Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)
At the City of London Academy Highbury Grove our vision is to empower students so they are able to take control over their own future. We have designed a program to provide students with excellent independent advice and guidance with regards to careers, further and higher education and future life choices.
The Academy believes it is essential that young people have access to high-quality and reliable careers information, advice and guidance, and regular exposure to professionals from a wide range of industries. We incorporate much of the careers program into the PSHCE, assemblies and tutor time. This is developed further by extracurricular events such as the Year 9 Careers Fair, Careers Interviews for Year 11 and Year 13 students, as well as a week of in-person work experience for all Year 10 and Year 12 students.
Like the rest of the school, our careers provision is inclusive by design. We work closely with The Access Project, Think Forward, and the Careers Service at Islington Council to support learners in achieving their goals and aspirations. Our careers provision is also underpinned by the Unifrog platform, enabling students and parents to research universities, colleges, and apprenticeship routes together.
We are committed to providing opportunities that can lead to employment for our young people by understanding their goals and supporting them to develop the skills they require. Our planning is informed by the Gatsby Benchmarks, ensuring that our careers programme is structured to support students as they progress through the key stages and prepare for their next steps in education, training, or employment. Our program is reviewed throughout the year using the Compass Plus evaluation tool.
The COLAHG Careers policy on CEIAG recognises and conforms to the Department for Education’s statutory guidance *‘Careers guidance and access for education and training providers’, originally updated in October 2018 and most recently revised in May 2025.”
Roles and Responsibilities
The Academy Careers Leader, Ms James (Associate Assistant Principal), can be contacted by email at ejames@highburygrove.cola.org.uk or by phone on 020 7288 8900 (Extension 277).
Mr Jones is the Lead for Careers Education within the PSHCE Curriculum.
Ms Kither is Head of Sixth Form and has oversight of all aspects of post-16 CEIAG, particularly the preparation of students for higher education or further training and employment post-18.
Claire Tunley is our dedicated governor with oversight of our careers programme at the academy. She works closely with the academy to help us to ensure that our careers provision is robust and serves all of our students. She also helps to review this plan on an annual basis.