Provider Access Legislation (PAL)  2026-2027

Policy details

• Date created - September 2026
• Date reviewed - September 2027
• Date approved - September 2026
• Next review date - September 2027
• Policy owner - Daniel Ridd

1. Rationale
2. Statutory requirements
3. Pupil entitlement (intended learning outcomes)
4. Management of provider access requests
5. Monitoring arrangements
6. Student destinations

1.Rationale

This policy statement sets out our academy’s  arrangements for managing the access of education and training providers to students for the purpose of giving them information about the various post 16 routes.  All academies legally required to provide at least six encounters with providers of technical education or apprenticeships

It sets out:

• Procedures in relation to requests for access
• The grounds for granting and refusing requests for access

Details of premises or facilities to be provided to a person who is given access

2.Statutory requirements

All academies  adhere to the  updated  DfE Statutory guidance (May '25) and are working towards embedding the updated Gatsby benchmarks and preparing for the future introduction of a guarantee of 2 weeks worth of work experience for every young person.

All academies are required to ensure that there is an opportunity for a range of education and training providers to access students in years 8 to 13 for the purposes of informing them about approved technical education, qualifications or apprenticeships. This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.

In addition to the Baker Clause, an amendment to the above stipulates that schools must allow colleges and training providers access to every student in years 8 - 13 to discuss non-academic routes that are available to them. It is expected that by doing so this will help address the UK’s productivity challenges and address skills shortages experienced across several sectors of the economy. In line with the updated Provider Access Legislation, from January 2023, all students will have at least six encounters with providers of approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships.

This is broken down into key phases: -

• 1st key phase:    Year 8 or 9 two encounters for students that are mandatory for all to attend
• 2nd key phase:   Year 10 or 11 two encounters for students that are mandatory for all to  attend
• 3rd key phase:  Year 12 or 13 two encounters that are mandatory for the academy to offer but optional for students to attend

3.Pupil entitlement (intended learning outcomes)

At Co-op Academy Bebington we will use Gatsby Benchmarks as a framework of best practice  to develop and improve our careers provision to ensure that we not only fulfil legal duties of providing opportunities for a range of education and training providers to access all students in Year 7 to year 13 but to also have  CEIAG programs that meet the needs of an ever changing cohort. All of our students are entitled:

1. To find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point;
2. To hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships
3. To understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.

These provider encounters will be scheduled during the main academy hours and there will a minimum  expectation that our providers will provide :-

• Information about the provider and the approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships they offer

• Information about the careers to which those technical education qualifications or  apprenticeships might lead i.e career routes

• Description of what learning or training with the provider is like,  including the opportunity to meet staff and students where possible

          • Opportunities for students  to ask questions , including our most vulnerable and those

            with additional learning needs.

Further detail of our  CEIAG programme is available on our website

4. Management of provider access requests

4.1 Procedure

A provider wishing to request access should complete this form stating  their  name, contact details, aims and objectives of visit and proposed format  / timings.

4.2 Opportunities for access

Our academy will  offer the six provider encounters required by law and a number of additional events, integrated into our  careers program. We will offer providers an opportunity to come into our academies to speak to students and/or their parents  or carers.

4.3 Safeguarding

Our  policy on safeguarding, which can be found on our website, sets out our approach to allowing providers into our academy as visitors to talk to our students

Education and training providers will be expected to adhere to this policy.

4.4 Premises and facilities

Our academy will make the main hall, classrooms or private meeting rooms available for discussions between the provider and students, as appropriate to the activity.

The academy will also make available AV and other specialist equipment to support provider presentations. This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the Careers Leader or a member of their team.

Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature at reception, from here they will be delivered to the CEIAG Coordinator & Careers Adviser This facility is available to all students at lunch and break times.

5. Monitoring arrangements

Co-op Academy Bebington arrangements for managing the access of education and training providers to our students is monitored by CEIAG Coordinator & Careers Adviser.

This policy will be reviewed by Daniel Ridd and Lucy Forber. At every review, the policy will be approved by the governing board and the headteacher.

6. Student destinations

Last year, our year 11 pupils moved to a range of providers in the local area after school. Here are the destinations  of our Y11 students that left our academy in  July 2025:-

Sixth Form College: 49 (school sixth form) 32 (ther sixth forms

FE College:                98

Apprenticeships: 6

Employment with training: 1

7.Calendar of encounters

Year 7

Autumn term

• Career Awareness assemblies November 2026 (Gatsby 1,2,3,5)
• LJMU working in our science department with students in school (Gatsby 7)
• Careers fair, opportunity to talk to employers, FE, HE and apprenticeship providers on routes into careers (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,7)

Spring term

Year 7 Future focus week -Launch employability booklet (Gatsby 1,2,3,4,5)

National Apprenticeship week, assemblies and guest speaker ASK/Co-op (Gatsby 1,2,3,4)

National Careers week, assemblies and guest speakers (Gatsby 1,2,3,4)

LJMU working in our science department with students in school (Gatsby 7)

Summer term

Developing and completing the employability booklet (Gatsby 4, 5 )

Year 8

Autumn term

• Career Awareness assemblies November 2026 (Gatsby 1,2,3,5)
• Careers fair, opportunity to talk to employers, FE, HE and apprenticeship providers on routes into careers (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,7)

Spring term

National Apprenticeship week, assemblies and guest speaker ASK/Co-op (Gatsby 1,2,3,4)

Year 8 Future focus week.(Gatsby 1,2,3,4,5)

National Careers week, assemblies and guest speakers (Gatsby 1,2,3,4)

Summer term

Enterprise activity delivered through DT curriculum (Gatsby 2,4,5,6)

Dragon’s Den (Gatsby 4, 5)  

Year 9

Autumn term

• Career Awareness assemblies November 2026 (Gatsby 1,2,3,5)
• Careers fair, opportunity to talk to employers, FE, HE and apprenticeship providers on routes into careers (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,7)

Spring term

National Apprenticeship week, assemblies and guest speaker ASK/Co-op (Gatsby 1,2,3,4)

National Careers week, assemblies and guest speakers (Gatsby 1,2,3,4)

Year 9 Careers Uncovered (Gatsby 4)

Summer term

Year  9 careers uncovered (Gatsby 1,2,3,4,5,6)

Year 9 careers safari (Gatsby 4,5,6)

Year 10

Autumn term

• Career Awareness assemblies November 2026 (Gatsby 1,2,3,5)
• Careers fair, opportunity to talk to employers, FE, HE and apprenticeship providers on routes into careers (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,7)

Spring term

National Apprenticeship week, assemblies and guest speaker ASK/Co-op (Gatsby 1,2,3,4)

National Careers week, assemblies and guest speakers (Gatsby 1,2,3,4)

Work experience, either self-placed or from School database - liaise with CEIAG coordinator and Deputy Headteacher (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,6)

Summer term

University Campus visit (Gatsby 7)

Year 10 FE visit (Gatsby 7 )

Year 10 Future focus week.(Gatsby 1,2,3,4,5)

Year 11

Autumn term

• Career Awareness assemblies November 2024,  Wirral Met and Chesh Coll SW speaking - vocational/ technical quals and apprenticeships (Gatsby 1,2,3,5)
• Future focus Week. Input from, FE, ASK, employers & Shaping Futures, Future skills questionnaire (Gatsby 1,2,3,4,5)
• Next steps conversations/ surveys with the sixth form and careers team.(Gatsby 1,3,8)
• Post 16 Choices assembly - providers from Liverpool City Region offering insights into vocational/technical pathways and apprenticeships. (Gatsby 2)
• LJMU working in our science department with students in school (Gatsby 7)
• Careers fair, opportunity to talk to employers, FE, HE and apprenticeship providers on routes into careers (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,7)

Spring term

National Apprenticeship week, assemblies and guest speaker ASK/Co-op (Gatsby 1,2,3,4)

National Careers week, assemblies and guest speakers (Gatsby 1,2,3,4)

Mock interviews with employers FE/HE and apprenticeship providers, One to one feedback on CVs from previous term as well as interview techniques (Gatsby 1,3,5)

LJMU working in our science department with students in school (Gatsby 7)

Summer term

Exams/exam study.

Year 12

Autumn term

• Early careers foundation assembly (Gatsby 4)
• Campus visit for further and higher education, technical and vocational providers and employer encounters (Gatsby 5,6,7)
• The British Army scholarships (Gatsby 5)
• Career Awareness assemblies November 2026, (Gatsby 1,2,3,5)
• Level 2 work skills - work experience, either self-placed or from School database - liaise with CEIAG coordinator and Careers leaders (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,6)

Spring term

Career guidance meetings (Gatsby 8)

National Apprenticeship week, assemblies and guest speaker ASK/Co-op (Gatsby 1,2,3,4)

National Careers week, assemblies and guest speakers (Gatsby 1,2,3,4)

Mock interviews with employers FE/HE and apprenticeship providers, One to one feedback on CVs from previous term as well as interview techniques (Gatsby 1,3,5)

Summer term

Year 12 Future focus day (Gatsby 7,8)

Year 13

Autumn term

• Early careers foundation assembly (Gatsby 4)
• Campus visit for further and higher education, technical and vocational providers and employer encounters (Gatsby 5,6,7)
• Year 13 applications day (Gatsby 2, 7 &8)
• Career Awareness assemblies November 2026 (Gatsby 1,2,3,5)

Spring term

Careers fair, opportunity to talk to employers, FE, HE and apprenticeship providers on routes into careers (Gatsby 1,2,3,5,7,8)

National Apprenticeship week, assemblies and guest speaker ASK/Co-op (Gatsby 1,2,3,4)

National Careers week, assemblies and guest speakers (Gatsby 1,2,3,4)

Mock interviews with employers FE/HE and apprenticeship providers, One to one feedback on CVs from previous term as well as interview techniques (Gatsby 1,3,5)

Additional support for vulnerable students

• Additional careers guidance meetings.
• EHCP reviews
• Bespoke mock interview prep and interviews

Staff CPD

• CEIAG introduction training for new staff
• Whole staff Training on Unifrog
• Further Educational Pathways bespoke to departmental need
• LMI