Careers Support
At Best Foot Forward, we recognise that a lack of direction and motivation can be a significant barrier to a young person’s engagement in education and academic achievement.
Inspiring Future Pathways
Our Forward Thinking careers programme is designed for students across all age groups, from Key Stage 3 (KS3) to Key Stage 5 (KS5). It supports young people to:
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Explore career options and future pathways
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Develop aspirations and personal goals
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Build confidence in their future direction
Embedding Careers Across the Curriculum
We strongly believe that careers education should be embedded throughout the curriculum, rather than delivered as a standalone subject. This approach helps young people to:
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Understand how their skills and knowledge apply to real-world employment
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See the relevance of their learning
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Develop key employability skills, such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving
Preparing for Life Beyond Education
By integrating careers education into everyday learning, we equip young people with the motivation, confidence, and practical skills they need to progress into:
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Further education and training
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Apprenticeships
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Employment opportunities
Our aim is to help every young person develop a clear sense of purpose and feel prepared for their next steps.
Forward Thinking
Forward Thinking
Forward Thinking is Best Foot Forward’s careers programme, designed to meet all Gatsby Benchmarks through a personalised, collaborative approach with schools, families, and students.
We equip young people with the skills, knowledge, and guidance they need to make confident decisions about their future—whether that’s further education, apprenticeships, or employment.
Our programme runs across all year groups, providing tailored, real-world careers education that builds confidence, raises aspirations, and prepares every learner for life beyond Post-16.
Best Foot Forward & The Gatsby Benchmarks
Gatsby Benchmarks
The Gatsby Benchmarks are a framework for education leaders, headteachers, and careers advisors to assess the development of their pupils in employability skills. They also help students track their own progress and identify areas in which they need to continue developing their skills.
Benchmark 1
Students are entitled to CEIAG which meets professional standards of practice and which is person-centred, personalised and impartial. It is integrated into students’ experience of the whole curriculum and based on a partnership with students and their parents or carers. The programme is structured to deliver explicit learning outcomes, raise aspirations, challenge stereotyping and promote equality and diversity.
Benchmark 2
Best Foot Forward possess a wide range of resources for teaching students about the most up-to-date opportunities within the career and labour market. Our qualified careers advisor keeps abreast of local and national developments and is able to disseminate this information through sessional content as well as media output.
Benchmark 3
We measure the impact of our careers provision by tracking the academic and personal development of students who have received career guidance and mentoring; monitoring improvements in their attendance, behaviour, academic performance and engagement.
Benchmark 4
The careers guidance and education we provide at Best Foot Forward is mainly integrated into our PSHE curriculum (AQA Unit Awards) and through our offer of a BTEC in Personal Growth and Wellbeing. Our curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to explore different career options, develop employability skills, and understanding the importance of lifelong learning especially in the fast-paced, ever-changing world of work.
Benchmark 5
We actively collaborate with local employers, further education institutions, industry experts, and the local Careers Hub to create a network of opportunities for our students. These partnerships provide access to up-to-date information about labour market trends and allow students to build valuable connections to their future careers.
Benchmark 6
We encourage and facilitate (through collaboration with referral agents) work experience and vocational placements, enabling our students to gain real-world exposure and hands-on experience in their areas of interest. This helps bridge the gap between education and employment and fosters a practical understanding of the world of work.
Benchmark 7
Out tutors and mentors are dedicated to ensuring that students have the opportunity to explore further and higher education. We can use session time to attend open days at colleges, read prospectuses, and liaise with colleges and universities to establish opportunities and potential pathways for our students.
Benchmark 8
Students at Best Foot Forward benefit from personalised careers guidance and mentoring. Our dedicated staff, in collaboration with our qualified Careers Adviser, provide one-on-one support to help pupils identify their interests, strengths and ambitions. This ensures that pupils receive tailored advice and resources to help them make informed choices about their desired pathways.
“I’d tell men and women in their midtwenties not to settle for a job or a profession or even a career. Seek a calling. Even if you don’t know what that means, seek it. If you’re following your calling, the fatigue will be easier to bear, the disappointments will be fuel, the highs will be like nothing you’ve ever felt.” ― Phil Knight
The most direct way to access our alternative education services in Hampshire is by completing our online referral form.
Providing as much detail as possible allows our team to develop a bespoke, individualised support plan tailored to your young person’s specific needs. This ensures we can deliver a focused programme that supports meaningful engagement, progress, and positive outcomes.
What to Include in Your Referral
To help us create the most effective provision, please include any relevant documentation, such as:
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EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan)
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Risk Assessments
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Any additional reports or supporting information
The more comprehensive the information provided, the better we can design a targeted tutoring and mentoring package that meets the needs of the young person.