Careers Education Statement - Clarendon School

At Clarendon School, we are committed to providing a robust and sustainable careers programme that is carefully tailored to the individual needs of our students, particularly those with Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD). Our comprehensive programme for all students is consistent with the eight Gatsby benchmarks, ensuring every learner receives high-quality careers education, information, advice, and guidance.

Our careers programme is designed to:

• Inspire and inform students by providing relevant knowledge and motivation to explore their future pathways. We believe it is crucial for all our students to develop their understanding of the world of work and the opportunities available to them.

• Be student-centred, tailoring support to individual needs and aspirations. We recognise the full range of abilities and aspirations of each student, ensuring personalised guidance and opportunities.

• Integrate careers education into the wider curriculum to make career exploration a natural part of school life. Our curriculum is designed to embed essential Life Skills across all subjects, helping students understand the relevance of their learning to possible career paths.

• Encourage students to reflect on career options and develop decision-making skills.

• Provide impartial, high-quality guidance to help students make well-informed choices.

• Engage with employers and professionals by offering opportunities to interact through various experiences.

• Offer exposure to a range of career options, including vocational and further education pathways.

• Support students with post-16 transitions by providing guidance on further education, apprenticeships and employment.

• Develop essential employability skills such as communication, teamwork, resilience and problem-solving.

• Evaluate and improve continuously to ensure the programme meets the needs of all students.

Our goal is to equip every student with the skills, confidence, and knowledge they need to succeed beyond Clarendon School, preparing them for meaningful and productive futures.

How We Achieve This:

Our careers provision is built upon the eight Gatsby benchmarks:

• A Stable Careers Programme: Clarendon School is rolling out a new curriculum with skills-based progression maps for all subjects, including "Skills for Working" based on the Skills Builder Universal Framework. Our Careers Leader, a senior leader, manages the program, assessed against Gatsby Benchmarks.

• Learning from Career and Labour Market Information: We ensure students develop their understanding of the world of work. Our Key Stage 4 students attend a local area job fair annually, which has access for SEND students.  We run a mini enterprise day each year as part of our Life Skills curriculum.

• Addressing the Needs of Each Pupil: We utilise the Essential Skills Framework (another name for the Skills Builder Universal Framework) to support our students in developing their own vocational profiles at an appropriate level. This personalised approach ensures every student receives guidance tailored to their individual needs, helping them build confidence and competence. Additionally, our Year 10 students participate in the Mencap "Right Start Programme" to develop essential life skills, independence, and confidence.

• Vocational Profiles: we use the Essential Skills Framework to help students understand their vocational profiles and build confidence in their skills for the work place.

• Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers: All staff use a common framework and language for Life Skills, employing the Skills Builder Universal Framework to develop transferable essential skills for any job.

• Encounters with Employers and Employees: We're increasing student interactions with employers. In 2025/26 we'll host Q&A sessions with local employers and employees (including alumni, parents, governors, and other adults) about their experiences and employment opportunities.

• Experiences of Workplaces: Our students undertake significant workplace engagements. Year 10 students participate in a one-week work experience and Year 11 students undertake a two-week work experience. 

• Encounters with Further and Higher Education: Year 11 students attend a Link Course at Richmond College every Friday throughout the year, allowing them to experience further education environments and explore available opportunities.  Workshops with further education colleges are organised in Y10 to understand vocational pathways including internships and apprenticeships where appropriate.

• Personal Guidance: Our programme provides personalised career guidance, including individual advice sessions with parents and a local authority adviser in Year 10. Parent discussions also occur at annual reviews (Y9-11) and with a local authority coordinator (Y11).

Parents/Carers

Parents and carers are actively encouraged to play a vital role in supporting their child’s career decisions through our school’s annual review process. In addition to the personal guidance mentioned above, we recommend parents to explore labour market information using various career search websites. While the school supports securing work placements, parents are encouraged to assist their child in finding placements where possible.

Employers

Clarendon School welcomes the opportunity to engage with prospective employers who are willing to share their expertise and help build our students' knowledge of employability skills, the workplace, the labour market, and job search strategies. Your input brings our careers programme to life and has a lasting impact on our students, helping them to develop essential skills for future success. If you would like to participate in one of our events or contribute to our careers programme, please get in touch with the school.

For any queries, please contact Michael Sinanan our Careers Lead at msinanan@clarendon.richmond.sch.uk