Learning opportunities for our students

Our Careers Lead is Ros Gilbert - rosalind.gilbert@heathermount.co.uk.

Careers Education within the curriculum is interconnected with the transition support that our students receive. Families will find useful information on transition on our website.

The curriculum covers:

Curriculum Vitae (CV’S) Course exploration Job searches Types of jobs and categories of employment Interview preparation

Expected behaviours in the workplace Work-related skills and knowledge Work experience and volunteering Dressing for work

Work experience within school:

All students who undertake Catering, Horticulture and Business Admin (BA) are required as part of the course to experience working conditions, as well as develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours expected within the world of work. This is conducted within a safe and protected environment, however, allowing students to put their skills and qualities into action and receive both formative and summative feedback on their development. As a school, we are very proud that several students, following their experiences at Heathermount, have been employed by the school, now or in the past.

Work experience within the school includes:

Business Admin Meeting and greeting visitors to the school Health and safety within an office environment Recycling and working inside school procedures Completing office actions asked by school e.g. resource making Working and using office equipment Working as part of a team to complete action Stocktaking and managing stock within the school Working with Microsoft Office tools Assisting school admin staff Communication and working with others Exploring the world of work through practical curriculum Admin Assistant related work

Catering Health and safety within the kitchen Responding safely within a kitchen setting Catering for events Preparing and cooking food for students, staff and visitors Working as part of a team Responding to required actions from a member of staff Communication skills Exploring the world of work through practical curriculum Catering Assistant related work

Horticulture Safe working practices within Horticulture Seasonal horticultural tasks within the grounds that are required to ensure their upkeep Responsible for developing and maintaining certain areas within school grounds Working as part of a team to complete required tasks Planting and growing vegetables and working as a Horticultural assistant Employability CV's Planning for progression Managing personal finance Skills and qualities for work Career planning and applications Personal presentation       PSHE Planned career curriculum as part of PSHE programme Exploration of different job sectors and employers Preparation for work experience Mock Interviews Preparation for the world of work Employer engagement

We are very proud to offer our students the chance to interact with employers on a regular basis with opportunities for employers to come in and work with our students on a whole school project day as well as employers delivering subject-specific talks in different curriculum areas in lessons and assemblies.  

First Aid

All secondary students will have the opportunity to take part in a whole day First Aid course, equipping them with useful life skills they can utilise in school and home life.

Procedures and resources

• Provision of employer encounters during KS2, KS3 and KS4
• KS2, KS3 and KS4 will all receive discreet Careers lessons
• KS3 and KS4 will all receive embedded Careers learning as part of BA, PSHE, Horticulture, Catering and Employability
• Careers and Education opportunities explored across the curriculum
• Consistent transition support to college and/or employment
• Inclusion and enrichment opportunities and programmes to support careers advice and guidance

Performance indicators

There are a variety of indicators that we use to monitor career education at Heathermount:

• That parents feel confident in supporting their young person in their decision-making
• To complete the Gatsby benchmark tool once a year to give us guidance and recommendations of careers improvement across the school
• Feedback from staff and students on our scheme of work for Primary and Secondary
• Students will have access to local colleges to support their transition and decision-making
• Students will visit a local university to inspire them to look at degree opportunities in the future
• Zero NEET (Not in Employment or Education) students
• Effective work experience opportunities for all students within KS4
• Access to quality careers fairs that provides a safe, realistic and engaging opportunity to our learners
• Employability skills development, assessment and reporting to students and parents/careers including mock interviews with employers