Top award for careers lead at Peterborough academy

Adam Tan, the Career Lead for Ormiston Bushfield Academy, has one the Securing Futures award from Ormiston Academies Trust (OAT).

As the COVID-19 restrictions meant work experience for Year 10 students couldn’t take place, Adam introduced the REED Virtual Work Experience Workbook which introduced students to key staff from across the company, including sales and finance.

However, Adam then went a step further to partner with Cummins Engineering to deliver a series of collaborative workshops and Q&A sessions with engineers, apprentices and graduates, culminating with an insight day coordinated by Speakers for Schools.

The students had a great time learning about the different businesses and were given a chance to explore different career options. The experience has now been used to develop the OAT Virtual Work Experience.

Adam also launched the “Be Inspired Careers Interviews”, a series of pre-recorded interviews with employees and employers from different industries who answered questions submitted by students. Once edited together, the careers interviews, alongside subject careers resources, were uploaded to a closed careers website so tutors could show students in pastoral time and PSHE lessons and students and parents could access them at home.

Adam also successfully introduced departmental Careers Champions to raise the priority of careers learning in specialist subjects and encourage careers to be embedded in the curriculum.

Finally, to ensure that career experience was inclusive for all students, Adam has worked with the SENCO team to help them support their students in creating an action plan and applying for further education.

Dennis Kirwan, Principal of Ormiston Bushfield Academy said: “As our students get close to the end of their time with us it is imperative that we help them explore all of the options available and support them in getting to where they want to go. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Adam has continuously offered support to all of our students. Both myself and the students are very grateful for all his hard work.”