Careers

CAREERS

The Village School seeks to maximise the life chances of all our young people and prepare them for life beyond school and college.

Our pupils at The Village School, in their time with us, are served by our multi-faceted curriculum that seeks to give them skills for life. For pupils with SEND, navigating the world through puberty, transitions into adulthood and with as much independence as appropriate to their levels of need – can be a complex process. Accessing the world of work with practised employability skills is their final step towards self-fulfilment and independence while still in our care – and we wish to provide a structured program of support to help meet these needs. Our program is tied into the pupils’ EHCP outcomes, with Preparing for Adulthood Outcomes written for all pupils from the age of 14 and onwards.

Our CEIAG policy with details of our Careers program is available to download from our Statutory Policy page.

Our Aims for our 11-19 pupils are:

  • To build on their awareness and life skills throughout their time at The Village School, including for pupils in the Early Years – as guided by our Preparing for Adulthood Framework
  • To build their participation in and resilience within the local community, through trips, educational visits, leisure choices, communication choices and skills-practice
  • To build in an enriched curriculum that expands their horizons of learning, and challenges their conceptions of learning – including with sensory support
  • To give KS3, 4 and 5 pupils access to sensory immersive experiences, employment-related experiences, workplace practice, access to people who work and employ others, as well as chances to put their life skills into action throughout their time at KVS
  • To give pupils and their families, especially in Key Stages 4 and 5, access to labour market information as well as technical education and further education guidance to support them with life’s next steps
  • To develop the relevant vocational literacy and numeracy, as appropriate to their needs

We deliver these, broadly, through:

  • An underlying Preparing for Adulthood skills development framework, incorporated into everyday teaching
  • A Vocational Education Offer, spanning key stages and curriculum pathways
  • In-School work experience programs
  • Access to provision at external providers and in liaison with future colleges
  • An enriched curriculum, in partnership with external providers
  • Off-site work experience placements as appropriate to their needs
  • Engagement with the school Enterprise project, involving work at the school café and in catering, with work building towards an Enterprise Day in the summer term
  • Financial literacy and education, with external partners support for finance management and accounts (local NatWest Bank branch)

Below is a snapshot of providers, partnerships and activities that provide scaffolded support across KS3, 4 and 5. The school maintains a class-wise record of provision across the academic year – in keeping with pupils’ targets and development.

Further Education Provider Partners

Supported Employment and Work Opportunities

Vocational Education Opportunities in School

Careers Partners

Enrichment Curriculum Providers

A Sample of the Current Accreditations Offer in KS4 and 5

Uxbridge College

City of Westminster College, and Hammersmith Council - Supported Internships

Horticulture

Educational Development Foundation (Enterprise Careers Advisors)

WAC Arts and the Flux Drama Program

OCR Life and Living Skills, Numeracy, World of Work

Harrow College, Harrow and Weald Campus

St Joseph's Charity

Hair and Beauty

Speakers for Schools

Royal Academy of Dance

OCR Creative Project Development

The Alexandra Centre (Westminster Kingsway College)

2nd Chance

Financial Education in concert with the School Shop

Brent Youth Foundation

The Ben Salmi Organisation - Creative Book Writing

OCR Engaging with and Encountering Experiences

Area 51 - John Dewey Specialist College

Royal Society for Blind Children

Vocational Drama

Jobcentre Plus (Department for Work and Pensions)

Kisharon Noe School Adult Day Services

OCR Reading, Writing and Communication Skills

Springfields, Oakland College (Barnet)

Willesden Sports Centre

Food Technology and Cooking Skills

Prospects Careers Services (incoming partnership)

Camden Arts Centre, and Art Depot Projects

OCR Planning and Preparing Simple Meals

College of Northwest London

Saracens Rugby Club

Life Skills and Home Management

Pertemps Recruitment Agency

Music Technology Teacher (Spring term)

AQA Unit Awards in Music and Art/Design

 

Brent Library

School Enterprise Project (Year 1: Café)

 

The Duke of Edinburgh Scheme

Financial Education skills

 

 

Music Technology

 

Kidzania

 

Preparing for Adulthood framework

Our school careers and vocational education offer is underwritten by our Preparing for Adulthood Skills Framework. A snapshot of the skills development taking place across our three curriculum pathways looks as below. Each successive key stage includes and builds on the skills from the ones above:

 

Stepping Stones Pathway

Tracks Pathway

Lanes Pathway

EYFS

Acclimating to routines

Following sensory cues for transitions

Learning to attune to familiar adults

Adjusting to medical routines

Routines and instructions

Role Play and drama games

Forming relationships with adults and some peers

Getting familiar with elements of personal health

Routines and instructions

Role Play and drama games

Forming relationships including with peers

Learning about health and feelings

KS1

Access to elements of learning in the community

Exposure to new stimuli in new environments

Adults aware of likes and dislikes

Ongoing adjustment to medical routines

Real-world visits

Functional numeracy elements

Meeting new role models

Simple and more complex instructions

Identify own likes and dislikes, feelings

Tolerance of health processes and appointments

Real-world visits

Functional numeracy elements

Meeting new role models

Following multi-step instructions

Express and act on preferences and feelings

Active participation in health processes

KS2

Marked anticipation of motivators as appropriate

Comfort with transitions

Following single step instructions with reduced support if appropriate

Able to convey simple feelings to adults

Transition EHCP Reviews in Y6

Start to build your own sense of interests and wants

Participate in an enrichment curriculum that meets mobility needs

Functional numeracy and literacy ongoing

Learning about personal safety through simple concepts

Continued acclimation to health processes

Transition EHCP Reviews in Y6

Able to clearly identify interests and wants

Exposure to enriched curricular activities and the world of work

Functional literacy and numeracy ongoing

Learning to keep selves safe in multiple contexts

Participation in own health needs

Transition EHCP Reviews in Y6

KS3

Making choices with AAC Support

Showing clear preferences for elements of routine they like and adults they like

Acclimation to sounds of the community

Immersion in work-related sensory experiences

Transition EHCP Reviews in Y9

Practising key life skills like cooking and home management

Relationships and friendships

Introduction to sexual health and sexual safety

Ongoing health process participation

Transition EHCP Reviews in Y9

Exposure to subject options

Enrichment curricula

Life skills practice in multiple contexts

Safety in school and in the community

Language and Numeracy to support future accreditations

Transition EHCP Reviews in Y9

KS4

Ongoing immersion in work environments within school

Following simple routines tied into work-like expectations

Practicing choices in new environments

Transition EHCP Reviews in Y11

Starting to understand basics of vocational profiles

Practising basics of personal safety

Financial Education, life skills and numeracy

Visits and WEX

Placement support and Open Day Experiences

Transition EHCP Reviews in Y11

 

Building vocational profiles

Enhanced understanding of personal and community safety

Managing money and financial education

Visits and WEX

Transition EHCP Reviews in Y11

KS5

Good team understanding of pupils’ motivators

Use of inclusive communication approaches consolidated, to express clear preferences and dislikes

Support for families around next steps, including transitions to adult care

WEX within school and with support

Transition EHCP Reviews in Y14

Continuing work towards vocational profiles

Participation in healthy choices and transitions to adult medical services

Consolidation of life skills and practice of personal safety

Practice of independent communication where possible, using tools of choice

WEX and visits with/to employment experience providers; further education providers

Transition EHCP Reviews in Y14

Continuing work towards vocational profiles

Active choice and voice in medical care and transition to adult services

Confident application of life skills to more than one environment

Understanding of personal and sexual safety

WEX, visits to employment experiences and with further education providers

Transition EHCP Reviews in Y14

 

We support our families with Preparing for Adulthood by offering them advice through Brent Council’s own framework for transitions. Please find the school-recommended guidance document here: PfA Support and Advice for Families

We also offer advice and guidance to our prospective partners and employers. A TVS Guide to ‘Working with Us’ can be found here:

 

TVS-KS345-Prospectus-22-23.pdf

Careers Lead: Aditi Singh.

0300 3030610

adsi@compasslp.co.uk

Careers Advisor: Neil Raymond

0300 3030610 (ext 155)

ner@compasslp.co.uk