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Community and Careers Education

Our curriculum is focused on the Pursuit of Happiness. A key focus of this is to think about fulfilment, purpose and reaching one’s true potential. At Riverside School we pride ourselves on a personalised approach to education and our Community and Careers Education is no different. Our Community and Careers Education is centred upon the interests and aspirations of our young people. Through our programme we aim to improve the possibility and probability of paid work, raise the level of work related skills to improve independence and enrich life experiences and emotional wellbeing.

We are passionate in providing the highest quality community and careers education. Below details what to expect from our curriculum and through this and, as detailed within our Community and Careers Education Policy, you can see how we are meeting the Gatsby benchmarks of:

  • A stable careers programme.
  • Learning from career and labour market information.
  • Addressing the needs of each pupil.
  • Linking curriculum learning to careers.
  • Encounters with employers and employees.
  • Experiences of workplaces.
  • Encounters with further and higher education.
  • Personal guidance.

What to expect from community and careers education:

All pupils from years 7 to 14 will participate in a personalised programme which tracks their interests and aspirations and provide them with the resources skills and knowledge they and their families need to make informed choices about their future.

Years 7 to 9: Interests and Aspirations

The focus is on identifying specific interests pupils have and providing them with a functional meaningful curriculum. This is heavily centred on personalised learning to support emotional wellbeing and social skills, giving pupils the voice to contribute to their learning and future in a meaningful way. At the end of Year 9, discussions will take place with pupils and their family about future education or work opportunities they may wish to explore once they leave Riverside at 19 years old. This will form part of their year 9 EHCP review. EHCP outcome and PLP focus areas will move to preparing for adulthood outcomes. Pupils within years 7 to 9 will have a minimum of two meaningful encounters with employers.  These will typically take place through our community experience fortnight in the summer term. There is a two-week period when pupils are taking part in different activities related to the community and the world of work and are able to meaningfully engage with different employers.

Years 10 to 14: Future planning 

Within years 10 to 14 there is an increased focus on the skills required be part of the world of work and/or wider community. A minimum of two specific meaningful encounters with employers with take place within years 10 to 11 and another two within years 12 to 13. This will take part in our community experience fortnight but also throughout other points in the academic year.  Through bespoke Career Guidance, pupils and families will explore a range of pathways; this could be future college/education and training placements, volunteering and employment.  All pupils will continue to engage in a meaningful independence based curriculum and will gain AQA units awards to build their Record of Achievements. For those for whom it is appropriate, CV writing and Interview skills and vocational profiling will form a big part of their curriculum and they will have ample opportunity to develop the interpersonal skills required to make a positive contribution to their community in the most appropriate way for them. 

Overview of community and careers education

Each term there is a specific focus for community and careers education:

 

Community and Careers Education

Blue A

Pathway

 

 

R1-R3 Approx. 

Years 7 – 14

  • Sensory experiences of job roles and community activities
  • Immerse experiences related to the world in which they live
  • Meaningful community experience visits and encounters
  • Contributing meaningfully to enterprise projects

 

Blue B

Pathway

 

 

 

R3 – R4 Approx. 

Years 7 – 14

  • Focus on work related independent skills (Wall planner)
  • Sensory experiences of job roles and community activities
  • Immerse experiences related to the world in which they live
  • Meaningful community experience visits and encounters
  • Contributing meaningfully to enterprise projects

Years 10 – 14

  • Independent based roles within Riverside Lounge

 

Orange

 Pathway

 

R4 – R8 Approx. 

Years 7 – 14

  • Focus on work related independent skills  (Wall planner)
  • Experiences related to the world in which they live
  • Dreams and aspirations portfolio
  • Meaningful in house and external community experiences

Year 10 – 14

  • Working in Riverside Lounge

Years 12 – 14

  • College transition planning

Yellow pathway

 

 

R9+ Approx. 

Years 7 – 14

  • Focus on work related independent skills
  • Experiences related to the world in which they live
  • Dreams and aspirations portfolio
  • Meaningful in house and external community experiences

Years 10 – 14

  • Working in Riverside Lounge
  • Specific careers coaching sessions
  • Interview with careers lead

Years 12 –14  

  • College transition planning
  • Vocational profile

 

Information for Employers:

“When employers support the early career development of young people with additional needs, they improve the possibility and probability of paid work and enable that young person to live a fulfilling life - without that support it is unlikely to happen. 65% of adults with learning disabilities want a job, only 6% have one” – Talentino

We actively encourage a range of different employers to work with us in a variety of different ways this could include:

  • Visits into your place of work. All pupils would be accompanied by a member of staff who know the pupil well, and they would be closely supervised. This could initially be a short visit and then could be extended to a weekly or regular commitment.
  • Coming into Riverside School to lead a workshop to show and demonstrate your line of work. All pupils would be fully accompanied and supervised. Discussions can take place with regards to your requirements on the day of the visit. This could be a one off visit during community experience fortnight or a regular commitment
  • You could support us by filming a tour of our place of work and setting challenges for pupils. This has been successful previously. Coca Cola and Marks and Spencer’s have produced videos for us which have been very thought provoking and meaningful for pupils.
  • You could provide an online experience, through speaking to pupils, touring your place of work and providing a question and answer session.

We are very open to any experiences you are able to provide.

Although our pupils at Riverside School have additional needs with small reasonable adjustments our pupils could impact positively upon your work place and provide you will additional skills and knowledge of how to support young people with additional needs. If you would like to know more about how you can support our pupils and if you are open to prospect of learning more about individuals with additional needs and how they can impact positivity upon your place of work, please get in contact.

Community Experience Fortnight

We hold community experience fortnight on an annual basis in the summer term. This is an opportunity for employers to work with us and support our young people.  The fortnight is completely off timetable for pupils and they learn about the world of work and the world around them in meaningful ways through interactive class sessions, learning outside the classroom and through employer encounters. We welcome a range of employers to work with us. Previously we have worked with Costa, Marks and Spencer’s, Metro bank, local shops and supermarkets, hairdressers and beauty therapist to name just a few examples. CLICK HERE Here are a few pictures from our 2022 community experience.

Here are a few resources which may support you:

Same and Different - an early career development model for Career SEND Group One who typically do not take Level 2 qualifications/GCSEs. Our pupils at Riverside School are careers SEND Group 1

Supporting Employers: Working with Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Tips for Engaging with a School, Special School or College 

Careers Leader: Clare Collett, Assistant Headteacher
Tel: 01689 870519
Email: Clare.collett@riverside.bromley.sch.uk 

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