attended IKB and would like to leave your details for us to make contact with you about coming in and sharing your story with our current students, please complete the Alumni contact form.

Posted 11/02/2022: As part of National Apprenticeship Week we welcomed Alumni student Adam Banfield and his fellow apprentice, Luke Hill into school during lunchtime to give all our students the opportunity to ask them all about apprenticeships and working for Rolls-Royce.

They were very busy with lots of visitors to their stand and they were really impressed with the level of questions being asked and the amount of interest shown by our students.

Many thanks for coming in today guys and good luck with the final few months of your apprenticeship! 

Alumni student Adam Banfield and his fellow apprentice, Luke Hill into school during lunchtime to give all our students the opportunity to ask them all about apprenticeships and working for Rolls-Royce.

Posted 15/07/2021 - Yesterday we welcomed Alumni student, Curtis Grainger who was an IKB student in our opening year in 2015. Curtis was the student representative at the opening ceremony of our brand new building and he gave a fabulous talk alongside the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bath.

Yesterday Curtis gave a talk to our Year 12 students about his Apprenticeship at BMT in Bath. Curtis did his Year 12 school work experience at BMT and says that this was the main reason his apprenticeship application was successful.

Year 12 student Sam Puddy said “I really enjoyed learning what a Marine Architect does and how supportive BMT are of work experience and apprenticeships. It would be great to have the opportunity to visit BMT one day or do work experience with them”.

Many thanks for coming back to visit us, Curtis and for your wise words of helpful guidance for our current students.

Curtis Grainger

Year 12 enrichment session – alumni talk

On 23 June 2021 we welcomed back Alumni student, Roland Whiteley who finished IKB in 2018. He is photographed alongside Debbie Gibbs, Head of School.

On 23 June 2021 we welcomed back alumni student, Roland Whiteley who finished IKB in 2018.

Roland gave an inspirational talk our year 12 students about coming from a low income single parent family with a disabled mum. He flunked year 12 in his first sixth form in Exeter, moved to IKB and repeated the year. He got a D in Product Design in his first year at IKB but with hard work and determination he left IKB with A*A*A and is now in his third year studying Engineering at Oxford!

Roland has singlehandedly inspired our year 12s and to say Mrs Gibbs is proud of him is an understatement!

Thank you Roland you're a true inspiration!

Posted: 29/06/21

Look who came to visit us...

Ex-Student Miles Avery returns to IKB Academy

Miles Avery says the reason he was the only successful student out of 2 000 applicants chosen for his Degree Apprenticeship with Currie & Brown was due to coming to IKB STEM Academy and because of his work experience in Year 10 and Year 12.

We love it when our students come back and tell us that they've finally realised how fantastic IKB is!

Miles is working towards his Chartership in Quantity Surveying. Keep up the great work Miles, we're really proud of you!

Posted: 25/11/19

Work placements and Employer Partners

Work placements and Employer Partners

Posted 04/04/2022: Here is Year 12 engineering student, Ben Sealey during his work experience with Babcock International Group last week.

Her Majesty’s Naval Base Devonport in front of their Frigate Support Complex and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship; Tiderace.

Ben was extremely privileged to go to Her Majesty’s Naval Base Devonport and these images were taken in front of their Frigate Support Complex and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship; Tiderace.

HUGE thanks to James Gladman and his colleagues for supporting Ben on his placement. This is the stuff incredible memories are made of...

Well done Ben for making the most of the opportunity presented to you. We are incredibly proud of you at IKB.

 

Introduction

IKB is committed to providing all of its students work placements at employers that partner with us.

We would like to say a huge thank you to all our employer partners who have supported us. We simply cannot achieve our vision without the support of local businesses who have so kindly offered up their time to give our students invaluable insights into industry.

Our Year 12 students were on placement one day per week and our Year 10s engage in a week long workplacement/enrichment programme during term 2, 3, and 6.

We are proud to be working in partnership with the following organisations:

AHR Architects
Bath and North East Somerset Council
BMT Defence Services
Buro Happold
Campbell Reith
Jaguar
Kier Construction
McBraida
Ministry of Defence
Network Rail
Sitec
Underfall Boat Yard

IKB are constantly looking to increase links with employers in the Bristol & Bath area within the following industries:

  • Architecture and the built environment
  • Science and medicine
  • Technology
  • Engineering
  • Accounting
  • Business

If you are able to offer a work placement to any of our students, please contact:

Clare Barclay email: cbarclay@ikbacademy.org.uk

A provider wishing to request access should contact Clare Barclay.

Further information

 

Careers programme and policies

Careers programme and policies

Contact us

Contact us

For further information please contact:

Careers Leader: Clare Barclay
Email: cbarclay@ikbacademy.org.uk
Tel: 0117 916 1013 

A provider wishing to request access should contact Clare Barclay.