Careers Education

We want every student to leave us equipped with the skills necessary for an independent life, knowing that they are valued for ‘who they are’ and able to thrive within their communities.

Our “Careers Offer” is aspirational and promotes community inclusion and independence. It also aligns with one of our core values – Learning for Life – as well as the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks and the National Careers Strategy, which provide a robust and high-quality framework for career guidance helping to deliver a system of high aspirations for all students. 

Aspirational

Our four campuses equip children and young people with a ‘suitcase’ of skills to help them progress onto further education and into the world of work. While the world provides many obstacles, we believe in tearing down walls and encourage each individual to reach beyond their realities, take risks and above all, believe in themselves. Supporting them to scope out their future pathways in a clear and direct way, means that they will be able to take their place in society and make an active and meaningful contribution, knowing that they are valued for ‘who they are’ not just what they can do.

Learning for Life

At West Lea we recognise the importance of embedding careers education throughout the school rather than just when students are considering their options for Post 16 education. By ensuring opportunities are built into our curriculum, and therefore what we do on a day-to-day basis, we are able to provide our students with the chance to explore, consider and plan for their future beyond their journey with us, towards independence and into the world of work – what we call ‘learning for life’. A variety of creative approaches help our students to develop transferable work, life and social skills that support careers, employability and enterprise and the wider Preparing for Adulthood (PfA) outcomes.

Community Inclusion and Independence

Having built strong partnerships with local businesses and other key organisations we have been able to incorporate real life experiences within our careers programme giving students a great insight into employment. We have strong links with the London Borough of Enfield linking and contributing to as well as promoting the Local Offer and supporting the transition into adulthood. We run a number of independence programmes that support our students to become more integrated with their local community including an extensive Work Experience Programme, a local Independent Travel Training programme and a Supported Internship Programme. As an innovative school we are always exploring new ways to support our students to work towards leading fulfilled lives with increased independence.

For more information about Careers Education at West Lea please see links below:

  • Careers Plan, Programme and Strategic Action Plan The purpose of this plan is to set out how we, as a school, will provide consistently high-quality career education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) and use our unique position in our local community to tackle inequalities and barriers to employment and independence of children and young people with SEND.
  • Work Experience Policy – Work Experience forms a key part of our Careers Education offer. The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance for West Lea staff facilitating work experience placements and establishing a framework for good practice.
  • Provider Access Policy – We work with an extensive network of employers and other educational organisations to ensure our students are exposed to a range of experiences and are able to make informed decisions about their future career aspirations. To find out more about how to work with us please see our Provider Access Policy.
  • Exam and Destination Data 

For further information, contact our Careers Leader: Kika Charalambous – Head of School, Horizon Campus – Post 16 kcharalambous@westeaschool.co.uk  / Tel: 020 8887 1160

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