1. North East Ambition: Systems and Structures that Underpinned the North East Pilot Ryan Gibson

2. Establish you aims from the outset
The original pilot had 2 clear aims
To embed the ‘Good Career Guidance Benchmarks’ in 16 schools and colleges in the North East Local Enterprise Partnership area.
To test the benchmarks in action – documenting the conditions, support and capacity needed by schools and colleges to make measurable and rapid progress towards the achievement of the benchmarks.

3. And 4 clear objectives
Build capacity within and between the pilot schools to deliver a consistent, comprehensive and high quality career education for all students that meets the standards of the Good Career Guidance Benchmarks.
Test the impact of the Good Career Guidance Benchmarks on student outcomes and whole school/college culture in a diversity of settings over a two year period.
Identify the problems and barriers to the comprehensive implementation of the Good Career Guidance Benchmarks within different schools and localities, and identify solutions and opportunities to overcome these issues.
Create a sustainable and replicable approach to the implementation of the Good Career Guidance Benchmarks that can be applied at scale in other areas of England.

4. Link to Strategic Priorities
Nationally – DfE Careers Strategy, Statutory Guidance, Industrial Strategy, Ofsted, Performance Measures
Regionally – Strategic Economic Plan, Local Industrial Strategy, Devolved Agreements
Locally – Local Area Plans, Education and Business Improvement Plans
Individually – School Improvement Plan, IDSR, Leadership
Stakeholders – Businesses, Employer Groups, Universities, Career organisations, Initiatives, LA

5. ‘North East Ambition’

6. To succeed the Hub will require strong local leadership
The local management of the Hub will need to:
Provide an effective governance structure
Employ and provide office space and essential services (IT support etc.) for the Hub Lead and any additional staff employed as part of the hub
Monitor key project deliverables and report progress and impact
Provide a mechanism for the management and distribution of learning and monitor financial decisions and funding allocations
Liaise with the Evaluators and other key stakeholders
Ensure the Hub activity is coordinated with other related programmes and activities to avoid duplication

7. Governance
Steering Group – sets the strategic direction of the pilot, monitors progress, works to align with the regional and national agenda, liaises with officials and evaluators
Advisory Group – comprises of range of senior stakeholders from influential organisations who work closely with the Facilitator (hub lead) to ensure they have access to key networks – improving influence, coherence and opportunity
Regional Employment and Skills Board – align the work of the pilot, its progress and impact, with the needs of the region.

8. The Facilitator (Hub Lead)
Provides a key leadership and facilitation role
The success of the hub may hinge on the credible, entrepreneurial and organised hub lead supporting and challenging schools and colleges

9. Establish Processes and Timeframes from the beginning
Key Documentation – Audit, Action Plan, Resource Plan, Case Study Template
Collective Meetings - 3 Collective Meetings per academic year (one per term) to discuss overall trends, patterns, share best practice, understand common barriers, be signposted to support and network.
Individual Progress Meetings – 3 formal meetings per year in the school and college Sept/Oct, Jan/February, June/July to monitor progress against action plan
Case Studies – to be submitted 3 times per year, once per term

10. Matt Joyce, Careers Leader, Harton Academy
Audit and Action Plan
The benchmarks provide a common, consistent and coherent framework outlining what needs to be achieved – with associated measures.
They do not tell each individual school ‘how’ to achieve the benchmarks but allow the flexibility for schools and colleges to develop their own approaches.
“The process of having easy to understand yet challenging benchmarks that you can measure, an audit document that requires evidenced based self-evaluation showcasing where your strengths and weaknesses are and highlighting where you are close to achieving, has been so useful.
The audit translates easily into an action planning system, with measures and outcomes to know if you have been successful. Ultimately, this has helped to drive improvement at our school.”
Matt Joyce, Careers Leader, Harton Academy

11. Accurately Assess Starting Points
The Hub Lead should challenge the evidence the school / college has based their decisions on to ensure decisions are robust.
The Hub lead should ensure consistency of ‘decision making’ across the Hub

12. Analyse Audit

13. Hub Level Analysis

14. Hub level Analysis

15. Share the Analysis

16. Maintain a focus on all 8 benchmarks for each and every student
There is no single ‘magic bullet’ for good career guidance: it is about doing a number of things, identified in the benchmarks, doing them consistently, doing them well and doing them for each and every student.
- Sir John Holman

17. Capture Impact Increase in Careers Related Activities
Improvements in outcomes data
Changes in strategic and operational structure
Changes in leadership culture
Allocation and Re-allocation of resource
Innovative practice
New approaches
Collaboration

18. Establish the support structures to meet need
NORTH EAST AMBITION: Audit of Practice
NORTH EAST AMBITION: Careers Leader Network
NORTH EAST AMBITION: Working Groups
3 regional careers leader network meetings per year, sharing best practice and shaping next practice, supported by an opportunities bulletin and regular communications.
Access to Audit, Action Plan and on-going LEP support
SEND, Rural/Coastal, Colleges and LMI, Destinations Data, Careers in the Curriculum
NORTH EAST AMBITION: Enterprise Adviser Network
NORTH EAST AMBITION: Directory of Provision
NORTH EAST AMBITION: LMI Videos and Toolkit
Signposting schools / colleges to national and regional sources of information and support, broken down by benchmark and searchable
3 videos and showcasing the regional labour market, routes to more and better jobs and raising aspirations. Supporting adaptable power points /lesson /tutorial / assembly plans. Data Hub.
Strategically linking senior business professionals with leaderships teams in schools

19. Build a Community of Practice
@northeastlep
#NEAmbition

20. Remember… the stories are important
It is these that win hearts and minds, are authentic demonstrations of impact and lead to wider engagement