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We recognise the value for students and to society of a wide-ranging but structured careers education programme. Good careers education is critical to ensuring that each student achieves their aspirations and becomes open to any experiences available to them. However, we will also ensure that our programme is not delivered using a 'one size fits all' approach. In fact, at Exceptional Ideas Ltd., we pride ourselves on treating each student as an individual and will adapt our teaching to maximise the potential of our students with their interests and aspirations in mind.
Our careers education offers a broad range of opportunities for students to develop their knowledge, improve their self-awareness and raise their aspirations to benefit their future learning and working lives. This work will be completed with support but also with a view to improving independence as students continue through the school years.
We value input into our programme from students, parents/carers, staff and employers and use a range of methods to communicate details about our programme including 10 weekly review documents, discussions and telephone conversations as well as updates on the website and Facebook page. We welcome contact from employers and other education providers and have a provider access policy in place to assist with this. Transition Leads will support parents, students and staff and are available for them to access information about our transition programme within each individual school.
All students will receive different levels of careers education, information, advice and guidance at a variety of stages throughout their secondary education.
The planned scheme of work for lessons from Year 9 is:
Lessons from Year 11.3 onwards will be needs based and a bespoke plan will be created to address specific areas.
Plans may not always work consistently to the Year/HT. Although Transition Coordinators will aim to schedule the lesson plans as above, delivery of these plans may change when a student joins Exceptional Ideas Ltd. after Year 9 or due to the priorities for their learning.
The level of understanding demonstrated from our careers programme is measured through a RAG (red, amber and green) system in each of our half termly lesson plans. We also record any links to the achievement of skills within each student's social skills checklist. Any work experience, employer encounters or attendance at career events are recorded in individual transition work trackers. We review transition arrangements for each student as part of our ongoing 10 weekly student review process.
We have recently begun to collect information on the destinations that our students move on to and parents/students are asked complete a form allowing us to contact them to about what they go on to do for further education, higher education and work. This information will be analysed to provide statistics for us to publish on our website.
All published information will be reviewed annually with the next review due in September 2024.
A newsletter about careers is available to download below. The latest one is at the top:
Not currently available. Please check back soon.
The transition team are available to help students develop their self-awareness, raise their aspirations, improve their independence, support their development and improve their confidence. We help inform students about potential career routes and provide ongoing support with applying for college or work-based learning when the time comes for students to leave us.
Lesson plans are delivered in a fun and interesting way that meets the needs of each individual student. Students will get the opportunity to participate in employer and work encounters from year 7 through to year 11 and from year 9 will begin weekly transition lessons.
Students will complete a needs/aspiration driven work experience placement which is usually done in year 10. Each individual coordinator will oversee the transition work students are completing, monitoring it to ensure that it is always meeting their needs.
Our Careers Leader is Ali Goode. Find out a little more about her below.
Alison Goode
Senior Student Mentor for Transition and Safeguarding
"I'm Ali. As the senior for safeguarding and transition, I am the school's careers lead and I lead the Transition Team. I am also a qualified careers adviser and I hold a Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development. I will always encourage confidence and independence in all of our students so that, by the time they leave us, they are fully prepared to enter the next phase of their education and their next steps towards the world of work."
Within each school, we have a Transition Coordinator. You can find out more below:
Daniella Beswick
Student Mentor/Transition Coordinator, Primrose Hill
"I am the transition lead at Primrose Hill School, Chelmsford. I have a desire to help and support the development of children within life, social skills, and their future endeavours. I am enthusiastic about supporting students with opportunities for personal and academic growth, allowing each individual to set and reach their goals for a bright future."
There are a load of resources available for everyone. We cater to everyone in order to help not just our students, but also our mentors who work tirelessly, along with parents/carers that may need help from time to time, and also for prospective employers.
From the following list, please choose which section you would like to visit. This will go to a new page, with resources listed.
When our students leave us, they embark on a new journey outside of school life. This can mean going to college, a special provision, or straight in to work.
Below is a pie chart showing where our students leaving in 2023 went when they left us.