Careers and Preparing for Adulthood

We have a varied, personalised and vibrant Careers Programme that links to the Preparation for Adult agenda. Through this programme, we provide specialist information, advice and guidance around education, employment and training to our students and their families.

The diagram above gives a summary of the activities that support the programme, each activity builds confidence and skills for life which allows them to fulfil their individual potential and aspirations.

The aims of our Careers Programme are to:

Build a sustainable and adaptable careers strategy based on Preparation for Adulthood agenda, that is regularly reviewed and updated.
Develop holistic provision that links to individual needs, interests, skills and learning pathways, giving pupils opportunities to try and experience a range new and exciting activities that link to post school provision.
Develop pupils’ communication and social skills so that they have confidence to access services and provision post school.
To make sure pupils and their families have access to good, relevant and timely information so that they can make informed choices about their route post school.

Further details about how we implement and measure the impact of this can be found by clicking on the policy below.

Castle School Careers lead is Tanzi Foulger-Betts you can contact her via email on tfoulger-betts@castle.cambs.sch.uk

Employer engagement. Please see below for our provider access statement.

We have developed and maintained a number of partnerships with local companies and charities, who support us with work experience placements and pathways into work or volunteering. All of these provide literature about their setting and attend our annual Opportunity afternoon. If you are an employer or charity that is interested in supporting our pupils please contact Claire Laidler claidler@castle.cambs.sch.uk for further details.

Further support

Additional Information, advice and guidance on education, training and employment for students at Castle School is provided by the Additional Needs Pathway Adviser. Angie Vickery is attached to our school, you can contact her via Tel: 07469377540 or Email: angie.vickery@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

She is available for advice and guidance, supports sessions in school and attends Annual Reviews. She will work with young people through to their 25th birthday.

There are also two useful documents that give details of opportunities available to students when they leave Castle School. They can be found using the links below

Moving on https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/asset-library/Moving-On-Booklet.pdf

Moving into work https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/asset-library/moving-on-into-work-guide.pdf

Independent Travel

We are really excited to be part of a new initiative which supports our pupils to be independent travellers this is described below.

National Star’s prestigious LIFT Programme expanded to Cambridgeshire in Summer 2021. LIFT work with young people with additional needs and disabilities by providing a free, 1-1, personalised travel training service to promote independent access to school or college. Travel training builds confidence and teaches other life-long, transferrable skills such as road safety, personal safety, communication, problem-solving and emergency strategies etc.

The main focus of their work with young people is to enable them to travel independently using public transport, rather than use transport provided by the Local Authority. We hope that this is not where our students’ journeys end and that it is a stepping stone to other opportunities and preparation for adulthood.

Castle School currently have three students enroled onto the programme and they are either already accessing school independently or working towards this goal and obtaining a Goldrider bus pass. These are amazing achievements and one student has explained what a difference travel training has made, such that their ‘confidence has grown considerably’.

If you too are interested in finding out more about the programme and how to enrol, please contact Jessica Keogh at jkeogh@nationalstar.org or 07549032441.

Key documents from Cambridgeshire County Council:

Preparing for adulthood at Castle

In October we hold an ‘Opportunities’ Event with representatives from external agencies such as:

Colleges
The Preparing for Adulthood Additional Needs Team
Work Based Learning providers
Charity groups

This provides parents and families of our students in Year 9 and above with the chance to meet and discuss transition opportunities. Our Local Area Advisers are listed below:

Angie Vickery – Additional Needs Pathway Co-ordinator

Telephone No: 01223 728145
email: Angie.Vickery@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Box No: BH1103
Babbage House,
Castle Park,
Cambridge,
CB3 0AT

How Can You Help Us?

Keep in touch with us via Evidence for Learning
Phone and let us know if you have concerns or if there is a change in home circumstances
Phone and let us know your child is away from school
Come and see us when you can and particularly for meetings about your child

Who Can Help You?

Useful Telephone Numbers

SALT – 01223 884494
Education Welfare Office – 01223 729073
Statutory Assessment and Resources Team (START) – 01480 372600
Community School Nurses – 01223 884335
OT/Physio – 01223 442402/6
Social Work Team -Team Co-ordinator 01223 729128
Hearing Impairment Service – 01223 728310/728124
Visual Impairment Service – 01480 373434
Education Transport – 0345 045 5208
Parent Partnership providing SEND Information, Advice and Support (SENDIASS– 01223 699214
Sunshine Club (Carers' Trust) - 0345 241 0954/01480 499090
Cambridge Playscheme – 01223 412254
CIMA – Music Therapy – 01480 373500
Parent Support Advisor – 01223 699220