Blossom House School is committed to delivering a high standard of Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance.
We aim to
Our holistic curriculum ensures that a lot of our learning supports pupils outside of the classroom. In Years 7 and 8, visits to the local high street, money and time topics and access to visits from authors support our KS3 pupils to begin thinking outside of Blossom House School. In Year 9, we introduce Skills as a subject to incorporate the delivery of Careers Education in a more explicit way. Pupils get to experience “Taster sessions” for Option choices at KS4 where subject specialists have the opportunity to discuss subjects and the benefits of studying these when considering their futures. Alumni are invited back in to share their learning experiences with our pupils during these lessons.
Our Yr 10s prepare for the world of work through an emphasis on work experience. Every pupil has at least two sessions of work experience, working at Blossom and Brew, our cafe in the local vicinity. They experience working in the kitchen as well as developing customer service skills by working on the till. They liaise with new, unfamiliar adults to support them to meet the needs of the customers, who are largely the general public.
In Year 11, pupils are offered another two sessions at Blossom and Brew to consolidate the skills learnt previously. Post exams, they have a week of work experience, often organised through family links outside of school to support a new direction away from Motspur Park.
Year 10 and 11 students also have access to 1:1 careers meetings with The Careers Company, where they practice being interviewed and advocate for themselves about what they are looking for in their next steps. They are supported by speech and language therapists.
All KS4 and KS5 pupils are invited to the annual careers fair, where we have a range of sectors of the working world coming to speak to pupils:
Student career choices are discussed in the Annual Review process, using the talking mat approach to gain an insight into their own career ideas.
"Pupils make outstanding progress from their starting points, across subjects and year groups. High-quality teaching and a strong focus on pupils’ well-being ensures that pupils’ progress is consistently strong"
Students on our college link pathway study a range of courses such as Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Installation, Sport, Art and Design, Animal Care, Health and Social Care
Work Experience placements are integrated into the Blossom House timetable in the Summer Term. Most college courses also integrate Work Experience placements into their course content. All students in Post 16 are encouraged to look for placements for Work Experience in their chosen field so that they learn more about what they would like to do in the future.
Those students on the employability scheme are supported to assess their strengths, needs and passions so that by the third year, they have found their own work experience placements, still supported by school. This helps provide the foundation for moving on. Employability students complete a range of Work Experience placements as part of their course, as well as studying for a range of qualifications (like food hygiene, barista training) that can be added to their CVs to support applications for future employment.
Students can use their Speech and Language Therapy 1:1 and group sessions, to discuss careers options and next steps. These are integrated into the curricula on a needs-led basis.
Like with Secondary, external speakers from different companies and student alumni are regularly invited into present to students about different careers. Students also have access to The Careers Company for bespoke and tailor-made interview practice as well as advice and guidance as they move closer to the world of work.
Student career choices are discussed in Annual Review process
All KS4 and KS5 pupils are invited to the annual careers fair, where we have a range of sectors of the working world coming to speak to pupils:
Students are exposed to universities, colleges, apprenticeships, Project Search and supported internships.
Our extensive holistic curriculum supports our pupils to prepare for life after Blossom. Lower down the school we offer trips to the community to practice life skills such as money, road safety, speaking to unfamiliar adults in local cafes and shops. From Year 8 to Year 11, pupils are exposed to Prep for Life days, where each term they develop skills in cleaning, cooking, food preparation, money, travel, self-care and emergencies.
We are so proud of all our pupils and their individual journeys. There are such a wide number of pathways that Blossom House can lead to.
After Post 16 college pathway, a number pupils left us last year to take up full time college positions at colleges including: Kingston College, Nescot and Merton. Pupils have also used our college link as a stepping stone to University. A smaller number were able to access apprenticeships, supported internships and direct employment.
Our alumni are a diversified and successful group of individuals who have gone on to careers in fields including:
