BCA, Hall Place, Burchetts Green,
Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 6QR
Choosing which direction to take after leaving school is a big decision.
We want our pupils to experience a careers curriculum that establishes a growing knowledge and awareness of the world of work and what they, as young people, can aim for as they prepare for adulthood and Post 16 transition. This includes delivering a breadth of opportunities and experiences that our pupils can start to build their own future pathways on. As we aim to do this, we are fully aware of the impact of the inherent difficulties our pupils have due to the nature of their needs and diagnosis and look to how we can start to overcome these barriers, working alongside them.
If you have any questions about careers, further education, work experience, or if you would like more information about our careers programme, please contact our Careers Lead, Louise Cotton on email louise.cotton@grovesideschool.co.uk, or call 01183 744556.
What will our pupils experience throughout their career curriculum?
- Access to careers learning from Year 3 onwards – learning that is linked through their curriculum provision and explicitly delivered sessions.
- A careers curriculum that has contributions and feedback from them, their families, school staff and external employers
- Engagement with many different employers throughout Year 7 to Year 11 in variety of formats such as assemblies, visits, talks, project work, careers events
- Unbiased careers advice and support from a career’s advisor
- Working with them and their families as they prepare for their future and for life after
- Staff who are committed to and passionate about helping them develop as they make key decisions and prepare for their future pathways
Why do we want this?
- We want our pupils to know their skills and strengths; know what they are good at and what they find hard.
- We want our pupils to work towards independent living and working.
- We want them to have hope and optimism, adaptability and resilience.
- We want our pupils to have access to, and engagement in, decent work in all its forms (personal, gift and paid)
- We want our pupils to learn and make progress so they can thrive and experience success in their future pathways.
- We want our pupils to pursue and value their own wellbeing and happiness
How will we deliver this?
- Pupils will have access to a careers curriculum from Year 3 onward and this will be routinely monitored and evaluated to ensure it is fit for purpose.
- Pupils will be presented with opportunities to meet and talk with previous pupils to find out about their experiences and aspirations.
- Close working relationship with our Careers Advisor to support mentoring pupils in KS4.
- Experiences of different workplaces and environments
- Meaningful encounters with the world of work
What will success look like for our pupils?
- Pupils will have a successful transition on from Year 11
- Pupils will have had experience of a wide range of opportunities, interests and options so they are best placed to make informed decisions about their future choices.
- Pupils will develop the skills needed for them to be employable, whether that is voluntarily or paid.
- Pupils will know the value of having work and commitments in their lives.
- Pupils will know that they have a valued and important part to play in the world in which they live, and they can and are motivated to contribute to society in a way which best suits their interests and skills.
- Pupils will know about and make use of the range of support and advice that is available to them in order to support their choices and decision making.
Gatsby Benchmark
Gatsby Benchmarks
The Charitable foundation, Gatsby, commissioned Sir John Holman to examine what could be done to improve career guidance in England’s secondary schools. After international research judgements were made on what “good” careers guidance looked like. These judgements are in the form of eight benchmarks, identifying different dimensions of good career guidance.
- A stable careers programme
Every school and college should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by pupils, parents, teachers, and employers. - Learning from labour market information
Every pupil, and their parents, should have access to good-quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed adviser to make best use of available information. - Addressing the needs of each pupil
Pupils have different career guidance needs at various stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each pupil. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout. - Linking curriculum learning to careers
All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. For example, STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths. - Encounters with employers and employees
Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes. - Experiences of workplaces
Every pupil should have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities and expand their networks. - Encounters with further and higher education
All pupils should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace. - Personal guidance
Every pupil should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a career’s adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all pupils but should be timed to meet their individual needs.
Local Offer
Post-16 SEND opportunities
We can support you in your next steps.
We offer information, advice and guidance on post 16 education, employment and supported internships options.
If you want to find out more, email: elevate@brighterfuturesforchildren.org or phone 0118 937 3766.
Find out more about our providers of supported internships Ways Into Work, Shaw Trust and other SEND options on the Reading SEND Local employment page.
Local Colleges
BCA
Inspiration for Pupils
BBC Bitesize – Careers
Whether you’re deciding what to study, planning your future career or just curious about the world of work, The BBC has information and advice from experts and from young people who’ve found a path that suits them. Click the image to enter
Explore career videos and real-life insights into jobs and career paths
click on the image below
Ready to find answers about your future career?
We know it’s not easy to imagine what you could be in the future and harder still to get the chances you deserve.
Take our Career Personality Quiz – a quick, fun way to find out which types of careers are most likely to suit you and to get tailored updates on work experience and inspirational talks – or visit our young person page to learn more.
Take the quiz – CLICK HERE
Parents and Carers
The resources below can help pupils to start thinking about careers and ‘next steps’. They cover topics such as choosing a career and different routes into the world of work, as well as providing detailed information on specific careers. They can also help pupils to make decisions about the next steps in their education even if they have not yet decided on a career.
Discover the world of work and what it is like to work in different jobs by watching short video clips and interviews.
https://www.firstcareers.co.uk/
https://www.icanbea.org.uk/app/game/interests/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/careers
The BBC video below talks about what you need to consider when choosing Options.
Choosing Your Options Wisely
Developing Employability Skills
Life Skills
Push
Berkshire Opportunities
Careers and Enterprise Company
Labour Market Information
Skillsometer
The Skillsometer can help you discover what jobs you might like to do in the future. You will be presented with a series of statements. Select the emoji that shows how you feel about each statement. You will be given suggestions of jobs linked to what you most enjoy doing.
Skillsometer – Start Quiz
Careerometer
The Careerometer enables you to compare the different jobs, their pay and common tasks of each job. You can search and compare wide range of jobs you might be interested in detail, then talk to a parent or adult in school about these jobs and what might interest you.
Careerometer – Click here
The National Careers Service
The National Careers Service is a government website providing impartial and up-to-date information on a vast selection of jobs. Please click the link to access the site.
Employers and Volunteers
We welcome anyone who would like to donate their time or experience to help us develop our careers provision. Giving our pupils the chance to encounter the world of work is invaluable in helping them to gain key life experiences, as well as to raise their own aspirations about their futures.
If you would like to get involved, we have identified some of the areas of highest impact that we would welcome your experience in. If you would like to be part of any of the below please do not hesitate to contact us using our contact form
| Area | Time commitment |
|---|---|
| Assemblies and presentations: Share your career path and choices you have made to get where you have via a live (in person) or pre-recorded interview/presentation. |
30 mins |
| Provide Post-16 apprenticeships: Are you currently taking on apprentices or know someone who is? Can you offer advice to our pupils interested in this post-16 route? |
|
| On-site visits: Are you able to take a pupil to your place of work and give them an experience of a ‘day in the life’? |
Half – full day |
| Interview preparations and mock interviews: Help our pupils to prepare for their first interviews and give themselves the opportunity to sell themselves to you. |
1 – 3 hours |
| Volunteering opportunities: Can you provide pupils with the opportunity to come and volunteer at your company either at weekends or school holidays? We are always on the search for places that can give our pupils invaluable experience they can add to their CVs. |
|
| Work Experience opportunities: Can you provide pupils with the opportunity to come and compete work experience at your company one day a week? |
Careers Policy
Read our Careers Policy Here
Provider Access Statement
Read our Provider Access Statement Here