Skills for Life is the main focus of our careers programme with this being a whole school focus we aim to provide students with outstanding careers education.
Aims
The main focuses of our program are for all our students to understand the range of opportunities available to them, to learn from employers about work and the skills that are valued in the workplace, to have first-hand experience of the workplace and to get an excellent program of advice and guidance which is delivered by individuals with the right skills and experience.
SFL Curriculum
We not only have Skills for Life as a whole school priority where all lessons and outcomes are aimed around ensuring students are prepared for the next stages but we also have developed a curriculum lesson to ensure we continue to invest in our students and their careers knowledge. Our Skills for Life curriculum is all about enabling our learners to be equipped for life outside of education. The curriculum allows for young people to gain the skills necessary to be successful in the diverse aspects of life. Education allows for our students to thrive through traditional methods of academic learning and vocational training. However, Skills for Life is different and caters to the needs of society and businesses in terms of the ‘soft skills’ that many of us take for granted.
Impact
We measure the impact on our careers education by ensuring we are meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks and we regularly complete surveys with our students and staff. The Gatsby Benchmarks are nationally recognised and although they are not a statutory framework but by adopting them, we are ensuring we offer our students the best provision.
The Eight benchmarks being:
– A stable careers programme.
– Learning from Careers & Labour Market Information.
– Addressing the Needs of Each Pupil.
– Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers.
– Encounters with Employers & Employees.
– Experiences of Workplaces.
– Encounters with Further and Higher Education.
– Personal Guidance.
Monitoring
We keep records of all events, inputs and sessions that every student has completed in order to ensure we are supporting our students in the best possible way.