Careers Education, Advice and Guidance
The Doubletrees Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance Policy aims to support our learners throughout their school career: from EYFS through to KS5, and is integral to our Preparing for Adulthood curriculum and offer.
‘Our career is our life long journey through learning and work.' David Andrews OBE
Effective careers learning and guidance is pivotal in ensuring the best life chances and outcomes for all, and perhaps more importantly those with high levels of SEND: to maximise positive and active engagement within communities, and increase the presence of those with SEND within the work place.
At Doubletrees this journey is dependent on the phase the learner is at, and their educational pathway: Learning to Learn, Bridging to Learn, or Ready to Learn.
For more information please contact our school's Post 14 and Careers Leader on 01726 812757. Jo Hobbs. jhobbs@doubletrees.org.uk
***We review our career information and provider access policy (Baker Clause) annually. Next date of review October 2025***
Learning to Learn
Within the Learning to Learn pathway, all opportunities are intrinsically linked to the 4 areas of need and informed by the 5 areas of engagement (exploration, anticipation, realisation, persistence and initiation). These are the prerequisites to learning and inform the highly personalised Preparing for Adulthood opportunities offered to our Learning to Learn learners. There is a strong focus on the progression of prerequisite skills, including but not limited to:
- Awe and wonder and enjoyment
- Realisation and anticipation
- Choice making and preference sharing
- Initiation and independence
- Good health and wellbeing
- Friendships, relationships and community
- Information, advice and guidance
- Next Steps in preparing for adulthood
Please refer to our Preparing for Adulthood offer and curriculum for further detail.
Early Years Foundation Stage to Key Stage 2:
At Doubletrees we recognise the importance of starting early in raising aspirations and developing the skills our learners need to maximise their independence and engagement within their communities, and to break down stereotypes within those communities about their individual potentials.
The curriculum covers the following areas:
- Friends, relationships and community
- Good health and wellbeing
- Independent living
- Life skills / employment: functional skills, careers in the curriculum, employer encounters
- Enterprise
- Information, advice and guidance
- Next steps and in preparing for adulthood
Please refer to our Preparing for Adulthood offer and curriculum for further detail.
Key Stage 3:
At Key Stage 3 we continue to raise aspirations for our learners through curriculum teaching and employer encounters, and to develop the skills they need for their future lives. Where appropriate Year 9 learners will be part of our Active Citizenship programme experiencing the world of work within our school environment. Furthermore, in Year 9 we support our learners and their families with choosing Preparation for Adulthood outcomes and offer advice on Post 16 and Post 19 options that fit their skills, experiences and aspirations.
The curriculum covers the following areas:
- Friends, relationships and community
- Good health and wellbeing
- Independent Living
- Life skills / employment: functional skills, careers in the curriculum, employer encounters
- Enterprise
- Information, advice and guidance
- Next steps and preparation for adulthood
Please refer to our Preparing for Adulthood offer and curriculum for further detail.
Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5:
Our Post 14 provision aims to develop our learners’ understanding of the wider world and provide a range of curriculum learning, accreditations and careers related experiences appropriate to each learner’s Next Steps. At this stage our learners and their families are supported by a CSW careers development consultant to ensure they are equipped with the information they need to make the right choices when they leave us. Furthermore, where appropriate, our learners also engage in both in house and external Active Citizenship programme helping them to consolidate their knowledge and understanding in real life contexts.
The curriculum covers the following areas:
- Friends, relationships and community
- Good health and wellbeing
- Independent Living skills
- Life skills / employment: functional skills, careers in the curriculum, employer encounters
- Enterprise
- Active Citizenship
- Information, advice and guidance
- Next steps and preparation for adulthood
Please refer to our Preparing for Adulthood offer and curriculum for further detail.
Assessing the impact of our provision:
Every term we work with the Careers Hub to quality assure our provision using the Gatsby Benchmark framework. This offers an 8 point national standard for us to assess our provision against other special schools and all schools nationally. It allows us to map and track Careers, provision accessed by individual learners and create bespoke learning packages relevant to all of our learners’ aspirations and needs.
Please refer to our most recent Gatsby Benchmark evaluation for further information.
Links and information for Doubletrees learners and their parents / carers about possible next steps. If you have any questions please contact the team.
https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/
https://chas.careersoft.co.uk/jed/Index.aspx?CurrentProfile=2
https://www.cornwall.ac.uk/16-18/
https://www.truro-penwith.ac.uk/
https://www.transferableskillstraining.com/about-us
Please also take a look at some of the attached documents.
Careers Education Leads
Post 14 and Careers Leader
enquiries@doubletrees.org.uk
01726 812757
For information about Post 16 provision in Cornwall you can also take a look here:
Susan Mendham
CSW Career Development
Consultant
Susan.Mendham@cswgroup.co.uk
