Work Experience
Work Experience
We develop students’ readiness for their lives after Spa through our work experience offer. Our Careers Lead is the Assistant Head for KS3, Anna Kostoglou, who works closely with senior leaders to develop work experience and careers learning.
All pupils in KS5 have an opportunity to work in The School House Café. The hours and tasks they complete are matched to their interests and needs. Some students complete ASDAN Employability qualifications as part of their Schoolhouse Café work experience placements.
Pupils have opportunities to work with organisations within the local community. In previous years, pupils have completed work experience at the Bede Centre and with the DePaul organisation.
Further opportunities are provided through The Park College link programme. All pupils complete Enterprise activities. Last term these culminated in planning and running a Winter Fair. Students also try a range of jobs relating to:
- Event management
- Catering
- College administration
- Cycle maintenance
- Garden management.
The Park College link programme has provided opportunities for Spa students to gain experience of working with partner organisations. These include:
- I’m at Work: Self Cook Supper Club
- Library and event management at CLPE
Careers
Pupils in KS3 and 4 develop their understanding and readiness for the world of work in the following ways:
- Learning about jobs and career paths in PSHE and in English
- Interviewing people about their jobs in PSHE
- ASDAN curriculum units
- Developing responsibility through jobs and tasks within the school
- Using the TEACCH program to develop independence and developing the ability to recognise when a task has been completed.
- Developing Communication skills ready for the world of work through specific Social Communication units.
We have a set of careers assemblies each year where employers and entrepreneurs present to our pupils. In Spring 2024 our series included presentations from: the social media manager from Millwall FC, a puppeteer, a data scientist, a cafe manager and a construction manager
Our summary of our careers overview is below. Further information can be obtained from our Careers Lead, Anna Kostoglou. You can contact Anna by calling us on 0207 237 3714 or via email at office@spa-education.org
We will review the impact of our careers program this year to include:
- number of pupils who accessed sessions with employers
- progress towards pupils' preparation for adult (PfA) targets as part of each pupils' annual review
- pupil surveys after assembly events and careers workshops
- parent surveys at the end of the academic year
This information will be shared in July 2024 for this academic year.
For the last academic year, all pupils attended our careers assemblies. All pupils were given the opportunity to ask questions of employers. Engagement and attendance at the assemblies was high.
Two pupils completed a 10 week work experience program with the Wellcome Collection.
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KS3 |
KS4 |
KS5 |
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Autumn |
Maths: Clothes shops and Visiting a Restaurant
Enrichment: Children in Need Enrichment: Student council meetings |
Community: visiting local area
Enrichment: Children in Need Enrichment: Student council meetings Talk the Talk Careers Workshops - CN pupils |
English: Maths: Financial Literacy
Art: Enterprise project Community: visiting local area
Enrichment: Children in Need Enrichment: Student council meetings Enrichment: Presentation evening, interviews with ex-pupils Talk the Talk Careers Workshops - CN pupils
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Spring |
Maths: Visiting Local Amenities - Library PSHE: Citizenship: Being a Good Citizen
Careers Assembly Series – Employers presenting information about world of work Careers Workshops with SCOPE
Enrichment: Student council meetings |
English: Aspirations Community: visiting local area Maths: Superstore Supermarkets
Careers Assembly Series – Employers presenting information about world of work Careers Workshops with SCOPE
Enrichment: Student council meetings |
Maths: Functional Skills
PSHE: ASDAN Personal Progress: Developing Skills for the Workplace Art: Enterprise project English: Functional Skills Community: visiting local area ICT: Functional Skills
Careers Assembly Series – Employers presenting information about world of work Careers Workshops with SCOPE
Enrichment: Student council meetings |
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Summer |
Maths: Visiting Local Amenities PSHE: The World of Work and Skills for Work
Enterprise: Summer fayre Enrichment: Student council meetings
Enrichment: Circus skills workshop (exposure to professionals)
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PSHE: World of Work and Skills I Need for the World of Work English:
Maths: Learning about Book Shops Art: Visiting a Gallery ICT: Functional Skills Community: visiting local area
Enterprise: Summer fayre Enrichment: Student council meetings Enrichment: Circus skills workshop (exposure to professionals)
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PSHE: Keeping safe in the Community Maths: Visiting / Working in a clothes shop
Art: Enterprise project Community: visiting local area
Enterprise: Summer fayre Enrichment: Student council meetings Enrichment: Circus skills workshop (exposure to professionals)
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Annually |
Annual reviews PfA added in Year 9 |
Annual reviews PfA targets added and post-16 options discussed |
Annual reviews: PfA targets added and discussion around post-19 options discussed
Work experience in school house café |
Careers and Provider Policy
Central London Careers Hub
We are partnering with the Central London Careers Hub to ensure that all pupils (and families) have access to careers advice and support as well as expanding our work experience offer.
Scope Carers Pathways
We are partnering with Scope to offer carers advice to our pupils. Pupils in KS4 and 5 will complete workshops and have bespoke careers advice in the Spring and Summer term.
Talk the Talk
We partnered with Talk the Talk to provide careers workshops to our pupils with more Complex Needs. They will be working with pupils in KS4 and 5 in the Autumn term
