Careers Education Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)

For further information on our Careers Programme or if you have any specific questions of how pupils, parents, teachers and employers may access information about the careers programme please contact our Careers Leader - Lauren Orchard n who will be pleased to help you. Lauren can be contacted by email on l.orchard@victoria.bham.sch.uk or by telephone on the main school number 0121 476 9478.

Our Careers Programme

Key Stage 3

Our programme starts in Key Stage 3 where all pupils learn about the different careers of people around them through ASDAN New Horizons. Due to the nature of the needs of some of our pupils, this will be through sensory exploration, for others it will be more formal learning activities and practical experiences.

14-19

In Key Stage 4 and 5 pupils continue to learn about careers at an appropriate level. All pupils take part in a ‘World of Work Day’ where external visitors lead sessions about a variety of careers. Some students experience the sensory aspects of careers and the equipment and objects involved, other pupils help the visitors lead the sessions.

In Key Stage 5 some of our students complete ASDAN Employability Accreditation at Entry Level 3 or Level 1 and complete AQA Unit Awards in vocational options that they make.

All of our students in Key Stage 4 & 5 with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties complete AQA Unit Awards accreditation in ‘Preparation for Leisure’ which aims to develop student’s skills and give them experiences of leisure activities which is much more appropriate than formal careers accreditation.

Enterprise

All students in Key Stage 4 & 5 take part in weekly, mixed lessons which focus on short enterprise projects. These are then sold by students in various ways around school which develops a variety of skills in retail.

Some of our students in Key Stage 4 & 5 contribute to the ‘Victoria Café’. Some students help to prepare food items during the week – helping to develop cookery skills and knowledge of health and safety. The food items are then sold to students, staff and visitors at a café run by students, who undertake various roles in the catering sector.

Work Experience

In Key Stage 5 some students complete an internal work experience placement in Year 12 and an external work experience placement in Year 13. After identifying where they would like to complete their work experience in Year 11, pupils write letters of application and attend any interviews they are offered. Placements last for half a day for between 4 and 6 weeks. For those students where this process is not appropriate, alternative provision will be made where possible, such as one off placements, supported placements and internal work related experience in and around school.

Independent Careers & Transition Advisor

We work with Dave Hooley (independent careers consultant) who attends all EHCP reviews from year 9 onwards, writes career pathway reports and advises the school and families on anything related to careers or transitions.

Enterprise Coordinator

Our EC from the Birmingham Careers Hub is Eudene Griffith. We have been working together since February 2022. Eudene supports us with achieving our Gatsby Benchmarks and any other careers-related activities.

Transition

We hold an annual Transition morning for our young people in Years 12 & 13 and their families. This is attended by a range of post 16 and post 19 providers including colleges, charities and the social care sector.

Ideas for future detinations are discussed in EHCP reviews from Year 9, when the Preparation for Adulthood outcomes are used within EHCPs. Visits to potential colleges or other provisions typically happen in years 12 and 13 and once a post-school placement is known, we arrange further visits and put appropriate strategies in place to support a smooth transition.

Alumni

We are in the process of working with Future First to develop an alumni network that can support and be a part of our Careers Education programme. This will include workshops for our current young people and training for staff.

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Access

Pupils, parents, teachers and employers may access information about the careers programme on the school website and through the Work Related Learning Policy.

This new strategy was introduced from 2017 and we hope it will equip our students with the knowledge, skills and experience to positively contribute to society in the future. This may be through paid employment or volunteering their time. We will track the destinations of our leavers for 5 years and measure and assesses the impact of our careers programme by speaking to young people and their families about their confidence, skills and knowledge of career or voluntary opportunities. We continually adapt our strategy based on this information, the next review of the information on this page will be May 2023.

Birmingham Careers Hub

There is a local resource sharing online hub available here:

B'ham Careers Hub

It's a great platform for everyone (including families) to find out what's happening in the City and to get additional information on useful support networks and organisations that can support with careers education and guidance.