Vision and Philosophy

What is our vision and philosophy?

At Harris Academy Ockendon our careers vision is for our students to “Own their Future.” We believe in our students receiving a careers curriculum, encounters, experiences, and guidance that enables all students to make informed choices about their future destinations.

The academy in accordance with the Baker Clause, ensures that all students understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them, including academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities, and the workplace.

Our philosophy is inspired by the CDI Framework (2021) ambition of having the skills, knowledge, and the ability to enter ‘positive careers.’ A ‘positive career’ will mean something different to everyone, but it will typically include being happy with the way you spend your time, being able to make a contribution to your community and being able to have a decent standard of living.

The six learning areas

We believe in the importance of linking careers provision to our broad and balanced curriculum. These are highlighted in our curriculum maps under “own your future.” Examples include:

In Drama students will engage with the physical theatre company ‘Frantic Assembly’
In English students will explore how to communicate their viewpoint and ideas effectively through a piece of transactional writing
In Science students will have a STEM ambassador for musculoskeletal biomechanics

Outside of our student’s careers curriculum they will receive tailored guidance from a career’s advisor throughout their school careers. This will enable them to make informed choices around their ambitious destinations.

In you wish to book a careers meeting slot please email Mr Milne: j.milne1@harrisfederation.org.uk

Students are also able to independently discover their different career options through their Unifrog login. We encourage students to compare their different destination options at both post-16 and post 18 and make choices informed by labour market information.

If you would like any further information about the careers provision or Unifrog please contact Ms Sharpe via email at a.nutman@harrisockendon.org.uk or Mr Jackson via a.jackson@harrisockendon.org.uk.