Careers

Fern House School is dedicated to providing pupils with a high-quality, holistic education. We ensure our pupils gain the skills, knowledge and experiences that prepare them in the best way possible for the world beyond school.

Integral to this is our comprehensive careers programme, which provides them with a range of opportunities to engage with employers and training providers. This initiative delivers expert, independent advice and guidance, empowering pupils to confidently explore and plan their next steps, whether that involves pursuing a specific career, further education or navigating other significant life choices.

Our Careers Leader is Carl Blackstock and can be contacted via email: carl.blackstock@fernhouseschool.org.

Career Programme – Aims

Our Careers Education and Guidance will:

• Provide good quality independent and impartial careers advice to pupils which inspires and motivates them to achieve their goals.

• Contribute to raising achievement; encouraging pupils to develop high aspirations.

• Provide advice and guidance which is in the best interests of the pupil.

• Provide opportunities to work in partnership with employers, training providers, local colleges and others to provide opportunities to inspire students through real life contact with the world of work.

• Develop enterprise and employability skills, including skills for self-employment.

• Help gain and develop an understanding of work readiness.

• Support inclusion, challenge stereotyping and promote equality of opportunity.

• Support pupils at key transition points.

• Provide access to job coaches to support students in work experience and the job application process.

• Provide support to parents to raise awareness and aspirations relating to employment.

• Identify pupils’ strengths, interests and motivations through vocational profiling.

• Promote developing an understanding of financial independence when exploring budgets and saving strategies.

Gatsby Benchmarks

Our school careers plan supports the achievement of the eight Gatsby benchmarks:

• Benchmark 1: A stable careers programme that is known and understood by pupils, parents, teachers, governors and employers.

• Benchmark 2: Learning from career and labour market information. Every pupil and their parents have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities.

• Benchmark 3: Addressing the needs of each pupil so advice and support is tailored to the needs of each pupils, embedding equality and diversity throughout.

• Benchmark 4: Linking curriculum learning to careers.

• Benchmark 5: Encounters with employers and employees so very pupil has multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace.

• Benchmark 6: Experiences of workplaces so every pupil has a first-hand experience of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities and expand their networks.

• Benchmark 7: Encounters with further and higher education.

• Benchmark 8: Personal guidance.