Careers & Employabilty

For all careers enquires please contact Michelle Belsey on 01268 - 761252 ext 315 or email pathways@castledon.org

 

The careers curriculum is a pupil-centered program that is designed to equip pupils with the skills, experiences, self-belief and resilience for future employment and lifelong learning. We underpin the curriculum using the Gatsby benchmarks, CDI Quality Framework, Skills Builder Hub, and Talentino Programmes. 

Our curriculum journey begins in primary with forest school fostering personal and social development, resilience, and self-belief. A key focus in the primary is to redirect pupils' stereotyped misconceptions by introducing them to different career choices through an enriching curriculum and ensuring pupils' early dreams and aspirations are encouraged and nurtured. 

 

In lower secondary, this forest skills focus is continued with a dedicated emphasis on enterprise, teamwork, community projects, and understanding health and safety at work so they can learn to take risks safely, further enhancing students' skill sets. 

 

Student experiences are further enhanced with the introduction of drop-down events which are interwoven throughout the academic year, facilitated by events such as career fairs, apprenticeship weeks, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) weeks, and tailored experience days aligned with vocational preferences. 

 

To monitor and support students' aspirations, in this phase and onwards, we use vocational profiling to help us tailor individual pathways that align with their chosen routes, ensuring a personalised and meaningful educational experience for each student.

 

Moving into Upper Secondary pupils are introduced to work experience. Pupils on rotation access our Wat Tyler Skills Centre, and Aspire Community Cafe which hone their proficiency in the eight essential skills for work: listening, speaking, teamwork, leadership, creativity, problem-solving, aiming high, and staying positive. Pupils are supported by our dedicated job coaches, who help students access the world of work transferring strategies from school to the community. 

 

Employer engagement is actively fostered by the job coaches, creating opportunities for students to interact with and learn from professionals in their fields of interest. This engagement not only broadens students' horizons but also provides valuable insights into industry expectations and requirements.

 

If pupils choose to progress onto sixth form with us their work experience opportunities are woven into their weekly curriculum to give pupils a solid routine for accessing work. Linking careers to the curriculum is a fundamental aspect, with every subject area designed to incorporate real-world applications and relevance, thereby enhancing students' understanding of potential career pathways.

 

 Transition support is embedded within our approach, with dedicated job coaches providing individualised assistance to students both within group settings and during independent placements. These coaches play a vital role in facilitating successful transitions and providing ongoing support as students navigate various stages of their education and career readiness.

 

Through destination tracking, we systematically monitor the success of our program, tracking students' post-school destinations to assess the effectiveness of our interventions and make informed adjustments to support future cohorts better. 

 

This ongoing evaluation ensures that our provision remains responsive and adaptive to the evolving needs of our students. 

Empowering learners to unlock their potential by fostering resilience, building community networks, and enhancing transferable skills.