Careers - Information, Advice & Guidance

At Hazelbeck we are committed to providing a career and transition programme that will enable students to plan for their future. Our agreed definition of ‘career’ is ‘a path or progress through life’. Therefore, we consider that all our students are on a career path and both they, and their parents, will need information, support and guidance to help them best plan for the continuance of this journey.

The inclusion of ‘Careers’ in our School Improvement Plan is testimony to our commitment to offering our students the best possible support and to maintaining high aspirations for them as they prepare for life beyond Hazelbeck. 
Outlined below is an overview of the types of experiences students will access at different stages:

All Years:

• A cross curricular focus on Life Skills and Independence - our aim is to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to lead a fulfilling life where they are as independent as possible. This focus provides our students with a rich experience where they can apply their knowledge and skills that will serve them well, whatever their chosen career path may be.
• Leadership Opportunities / In-school work experience - multiple and wide-ranging opportunities are provided for students to develop their leadership skills and to take on work roles within the school setting as part of their curriculum learning. Many bases have specific work experience tasks for their students to aid the day to day running of the class.
• Enterprise - There are regular occasions throughout the year when our students become young entrepreneurs, making and producing items for sale. Appropriate workwear is also worn when students are engaging in these activities.
• Curriculum - Students follow a curriculum that includes Careers, scaffolded according to their needs and based upon the Talentino schemes of work. Their progress is regularly checked to ensure they are working at the correct level and being given the appropriate amount of challenge and each student has specific targets set to allow meaningful learning.

  The Talentino element of our curriculum comprises:

  1. Enterprise
  2. What is a job?
  3. There is a job for me
  4. What job or setting should I choose?
  5. How do I get a job?
  6. I am ready for a job.
• Guest speakers - We invite a range of outside agencies to visit us, and we include a focus on careers whenever possible. We also invite former students and parents to speak to our young people about their careers aspirations and experiences.
• Bright Futures -This is a careers fair where students and parents can speak to employers and post-16 providers in school. It is a key part of the process of allowing students and parents to make the right choices for their next steps after school.

KS5

• Work experience - Students work in mixed groups to explore ‘Vocational Options’. Examples include: running a school cafe, learning how to do front of house at Bingley Arts Centre, learning how to make things to sell, working as a classroom assistant or in a salon.
• Post 16 Choices - From Year 9 onwards, EHCP meetings have ‘Preparation for Adulthood’ as an agenda item. This allows us to talk to students and parents about future aspirations and to support the students over time in preparing for life after Hazelbeck. They also allow parents and students to reflect on what progress the student is making in this area and set next step targets.
• College and Post 16 Provider Visits - these run with individuals and groups of students throughout their time with us in 16+. A wide range of provision is explored in order to allow students to understand what is available to them, and what they might aspire to do in their next setting.
• Careers Guidance - For students for whom it is appropriate, there will be opportunities to have a careers interview that will allow the students to set targets for careers and preparation for adulthood with a level 6 trained careers adviser.

Our careers provision is integral to our curriculum. Students prepare for adulthood throughout their time with us. All careers progress is recognised through the work completed and evidence of this is stored on our Evidence for Learning programme as well as all careers activity being captured on the Compass+ online tool. This enables us to track our careers offer against the Gatsby Benchmarks to ensure we are matching school-based careers requirements. We complete termly Compass assessments to measure our performance in careers and this informs our practice. We take an annual assessment of our careers programme and set action points following this in order to ensure our offer is meaningful and produces good outcomes. Our most recent review was in July 2023 and we will review once more in July 2024. Any changes to our provision following this will be updated on this website.

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Hazelbeck Provider Access Policy

This policy statement sets out the school’s arrangements for managing the access of providers to students at the school for the purpose of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer.

This complies with the school’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.

Student entitlement

All students in years 8-13 are entitled:

• to find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point;
• to hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through options events, assemblies and group discussions and taster events;
• to understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.

Management of provider access requests: A provider wishing to request access should contact: admin@hazelbeck.org

Opportunities for access:

A number of events, integrated into the school careers programme, will offer providers an opportunity to come into school to speak to pupils and/or their parents/carers; these include:

• Bright Futures event for pupils, parents/carers - this is a market stall event giving an overview of post-16 options for pupils and parents/carers and an overview of local, regional and national opportunities and skills requirement
• Meetings with careers professionals
• Technical/vocational tasters at local college/s, training providers
• Work experience preparation sessions

Please contact us to identify the most suitable opportunity for you, email: Shelley Upton, SUpton01@hazelbeck.org

Premises and facilities:

The school will make the main hall, classrooms or private meeting rooms available for discussions between the provider and students, as appropriate to the activity. The school will also make available AV and other specialist equipment to support provider presentations. This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the appropriate member of staff. All visitors to the school will have to adhere to the Trust’s safeguarding policy, which is available on our website. Hard copies can be provided on request.

Providers are welcome to send a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature to the school.