Employer Engagement

Biddenham works with the Enterprise Advisor network, which is delivered by SEMLEP in partnership with the Careers and Enterprise Company.

If you are an Employer and would like to join our network, please email cathy.eckett@biddenham.beds.sch.uk

Employers can support Biddenham in a number of ways, including:

• offering talks to students interested in a particular sector or area of industry;

• delivering an assembly to students on a particular sector or area of industry to inform students about the world of work;

• offering interview experience to sixth formers and younger year groups;

• offering work experience;

• linking with a relevant Head of Subject (Department) in school and allowing visits to the workplace for a class, where it links with a topic being studied, or coming in to speak to a class to bring real world context to a particular topic.

Please read the latest research into Employer Engagement. Education and Employers, with the kind support of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), who has published a review of the evidence on how employers can support schools to improve outcomes for students.

Through SEMLEP and the CEC, Biddenham has a Careers Development Plan which audits the activities the students undertake each year to ensure they have the maximum impact.

Biddenham's SEMLEP Enterprise Advisers

Below are some of the companies we work with:

A&S Landscape specialise in school canopies.
They installed the school's canopy which is situated between the year 7 and 8 blocks.
Read more about what they do and how they designed it at Canopy at Biddenham.

We are very lucky to have linked with the Bedford based branch of National Highways (Highways England). They work specifically with the school’s Business department, supporting units within our BTEC qualifications and is a fantastic link for us. Our students have been offered work experience, projects and visits, and we are really proud of our partnership work which has developed over the years.

Phew came into Biddenham and have been responsible for designing and building our school website. The team worked alongside us to ensure we have a website which reflects the needs of the school, whilst actively marketing what we do.  Phew intend to stay involved with the school, supporting the ICT Level 3 students in one of their website units.

SSG are a local apprenticeship provider. We have successfully enrolled a number of our students onto apprenticeship schemes. This encompasses both training and employment at SSG and other organisations.
The company links with Biddenham to ensure students and staff are aware of local opportunities and new apprenticeships as they come online.

In 2021 Biddenham secured five places for our students on the ‘Deloitte Aspire’ Programme. They had to complete two intensive virtual interviews and all did very well in convincing the professional at Deloitte to take them on.
The three day course involved 'work experience' with the firm on current client packages, leadership activities and interaction with a number of staff members at Deloitte. They continue to have a mentor from the organisation assigned to help them progress in their future career and with decision making, networking and other related areas. As an added bonus, the students all received a free laptop to keep.

Growing Beds has supported the school by donating top soil to enable the school to start anallotment style garden.  We currently have fruit trees in this area, there are plans to plant this out to support the food department with herbs and a selection of vegetables.  We are really grateful to this partnership with GBRS and look to continue working with them in the future.

ASHE has been actively involved with our students and is linking with our subject departments to further support employer engagement and understanding of careers. So far they have run a whole school assembly, explaining careers in the construction industry and supported the Geography club with our school pond.
The company is currently building our school canteen extension and a brand new six classroom block. 
This looks to be the start of a fantastic relationship.