Student Careers
Strategic Vision
Harbour School Dorset (HSD) is committed to providing a planned programme of careers education, information, and guidance for students.
The school works with an external, independent Careers Company to ensure all students have access to impartial careers advice and guidance from Level 6/7 qualified Careers Advisers.
We hope that all students will leave HSD with the skills and knowledge required to support their entry to employment, training or Further Education. HSD actively promotes parent/carer involvement through events, forums and ensuring access to information throughout the year.
To make an appointment with the Careers team, please contact:
Careers Leader – Donna Featherstone
Tel: 01929 508286
Careers Adviser – Jules Benton
Tel: 01929 508286
ADVICE FOR STUDENTS
Building skills
Having a career is not just about “getting a job”. It is about how we help you to build all of those skills you are going to need for the future. Things like teamwork, communication, decision making, self-esteem and confidence. These are all really important skills to have as you move into your adult life.
Study Programme
School life revolves around these areas. We try to meet your needs as an individual whatever your ideas are about getting a job. We make sure you access the most appropriate learning programme and work on all the skills you will need. You will meet people who might give you job in the future, or let you try out that job. We will arrange visits to places where people work within the local community, and you will take part in work experience.
We’re here to help you
We have a team of people who will help you with all of these things. They will help you to think about different types of jobs, how you will get to work, who will support you, and lots of other things too.
Here are some useful websites to help you to start to think about careers and what you might like to do into the future.
If you want any more information about careers, please contact us using the details below:
Tel: 01929 508286
Email: [email protected]
ADVICE FOR PARENTS & CARERS
Life after School
HSD has the ethos of education to employment. To help you and your young person to start to think about life after school. What will this look like? Do I want a job? Do I want some social activity in my week? Where do I want to live? ……. We have gathered some information to help you.
The following website has useful information about introducing your young person into the world of work and how to start those conversations.
Preparation for working life
At HSD we will help each student to think about all of those things during their time with us. We offer external careers advice from Cosmic Cactus our partner who have Level 6 and 7 careers advisers to talk to each student.
We also have internal staff who work with students across the school to advise and develop meaningful transition packages ready for when they leave.
Each student will experience external workplace activities with the opportunity to visit or meet various employers and work placement providers to give them a real insight into working life.
HSD can also offer help with independent travel training if appropriate to ensure young people can get to and from work safely.
Each Local Authority has compiled a list of providers who can offer help and support for our students and families during their school life. This is called the ‘Local Offer’.
The following links will take you to local authorities Local Offers. There is more information about what the Local Offer is detailed below.
https://www.fid.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/kb5/poole/fis/localoffer.page?localofferchannel=0
What is the Local Offer?
The Local Offer is a Local Authority’s publication of all the provision “they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people in their area who have SEN or are disabled, including those who do not have Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.” (Section 4.1 SEND Code of Practice, January 2015)
EACH LOCAL AUTHORITY’S LOCAL OFFER HAS A FOCUS ON TWO KEY PURPOSES:
- To provide clear, comprehensive, accessible, and up to date information about the available provision and how to access it.
- To ensure that available provision meets local needs and aspirations by directly involving disabled children and those with SEN and their parents, disabled young people and those with SEN, and service providers, in its development and review to develop in a more responsive way.
Section 30 of the Children and Families Act 2014, which came into force on 1 September 2014, sets out clearly what the content of a Local Offer should be.
LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN ENGLAND MUST PUBLISH INFORMATION ABOUT:
- The education, health, and care provision & other training provision it expects to be available in its area at the time of publication for children and young people who have special educational needs or a disability.
- The provision it expects to be available outside its area at that time for:
- Children and young people for whom it is responsible.
- Children and young people in its area who have a disability.
- Arrangements for travel to and from schools and post-16 institutions.
- Provision to assist in preparing children and young people for adulthood and independent living relating to
- Finding employment
- Obtaining accommodation
- Participation in society
The Local Offer should also set out how to access specialist services, how to complain or appeal and how it can help to plan for transition to adulthood.
PARENT & CARER PARTICIPATION
Parent feedback and participation is something HSD encourages. While we arrange for speakers to come into the school, we are also conscious that the parents and carers of our students also have a wealth of knowledge and experience that could benefit our students. If you are interested in getting involved in providing a talk to the students, if you would like to attend any of the planned talks or to provide feedback on our careers programme, please get in touch with Victoria ([email protected]).
Information for Employers
Employers are really important to us at HSD. Getting a job can be life changing for a young person and their families.
The information below has examples of how employers’ benefit from engaging with education providers as well as the students who attend.
Offer a work placement
We are committed to offering students placements in their local community to develop their skills.
Our team will support you every step of the way, to ensure that you, your employees and our students, feel confident and comfortable. Contact Victoria Huntley-Shaw who can provide you with all the info you need.
What we’re looking for
- Entry level employment roles
- Training opportunities
- Volunteering opportunities
- Work experience placements
Benefits to your business:
- Introduce new perspectives and talents
- Improve diversity in your workforce
- Provide development opportunities for your staff e.g. mentoring
- Support your local community
Information for Staff
Careers Programme
HSD believes that every young person needs high-quality career guidance to make informed decisions about their future.
In 2013, The Gatsby Foundation commissioned Sir John Holman to set out what career guidance in England would be like if it were good by international standards, resulting in the Good Career Guidance report. The eight benchmarks set out in the report serve as a framework for improvement in careers provision and have been adopted as part of the Government’s Careers Strategy and statutory guidance for schools and schools. In addition, The Careers & Enterprise Company now supports the implementation of the benchmarks in schools and schools with a national network of support and resources.
HSD works with The Careers and Enterprise Company Careers Hub in Dorset to ensure we are meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks and providing all our students with high quality careers advice and guidance to inform their next transition steps and where possible meet the career aspirations of each student.
One of the main focuses at HSD is to ensure that throughout their time at school each student becomes equipped with the knowledge, skills and attributes to progress onto further education, training or into their chosen professions.
The emphasis is on practical tasks and a curriculum that is adapted to suit the needs of all our learners. We have a whole school approach, with careers embedded within the curriculum.
If you are an employer who feels they may be able to support any aspect of our Careers Programme, then please contact us using the details above.
| Stage | Destination | Autumn | Spring | Summer |
| Cornerstones 3 | Introduction to careers and exploring interests | Complete Buzz Quiz, either in reading lesson or within learning mentor session | Utilise What’s your strength cards to discuss strengths and skills either in reading lesson or within learning mentor session | Introduction to National Careers Service (NCS) website and reviewing explore careers section lesson |
| Transitions 1 | Introduction to careers advice and exploring skills and different routes into different careers | Review or consider some or all of the following during reading lessons or within learning mentor sessions:-
|
Skills health check on NCS website. Can be worked on throughout term either during reading lessons or within learning mentor sessions | Introduction to destinations. Internal careers adviser to introduce careers and destinations |
| Transitions 2 | Experiencing employers and introductions to the labour market and higher and further education | 1 employer talk (either virtually or face-to-face) | labour market information lesson
Employability skills lesson |
meeting with external careers adviser
1 encounter with further or higher education provider
|
| Options 1 | Undertake work experience and develop employability skills | Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) talk
arrange work experience placement, work visit or work shadowing meeting with external careers adviser 1 employer talk (either virtually or face-to-face) |
employer talk (either virtually or face-to-face) , | 1 encounter with further or higher education provider
Employability skills lesson, |
| Options 2 | Clear plan as to post 16 destination and focussed journey to employment work | 1 encounter with further or higher education provider
1 employer talk (either virtually or face-to face) meeting with external careers adviser |
complete a CV lesson
go to careers fair
Complete post 16 applications (as applicable), 1 encounter with further or higher education provider meeting with destinations |
discuss cover letters, and interview preparedness
1 employer talk (either virtually or face-to-face) |
| Choices 1 & 2 | Clear plan as to post 18 destinationand targeted work experience placement, work visit or work shadowing | meeting with external careers adviser
work experience placement, work visits, or work shadowing |
work experience placement, work visit or work shadowing(continued from last term if placement broken down over months)
meeting with destinations |
research on further and higher education and any further visits to providers |
The Gatsby Benchmarks
As an education provider Harbour School has an obligation to meet the 8 Gatsby benchmarks.
Personal 1:1 Guidance is provided by Cosmic Cactus our partner who have Level 6 and 7 careers advisers to talk to each student.
