Providing students with an understanding of the world of work and to gain knowledge and skills.
Employability (including work experience) provides students with an understanding of the world of work and to gain knowledge, skills and understanding to achieve, wherever possible, work-related post- Wargrave House destinations.
Wargrave House School complies with the Gatsby Benchmarks and provides a robust and high-quality framework for employability guidance.
We recognise that we have embarked on a journey to excellence in employability guidance.
Whilst all the Benchmarks are important we place particular value on gaining experiences in the workplace and employer encounters, which have historically presented additional barriers to students with ASD.
We are currently re-developing our Employability/Careers Programme.
For any information you need in the meantime please contact our staff lead.
Community Partnership update
Wargrave House Post-16 students have been involved with maintaining the environment on site by collaboratively working with Enovert staff at their Lyme and Wood Pits Country Park.
Staff leads
The lead teacher for CEIAG (Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance) is Steve Hogarth, contact stevehogarth@wargravehouse.com and the lead governor is Phil Round.
Post-16 Departmental updates
The Wargrave House post-16 department strives to ensure that every young person is inspired and prepared for the world of work.
Download our Summer 2021 update
Career related learning is a phrase used consistently in education but what exactly does it mean for our learners?
Employability – Big Idea
- A curriculum which meets statutory requirements and prepares students for external accreditation.
- Inspire a curiosity and fascination about the world of world and links with personal goals and aspirations
- A curriculum with links to real life context for students to help with their ability to understand employability options such as supported internships or volunteering.
- A program of study that is based on an enquiry approach: What is this job like? How do I feel about it? What aspects do I/don’t I like, and why? What is my pathway? How can I achieve my employability goals?
The development of key employability skills such as timekeeping; following health and safety guidelines; responsibilities in the workplace; teamwork and communication.
Subject Links
- ICT e.g. photography, video or audio clips relating to businesses and job opportunities;
- Science and maths through STEM awareness.
- English- preparation for work e.g. C.V. writing.
Progress
- Each unit/aspect broken down to mini steps. Allows student to develop both a breadth and depth of knowledge.
- Curriculum can be personalised to the individual and allow them to pick up from where they left off.
- This also allows misconceptions to be addressed and deep learning to take place as students, particularly those with autism, may have difficulty generalising.
A system of assessment for learning that builds from experiential to support to independence.
Content and Sequencing
- Links to real life context for students to develop their understanding of the skills and behaviours that are required in the workplace.
- Specified autism impact identified in all units.
- Students have access to impartial employability advice with provider access to school to discuss potential courses and apprenticeships.
- Students able to make progress with units across different stages linked wherever possible.
- Students in same class can be set appropriately challenging targets within the same broad subject area.
- Flexible approach taken by staff to ensure appropriate level of challenge to engage, inspire and motivate all students regardless of current ability.
- Students baselined according to assessments of previous knowledge at the beginning of topics, alongside previous levels of progress and teacher judgement.
- Flexible approach taken by staff to ensure appropriate level of challenge to engage, inspire and motivate all students regardless of current ability.
- Enables content to be different but skills can be constantly refined and built upon.
Our Setting
- Lessons delivered by autism professionals.
- EHCP outcomes placed at the centre of all learning.
- Flexible and dynamic approach allows teacher to meet the needs of all students without the restriction of having to get through the curriculum.
- Established practice, proven to work in research, lived and breathed everyday by all staff i.e. use of routines, visuals, pecs, TEACCH
- Support available from wider therapy team.
Support
- Careers Connect partnership working.
- Working towards Careers Quality Standard.
- National Curriculum available to all staff.
- Continuous review of other suitable resources e.g. Equals.
- N.W. Learning Partnership membership to develop wider professional networks. Development of links with local mainstream schools.
- Ongoing CPD opportunities to develop both subject and autism specificity skills and knowledge of staff at all levels.
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