| Date | 14 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Review Date | December 2026, then annually, or sooner if practice or legislation changes |
| Owner | Director, NEO & Head of School (Careers Lead during the initial period) |
| Approved by | Approved by the Director, NEO & Head of School on 14 October 2026 under authority delegated by the Proprietor (CEO of Nudge Education Ltd) on 13 October 2026; for noting at the NEO board on 3 December 2026 |
| Version | v10.26 |
A fully online alternative provision for learners aged 11–18
1. Our commitment
Every NEO learner of secondary age has access to accurate, up-to-date and impartial careers guidance that helps them make informed choices about a broad range of options and encourages them to fulfil their potential. That is the online education standard (OEAS 1.7) and it is also the point of NEO: most of our learners arrive with the future narrowed by what has gone wrong, and the Learning Passport, the Discovery Phase and transitions support exist to widen it again.
NEO uses the DfE’s statutory Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (updated 23 June 2026) and the Gatsby Benchmarks as its framework. The guidance is statutory for schools, academies and alternative provision academies; NEO is not a registered school and adopts it as its standard because our learners are entitled to no less.
2. Careers Lead
The Head of School holds the Careers Lead role during the initial period and is the contact for learners, families, commissioners and providers on anything in this statement. The role passes to a named member of staff as the team grows, and the change is recorded in this statement.
3. What NEO provides
- Transitions support from week one: every learner’s Learning Passport records interests, strengths and intended next steps and travels with them; transition planning starts at induction, not in the final term.
- A stable careers programme across the Friday Cornerstones Day and the Practitioner-Mentor check-ins, sequenced by stage: Foundation (exploring interests and the world of work), Intermediate (options at 16, qualifications routes, work-related learning) and Advanced (post-16 and post-18 routes, applications, independence).
- Labour market and options information through the Digital Skills and Relational Intelligence strands and the Discovery Phase pathways, including the “learning by doing” pathway.
- Encounters with employers and with education and training providers: NEO arranges online encounters with employers and with further education, apprenticeship and training providers for Intermediate and Advanced learners, using the regional Nudge Education network, and gives providers access to learners under the provider access arrangements in the statutory guidance (the “Baker clause”). Requests for access are made to the Careers Lead and are met within term time.
- Personal guidance: every Intermediate and Advanced learner has at least one personal careers conversation each year with the Careers Lead or a qualified careers adviser commissioned by NEO, with the Practitioner-Mentor present where the learner wishes.
- Impartiality: guidance presents the full range of academic and technical routes, including those NEO does not offer; NEO does not steer learners towards continuing with NEO.
- SEND and EHCPs: careers planning is built into EHCP reviews and support plans with the SENCo, with the aim of preparation for adulthood.
4. Measuring and reviewing
NEO uses the Gatsby Benchmarks as its measure and records progress against each benchmark annually, reporting to the NEO board. Learner and family feedback on careers support is gathered termly. Destinations of leavers are recorded and reported as counts.
5. Related documents
- DfE, Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (statutory, updated 23 June 2026) and the Gatsby Benchmarks
- NEO — Teaching and Learning Policy
- SEND Policy with NEO Online Addendum
- NEO — Withdrawal Policy (transition at the end of a placement)