King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy careers education programme provides our pupils with the opportunity to plan and manage their careers effectively, ensuring progression which is ambitious and aspirational. It promotes equality of opportunity, celebrates diversity and challenges stereotypes. It is designed to meet the Gatsby benchmarks and conforms to statutory requirements.
We aim to support pupils to make realistic and informed decisions about their future, by raising aspirations and providing impartial and independent information and guidance.
Our vision is to consistently support and engage every individual pupil to understand and develop their own future pathway, and to confidently raise knowledge around careers which will inform the pupils aspirations. For pupils to be bold in their decision making, ambitious in their learning, to work collaboratively with others to enrich their experiences and to be kind to themselves and others.
Each pupil has their own dreams and ambitions – we help them to discover them and pursue them and challenge them to make a difference to their own lives. Our CEIAG provision is delivered with a high emphasis on one-to-one meetings with a professional careers advisor, alongside whole school provision.
Miss Yolanda Duckworth is the Careers Leader for King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy and is supported by Miss Jenny Quinn who leads on Aim Higher to ensure that pupils receive the appropriate support and opportunities throughout their time at King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy.
We also employ Careers Education Independent Advice and Guidance counsellors (CEIAGs), Ms Marvet McAnuff provides bespoke provision for all our pupils.
We greatly encourage parents to support in this journey. All key information will be available on the website. You will also be able to stay up to date by following our King Edward Balaam Wood Academy Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts, links to which are below.
We are incredibly proud to share that 100% of our pupils who left in September 2025 successfully secured a place at their first-choice college or sixth form.
This outstanding achievement reflects the hard work, ambition and dedication of our pupils, alongside the guidance and support provided by staff and families.
We are especially delighted to celebrate the success of four pupils who have been awarded Prefect roles at King Edward VI Five Ways Sixth Form, demonstrating their leadership, character and commitment.
As a school, we continue to strengthen our commitment to high-quality careers education. We have established strong relationships with a wide range of external employers. Through the Youth Engagement Partnership, led by MEPC, we are closely linked with the Paradise Birmingham development—a site home to organisations such as F1 Arcade, AtkinsRéalis, Dains Accountancy, Arup, DLA Piper, Mills & Reeve, to name just a few.
In addition to this, we have recently partnered with The Park Regis Hotel as part of the Hospitality Connect Programme, offering pupils first-hand insight into the diverse range of careers available within the hospitality industry.
We also work with Birmingham City Football Club (BCFC), the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, and a wide range of companies across the region to provide pupils with meaningful workplace experiences that support them in making informed, aspirational decisions about their futures.
This multi-year, multi-partner approach is about far more than careers; it is about raising aspirations, building confidence, and breaking down barriers so that every pupil can thrive.
For any further information about the Careers Curriculum, please contact Miss Duckworth – Careers Leader: careers@bwa.kevibham.org
