Careers
Enterprise
Within each key stage students will have the opportunity to be part of an enterprise team as well as running their own class enterprise stalls at annual winter and summer fayres.
Within key stage 4 the students have set up their own healthy tuck shop which they have planned and budgeted for. Each week they are selling a range of snacks, including hot snacks, fruit and baked goods, all based on student led market research and budgeting skills and advertising.
Within post 16, students run a weekly staff lunch business which offers hot food such as home made soup, bread, jacket potatoes and made to order sandwiches. The money made is going towards setting up two further enterprise businesses and a horticulture base within the school.
Careers
Careers experience and education takes place within all Key Stages of school. Beechcliffe has been working towards gaining the eight Gatsby benchmarks in line with the government’s careers strategy that was introduced into schools. The Gatsby Benchmarks are a framework of 8 guidelines that define the best careers provision in schools and colleges and the Careers Strategy is built around them.
Please visit https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/schools-colleges/understand-gatsby-benchmarks to understand more about the process.
Implementation of the Careers Education at Beechcliffe
Key stage Three.
Careers education is taught discretely as well as taking place through other curriculum lessons. In English and Maths, it is taught through practical and functional skills; as part of their PSHE curriculum, pupils will learn about the word of work, personal hygiene, healthy relationships and keeping healthy; physically and mentally. Classes in Key Stage 3 may have class jobs, as well as a school council member, both of which are good for pupils to help them to gain an understanding of positive work ethics and responsibilities.
In Key Stage 3 pupils participate in Key Stage assemblies with guest speakers, encounter visitors from a range of different working environments who will be invited into school, as well as learning how to recognise people by what they wear and learn about what skills they use in their jobs.
Pupils can experience workplaces, for example, by making planned trips to Asda where they will interview employees and look at different job opportunities with in one place. They will also be visiting a local food establishment.
There are opportunities for pupils and families to gain advice from local colleges and work-based charities at parents evening when the school hosts a careers fair showcase.
As part of gaining the Gatsby benchmarks, we have been working with the Leeds Enterprise Partnership and North Yorkshire Enterprise Partnership which has enabled us to plan and host work related events, featuring visiting speakers and organisations, including enterprise days, work skills related workshops and STEM workshops.
Key stage 4
In key stage 4 pupils will build on their knowledge of the world of work gained in key stage 3, and make planned visits to local employers and work places.
Through PSHE, life skills and skills for life lessons pupils will have the opportunity to learn about skills needed for work, interviews, exploring the job market, further education opportunities, budgeting, expectations when working.
There will be visits from a registered careers advisor, the Job centre Plus and planned careers-based workshops which will be delivered by external organisations; all which will work directly with the pupils and help them match pupil interests and skills with a suitable careers pathway.
Pupils in key stage will be encouraged to ‘apply’ for jobs around school and will be using prior work based knowledge to effectively undertake the roles set.
Pupils and their families in key stage 4 will have the opportunity to get advice from local colleges and work based charities at parents evening and a planned summer term, ‘in school careers fair.’
As part of getting the Gatsby benchmarks, we have been working with the Leeds Enterprise Partnership and North Yorkshire Enterprise Partnership which has enabled us to plan and host work related events, featuring visiting speakers and organisations, including enterprise days, work skills related workshops and STEM workshops and this will be available across each key stage.
Post 16
Careers and work experience is of course an integral part of the post 16 offer. We offer three main strands of study in the areas of Hospitality & Catering, Horticulture and Enterprise activities.
As a continuation and building on prior skills, pupils entering post 16 are first given the opportunity to participate in school-based work experience.
During year 12 the pupils are then offered work experience in the local secondary school, and local community such as the local church hall.
In years 13 and 14 pupils are given the opportunity to attend college workshops which are tailored around preparing for a range of work based environments. Pupils are given the opportunity to undertake individual work experience placements such as working in a Café, Fuel for schools shop, garden Allotments and weekly lunch service at school.
In post 16 we have our own established Enterprise business which enables all explorer groups to apply their developing skills and knowledge in the following areas; Advertising, market research, budgeting, using money, designing, communication, ICT and of course skills for life.
Our varied enterprise activities are delivered within the framework of BEC (Beechcliffe Enterprise Community). BEC operates a sublimation printing facility for mugs and flatbed printing onto t-shirts and other fabric products. We also manufacture a range of craft products for sale at various school events and at cafes.
In post 16 pupils will have workshops and individual careers interviews from a registered careers advisor and the Job centre Plus.
Pupils will have access to planned careers based workshops, STEM workshops and enterprise workshops which will be delivered by external organisations; all which will work directly with the pupils and help them match pupil skills with a suitable careers or further education based pathway.
Impact
Pupils’ personal development continues to improve as they gain the skills and knowledge needed to be able to communicate and be a part of the wider community. Pupils are able to use local facilities, access working environments, interact effectively with employees and employers and ultimately be part of the working world.
ALL pupils will leave KS4 and Post 16 with a range of accreditation that are appropriate to them and will support them in the future destinations. They will have the knowledge and advice needed to ensure they are able to flourish in their future destinations.
Fiona Richardson is the School Careers Adviser with a Level 7 diploma in Careers Advice and guidance qualification. She can be contacted through the school office on 01535 603041.