Careers Programme
Hillside Special School delivers careers guidance and experience through a number of key areas.
Careers guidance and work experience is delivered to pupils between years 8-14 in accordance with section 42A of the Education Act 1997.
The main areas we offer career guidance and experience to our pupils is through the delivery of OCR qualifications, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and Work Related Learning, embedded within Hillside’s BRAVE Curriculum (see our Curriculum page and the school’s Curriculum Policy for more information).
As an OCR Registered Centre we have the ability to register our pupils for bespoke units which are suited to their aptitude, needs and interests. Any units undertaken support the delivery of Careers and Work Related Learning, and to help with planning and undertaking work experience placements.
Work is assessed within school and then given a final mark and assessed externally with OCR's course verifiers and has been developed in line with the statutory careers guidance. OCR courses provide our Year 10 and above pupils with the opportunity to gain qualifications and UCAS points which they can then either develop in Further Education after their time at Hillside, or to assist them in employment on their CVs.
As well as being a Registered Centre for OCR, Hillside is also a Registered Centre for delivering and assessing the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a nationally recognised award and qualification for assisting in teaching participants a number of soft skills (also known as employability or transferable skills) which support pupils to aim towards further work experience and career development as well as life experiences.
Those employability skills are described as the ‘personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people’. They are the non-academic, non-technical skills – the attributes and attitude that can influence how successful you are in your personal and working lives.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award works on pupils’ abilities to communicate with others, work in a team, time management, taking responsibility, being strong and resilient, staying focused and positive, problem-solving, decision making and dealing with the consequences.
At Hillside all Secondary pupils take part in Work Related Learning as part of the BRAVE Curriculum.
Units include:
- Healthy Living and Wellbeing,
- Money in the Community,
- Preparing for Independent Living,
- Transport and Road Safety and Eco-Schools.
Pupils learn about different skills needed for different jobs, visit places of work and have the opportunity to access work experience placements in the community.
These things, along with the established partnerships we have with independent Careers Education providers and local businesses, have enabled our pupils to expand their knowledge and experiences.
Please also refer to our Post 16 Information page for more information.