Careers Programme

Weekly Career lessons:

KS3 Curriculum:

Southall School recognises that it is important to support pupils work related skills as early as possible. In KS3 pupils access a careers lesson once a week to enable them to recognise and develop their work-related skills. The curriculum also enables pupils to access links to different businesses and speakers related to the world of work. The curriculum takes the form of a 2-year rolling programme following the themes below:

Year 1

Autumn term 1- All About Me
Autumn term 2 – Brilliant Britain
Spring term 1 – Save Our Planet – STEM careers
Spring term 2 – Careers in the Film industry
Summer term 1 – The World of Work – Skills for Work
Summer term 2 – Amazing Adventures – Sea and Coastal Careers

Year 2

Autumn term 1 – My Home Town
Autumn term 2 – Careers in Sport
Spring term 1 – Transport – Careers in Transport industry
Spring term 2 – Superhero / Superhuman – Build your own Superhero
Summer term 1 – Fantastic Food – Careers in Hospitality and Catering
Summer term 2 – Journeys through Time

KS4 Curriculum:

In KS4 pupils also access a careers lesson once a week to enable them to further, building towards work experience in Year 11. The curriculum takes the form of a 3-year rolling programme following the themes below:

Year 1

Autumn term 1 – Interests and abilities to inform choices
Autumn term 2 – The changing face of employment
Spring term 1 – Transport -The value of a variety of skills and qualifications
Spring term 2 – Social and Interpersonal skills
Summer term 1 – Achieving career goals
Summer term 2 – Understanding Local Labour Market information. Budgeting

Year 2

Autumn term 1 – Language of work
Autumn term 2 – Working conditions past and present
Spring term 1 – Social and interpersonal skills. Making informed career choices
Spring term 2 – Achieving life and career goals, budgeting, work, pay and quality of life.
Summer term 1 – The worst and the best. Careers management
Summer term 2 – Careers management

Year 3 (Year 11)

Autumn term 1 – Preparation for work experience
Autumn term 2 – Interview skills
Spring term 1 – Health and Safety in the workplace
Spring term 2 – Work experience week / CV writing
Summer term 1 – Applying for jobs
Summer term 2 – Understanding job adverts / terminology/ resilience in searching for employment

Career pathways and employment opportunities also from part of the broader curriculum various subject areas across the school.

Assemblies:

Pupils in KS4 attend weekly assemblies led by guest speakers from colleges, businesses and representatives within the local community.

Work Experience:

Work experience is offered to all year 11 students at Southall. Students spend one week on an independent placement. It allows pupils to put into practice the knowledge, skills and understanding that they have learnt in the classroom.

World of Work Week:

The World of Work Week is our alternative offer at Southall for independent work placements and is in place for those students who might find work experience too challenging. During the week, students will have the opportunity to visit different employers and businesses where they are accompanied by and supported by Southall staff.

Termly KS3 Work Experience (WEX) Events:

Each term, pupils in KS3 attend a work experience event at school. Pupils rotate around various employers and education providers, providing them with opportunity to learn and ask questions about employment in various sectors and educational pathways.

College Links:

Pupils receive taster sessions taking part in college activities once a week alongside accredited career progression lessons, delivered by Southall staff. Pupils are organised into groups and rotate every 11 weeks ensuring they visit each college setting during the year. This enables all pupils to participate and benefit from the full transition experience.

Our college link programme enables students to make an informed choice on their post 16 provision.

Taster sessions take place at the following colleges:

Walford College
Telford College
Rodbaston
Arthog Outreach

(For more information about each college setting please click on each name above)

Independent/Group Travel Training:

All young people are entitled to the greatest degree of independence possible for them. Some young people need extra support in learning the skills necessary to travel independently. The ability to do these things helps young people to begin to make the most of their opportunities for education, work and recreation. Independent travel training is organised and carried out by Julie Williams our Telford and Wrekin Independent Travel Adviser. Students are supported in learning to use public transport and developing the necessary skills for safer independent travel. As a school, we also offer small group travel training when students travel by public transport to Telford College.

Internships:

Where possible Southall School will endeavour to make links with businesses to enable an internship programme for KS4 pupils.

Previously, the school has had links with the Premier Inn. This link enabled 2 pupils in a Spring Term and 5 pupils in a Summer Term, to access an internship once a week between 10am and 2pm. Pupils developed their work-related skills in areas such as housekeeping, front of house and catering.

Southall Post 16 Careers Event:

Southall School hosts an annual ‘Post 16 Careers Evening’ early in the school year where Year 9, 10 and 11 students and their parent/carers are invited to attend. This is a drop in event and is an opportunity to talk to Post 16 Education and Training Providers who assemble under one roof for the evening. It is also a chance to meet those who can provide support, information and guidance about moving on from school. Organisations that can support young adults into work after they have completed a college course and/or training also attend.

To organise the event, Southall School works in partnership with:

Telford and Wrekin SEND Team
Telford and Wrekin Post 16 Travel Assistance
Future Focus – An impartial Careers Guidance support service for young people living in Telford aged between 16 – 19 or up to 25 years with additional needs.
SENDIASS (SEND information, Advice and support service from Telford and Wrekin) – A service that provides free confidential and impartial advice and support to parents and young people about a special educational need or disability
PODS (Parents opening doors) – An independent Telford and Wrekin based charity for parent carers who have a child of young person between the ages of 0 & 25 years, with a disability or additional need of any kind – offering you the opportunity to have your voice heard and to help ‘Make A Difference’

(For more information on each partner, please click on their name to take you to their website)

Jobs programme:

Southall School have developed a jobs programme in school to enable all pupils in KS3 and KS4 to develop their work – related skills.

These jobs involve:

Delivering dinner registers
Supporting the office in delivering messages, sorting the stationary cupboard
Changing the visual timetables in classrooms
Prefect and break time buddy system

Future Focus:

Southall School recognizes the importance of providing careers and college guidance and support to our pupils. To ensure that pupils receive comprehensive information about careers and colleges post Southall, there is a Future Focus representative, Lunn, who is based on the school site once a week. This enables all pupils to access Future Focus for information, as well as all have an individual meeting to discuss their aspirations, as well as support their pathway post Southall.

Bespoke Programmes:

At Southall School, we recognize that a ‘one fit for all’ curriculum does not meet all pupils’ needs. Therefore, bespoke programmes have been and can be developed to ensure that all pupils can access different resources and information to help inform their choices for their future pathways.

Careers Lead:

Paul Glover Assistant Head Teacher

Southall School 01952 387600

Vocational and Post 16 Co-ordinator:

Sarah Biggs

Southall School 01952 387600

Timeline for Post 16 Provision:

What happens and when and what you will need to do as a parent/carer

YEAR 9

September: Southall Post 16 Career Event takes place for Year 9, 10 and 11 parents/carers

Weekly Careers lessons continue

AUTUMN TERM:
You will have a 1:1 appointment with a FutureFocus Careers Adviser, who will introduce the service and
complete a Careers and Transition Report with you.

September: Southall Career careers event will take place for parents/carers

SPRING TERM:
Year 9 EHCP annual reviews takes place:
Your Careers and Transition Report will be updated following the review and sent to you, school and the
SEND Team. This outlines the Careers Guidance provided and actions required to support the transition
process.

YEAR 10

September: Southall Post 16 Career Event takes place for Year 9, 10 and 11 parents/carers

Weekly careers lessons continue as part of the curriculum offer.

AUTUMN TERM:
Your child will have a 1:1 appointment with our FutureFocus Careers Adviser, Lynn Bailey, who will review and update a Careers and Transition Report with your child.

AUTUMN/SPRING TERM:
Year 10 EHCP annual reviews takes place:
During this meeting, discussion will be held around possible colleges/training providers that your child could move to after Southall and any transitional arrangements key to supporting a smooth transition.

Your child’s Careers and Transition Report will be updated following the review and sent to you, school and the SEND Team. This outlines the Careers Guidance provided and actions required to support the transition process.

Optional Work Experience can be organised (March)

During the year it is strongly advisable to attend open events and visit post 16 settings as this will help you make an informed decision. Because you need to complete a preference form early when your child is Year 11, visiting settings in Year 10 will help you make a decision on which setting will best suit your child. Leaving visiting settings until year is not advisable and may lead to rushing your decision.

YEAR 11

September: Southall Post 16 Career Event takes place for Year 9, 10 and 11 parents/carers

Weekly careers lessons continue
Weekly college links and travel training commence

AUTUMN TERM:

Year 11 EHCP reviews takes place:
For Year 11 pupils, the annual review will be held early in the term and will heavily focus on post 16 options and what provision will be needed to support your child at the setting.

Your child’s Careers and Transition Report will be further updated following the review and sent to you, the school and the SEND Team. This outlines the Careers Guidance provided and actions required to support the transition process.

You will receive a Careers Pack, which will have information about a range of post 16 options that your child could attend as well as a Post 16 Preference form.

You will need to complete the ‘post 16 preference form’ and explore the application process by reading the details in the information pack. You must make a decision about post 16 settings and complete and submit your ‘post 16 preference form’ by mid December.

IMPORTANT:
Post 16 transport is not provided by the local authority so you will need to think about planning transport to your post 16 setting and explore bursary options available.

SPRING TERM:

January/February
SEND 0-25 Team will consult with placements about the young person’s preferred options. SEND will also consult with other appropriate placements that are in the student’s local community if necessary.

March
Mid March, an Amendment Notice will be sent out, identifying any proposed changes to the EHC Plan and the intended Post 16 setting will be named in Section I of the EHC Plan. You will have 15 days to make written representations to the Local Authority if you are not satisfied that the plan will meet your child’s needs.

By the end of March, the final or amended EHC Plan will be issued and will name the young person’s allocated Post 16 provision for the following September. Once your place has been confirmed, you must confirm this with the school so transition can be planned and timetabled.

March
Work Experience takes place (March)

SUMMER TERM:

April
Transition arrangements to your child’s post 16 provision, as highlighted in your careers and transition report, will commence.

What Post 16 provision is available?

Below is a table containing various Post 16 providers and links to their websites for further information:

Post 16 Provider	Further Information:	Local Authority
Colleges:
Telford College	Learning Support – Telford College	Telford & Wrekin
Shrewsbury Colleges group	Additional Learning Support \| Shrewsbury Colleges Group	Shropshire
Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group	Additional Learning Support \| NSCG	Staffordshire
Herefordshire, Ludlow & North Shropshire	Learning Support – HLNSC	Shropshire
South Staffordshire College	Learner Services – South Staffordshire College	Staffordshire
Vocational training:
Wolverhampton Vocational Training Centre (WVTC)	Wolverhampton Vocational Training Centre – Achieving Together	Wolverhampton
Landau	Training & Learning – Landau	Telford & Wrekin
Nova Training	Nova Training \| High Needs Local Offer	Telford & Wrekin
Juniper	Gain Maths & English Skills with Practical Work Experience	West Midlands
Crossbar	Actuate – CAP	Telford & Wrekin
Really NEET Project	SEND – The Really Neet Project	Telford & Wrekin
Specialist Post 16:
Willow Tree Centre	Willow Tree Centre – Telford College	Telford & Wrekin
Independent Post 16:
Derwen College	Derwen College Telford. Business Support, Marketing Hospitality	Telford & Wrekin

Southall School is committed to ensuring all pupils are exposed to a wide range of businesses, careers advisors, colleges and work-related learning, to facilitate their independence in school and secure their future destinations. Southall School enables this through ensuring the school meets the Gatsby Benchmarks.

The Gatsby Benchmarks Explained:

How Southall School works towards the Gatsby Benchmarks Criteria:

A STABLE CAREERS PROGRAMME

College and training provider visits and taster sessions through assemblies and the college links programme
Employer encounters in assemblies, work experience, and KS3 work experience days
Work experience week for year 11 pupils
Careers lessons for years 7-11
Future Focus adviser on school site once a week
Options event held at school annually

LEARNING FROM CAREER AND LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION

Employer encounters in assemblies, work experience in year 11, and KS3 work experience days
Local Labour Market Information
Resources online, books and displays
Options event

ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF EACH STUDENT

Support and sessions with the Future Focus adviser
Careers lessons for years 7-11
Links with local organisations
Transition handover meetings with colleges/post 16 providers
Options programme

LINKING THE CURRICULUM TO CAREERS

Embedding life skills into the whole school curriculum
Employer visits and guest speakers in assemblies, KS3 work experience day, educational visits and work experience for year 11
Transition event
Books and Posters in careers classroom
Options event

ENCOUNTERS WITH EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES

Volunteering/work experience for year 11
Visits from and to employers as part of assemblies, KS3 work experience day, as part of educational visits and year 11 work experience
Transition events

EXPERIENCES OF WORKPLACES

Educational visits
Work experience week in year 11
Guest speakers in assemblies
KS3 work experience day

ENCOUNTERS WITH FURTHER EDUCATION AND HIGHER EDUCATION

Visits to future providers
Careers lessons
Guest speakers in assemblies
Taster sessions

PERSONAL GUIDANCE

Regular individual, impartial careers guidance from Future Focus from year 9
Careers lessons
Supported transition visits to work placements and/or further education providers
Support with Applications, CV’s and interviews

As a school, the following have been implemented to achieve the careers vision and support the Gatsby Benchmarks:

KS3 careers lessons taught as part of the curriculum
Internships at various settings e.g. Premier Inn, Acton Scott Working Farm, Southall School IT department
College links – taster sessions at various college settings (more information below)
Careers and College evening – held annually
Assemblies – colleges, businesses and advisors deliver assemblies to KS4
Work experience week in Year 11
Jobs programme in Southall School – accessible to all pupils
Future Focus Advisor, Lynn, on school site to offer guidance to pupils
Bespoke programmes created to ensure pupils do not become NEETs

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