At Old Park School we take our responsibility to prepare our students for the next stage of their adult life seriously, and as such, have a team of staff to support this. This includes a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Family Support Team, and class-based staff who act as advocates. In addition to this, we work closely with the families and the Local Authority, initially through annual reviews of EHCP to ensure our students' needs are fully understood and appropriate provision can be planned.
Continuing in education may not be a realistic option for some of our students. If college is a possible next step, it is likely to be successful if the right support is secured and everyone involved has a clear understanding of the student’s needs. It may also be a part of a package of support, surrounding the student which may include social care or health input and provision.
All students will receive independent careers advice and guidance with the support of Dudley Connexions Service. School are working to develop accessible versions of the Connexions Careers Action Plans for our students and are well equipped to provide communication support during guidance interviews, which may take place over a number of visits to enable a relationship to form between the student and their independent adviser.
We support our families to investigate available opportunities and decide preferences. Throughout all of this, the students are involved in as meaningful a way as possible, attending meetings if appropriate and visiting options for future placements. Once a decision has been reached we support our students and future placements with transition. This can be over the course of the year, or as long or short as is deemed appropriate. It will also take various formats as transition is planned and delivered on an individual basis.
As students at Old Park follow a curriculum based on pathways according to their individual skills and needs, 'successful outcomes' vary accordingly. Below are our 'Vision Statements': a statement for each of the five learner pathways identifying the most current aspirational destinations and outcomes for each group of students.
Old Park School Careers Overview
Additional information for Teachers can be found in the Cycle Overview documents for each topic / project.
We would love to hear your thoughts on ways to improve or add to our Careers Programme here at Old Park. Please contact the Careers Leader Mrs A. Croft with any suggestions at acroft@old-park.dudley.sch.uk.
What does the Careers Programme look like for me?
Below are symbolised versions of the opportunities for students in each Phase to access the Careers Programme at Old Park School
Statutory requirements and recommendations
The careers provision at Old Park School is in line with the statutory guidance developed by the Department for Education, which refers to Section 42A and 45A of the Education Act 1997.
This states that all schools should provide independent careers guidance from Years 8 -13 and that this guidance should:
- be impartial
- include information on a range of pathways, including apprenticeships
- be adapted to the needs of the pupil
In addition, the school is compliant with the careers guidance that the government set out for delivery from 5 January 2018: ‘Careers Guidance and Inspiration for young people in schools.’ This states that all schools must give education and training providers the opportunity to talk to students about approved technical qualifications and apprenticeships.
We make use of the Compass + monitoring software to record activities within the Careers programme, and this data can then be used to highlight any areas for further development. Whilst this has been implemented within the current academic year, it is already building a picture of individual and group progress.
The Careers programme as a whole is reviewed and audited termly against the Gatsy Benchmarks in conjunction with the Careers and Enterprise Company. This provides a clear indication of the progress made by the school each term, along with information about how this compares to the national average for each Benchmark. Our most recent audit is published below.
All schools have a statutory requirement to address the Baker Clause (also known as the Provider access legislation.) Detail of how this is accomodated at Old Park is also published below.
Post 19 Destination Data
2022-23
In July 2023, eight learners transitioned to Post 19 destinations. Of these, 3 learners moved to a college placement (Dudley College, Victoria College and QAC), 4 learners accessed an individual social care package and 1 learner moved to a residential placement.
2023-24
In July 2024, four learners transitioned to Post 19 destinations. Of these, 1 learner moved to a college placement (Dudley College), and 3 learners accessed an individual social care package.
Employers and Families - Old Park Needs You!
We are always looking to expand the range of work experience opportunities we can offer here at Old Park.
If you feel that your workplace may have roles / tasks suited to our young people, either short or longer term, please contact the careers leader Mrs Amy Croft (acroft@old-park.dudley.sch.uk) for an initial informal discussion.
In the past we have taken part in individual single-student placements, paired placements alongside our current group experiences: our cohort changes each year and we aim to tailor placements accordingly. All work experience is supported by a suitably qualified and familiar member of staff.
If you have the drive to support us, we would love to hear from you!
Careers Curriculum Useful Documents and Websites
Preparation for Adulthood (PfA)
Independent Living Skills
A crucial part of the 14-19 Phase curriculum includes equipping learners with skills such as cooking, cleaning, and taking part in personal hygiene routines.
These areas form part of our long term planning in the 14-19 Phase, with learners regularly revisiting and continuing to develop their skills.
During this Phase, learners also develop their skills in independent travel in the local community, in line with their own support needs. In Key Stage 4 learners will take part in sequences of learning developing their understanding of road safety and using different road crossings. This will help to prepare them to engage in more formal travel training such as using public transport where appropriate in Key Stage 5 to make journeys within the local area, supported by school staff.
During these journeys, several skills are developed at once, as learners will use public transport to access local facilities such as shops, cafe's and other recreational areas.
Transition Visits
Transition visits are an essential component of ensuring pupil voice is central to future planning for learners. Learners in Key Stage 5 are supported to visit potential suitable education and/or social care settings in order for their opinions to be recorded regarding each provision. Following visits, learners have the opportunity to share their wishes and feelings about each potential destination, and familiar staff will also share their thoughts about the suitability of each provision. These responses are then shared with families both informally and in more structured feedback sessions such as EHC reviews, parents evenings and transition meetings.
Enterprise
All students in 14-19 have the opportunity to engage in Enterprise activities as part of our curriculum cycle. We hold regular events and sales in which students help to plan items to be made, prepare these items and then help to sell them to our visitors.
Work Related Learning
Alongside our more formal work experience placements for Key Stage 5 students, all students in the 14-19 phase engage in work related learning during which they may learn about the work of work through a variety of experiences according to their learning styles and pathway.
This may include activities such as:
-sensory immersion experiences to simulate different workplace environments
-workplace role play to simulate doing different job roles in the community
-onsite work experience such as maintaining the Forest School area and supporting the Site Managers with grounds maintenance
-selling second hand uniform as part of the affordable school uniform scheme
-running their own 'car wash' for staff and visitors
-developing areas in the school to benefit a range of students: for instance Form 1 are currently redesigning and developing the sensory garden
-formal 'careers education' sessions for students exploring the possibility of paid or voluntary work in the future
Feedback Survey
Please use this link to make any comments or suggestions you may have about our Careers programme (My future... the road ahead) and Preparation for Adulthood at Old Park School. This will help inform our future planning and school development.
