Provider Access Policy

Provider Access Legislation

Policy details

• Date approved - September 2026
• Next review date - September 2027

Access for colleges, training providers, university technical colleges, and all other post-16 providers offering technical, vocational, and academic routes and apprenticeships.

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.

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

1. Statutory Requirements

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

All schools and 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 to 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, all students will have at least six encounters with providers of approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships. For our academy (covering Years 7 to 11), this requirement is delivered across two key mandatory phases:

• 1st key phase: Years 8 or 9 — two encounters that are mandatory for all students to attend.
• 2nd key phase: Years 10 or 11 — two encounters that are mandatory for all students to attend.

(Note: The 3rd key phase covering Years 12 and 13 applies to post-16 institutions).

2. Pupil Entitlement (Intended Learning Outcomes)

At Co-op Academy Belle Vue, we will use the Gatsby Benchmarks as a framework of best practice to develop and improve our careers provision. This ensures that we not only fulfil our legal duties of providing opportunities for a range of education and training providers to access all students in Years 8 to 11, but also deliver CEIAG programmes that meet the needs of an ever-changing cohort.

All of our students are entitled:

1. To find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeship 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 main academy hours, and there is a minimum expectation that our providers will supply:

• 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).
• A 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 students and those with additional learning needs.

Further detail of our CEIAG programme is available on our website.

3. Management of Provider Access Requests

3.1 Access Requests

A provider wishing to request access should complete our online request form or contact the careers team directly via email at careers@coopbellevue.co.uk.

Alternatively, providers may contact:

• AVP & CEIAG Leader: Daniel Hargreaves
• Email: daniel.hargreaves@coopacademies.co.uk
• Telephone: 0161 250 3101

3.2 Opportunities for Access

Our academy offers the mandatory provider encounters required of us by law, alongside a number of additional events integrated into our careers programme. We offer providers the opportunity to come into our academy to speak to students and/or their parents or carers.

• Year 7 Autumn Term: Careers assemblies and small group sessions; Unifrog webinar access
• Year 7 Spring Term: Careers Conference; External apprenticeship speakers during National Apprenticeship Week; Careers speaker during National Careers Week; Careers in STEM speaker
• Year 7 Summer Term: T Levels speaker; Local post-16 speakers
• Year 8 Autumn Term: Careers assemblies and small group sessions; Unifrog webinar access
• Year 8 Spring Term: Careers Conference; External apprenticeship speakers during National Apprenticeship Week; Careers speaker during National Careers Week; Careers in STEM speaker
• Year 8 Summer Term: T Levels speaker; Local post-16 speakers
• Year 9 Autumn Term: Careers assemblies and small group sessions; Unifrog webinar access
• Year 9 Spring Term: Careers Conference; External apprenticeship speakers during National Apprenticeship Week; Careers speaker during National Careers Week; Careers in STEM speaker
• Year 9 Summer Term: T Levels speaker; Local post-16 speakers
• Year 10 Autumn Term: Careers assemblies and small group sessions; Unifrog webinar access
• Year 10 Spring Term: Careers Conference; External apprenticeship speakers during National Apprenticeship Week; Careers speaker during National Careers Week; Careers in STEM speaker
• Year 10 Summer Term: Work Experience; T Levels speaker; Local post-16 speakers
• Year 11 Autumn Term: Careers assemblies and small group sessions; Unifrog webinar access; College Fortnight Assemblies (September); Post-16 Clinics; Post-16 Evening (October)
• Year 11 Spring Term: External apprenticeship speakers during National Apprenticeship Week; Careers speaker during National Careers Week; Careers in STEM speaker

Staff Access: Academy staff will be accessible through meetings, CPD, and staff training throughout the year.

There may be additional opportunities added to the CEIAG programme throughout the 2026/27 academic year.

3.3 Safeguarding

Our policy on safeguarding (available on our website) sets out our approach to allowing providers into our academy as visitors to talk to our students. Education and training providers are expected to adhere strictly to this policy.

3.4 Premises and Facilities

Our academy will make the auditorium, sports 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. All arrangements will be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the Careers Leader or a member of their team.

Providers are welcome to leave copies of their prospectus or other relevant course literature at reception, from where they will be delivered to the careers section of the library. This facility is accessible to all students at lunch and break times.

4. Monitoring Arrangements

Co-op Academy Belle Vue’s arrangements for managing the access of education and training providers to our students is monitored by Daniel Hargreaves

This policy will be reviewed by September 2027. At every review, the policy will be approved by the governing board and Head of Academy.

5. Student Destinations

Our first cohort of GCSE students left Co-op Academy Belle Vue in 2026. Destination data will be published and updated in this policy at the next scheduled review.