At The Woodlands School, our vision is to support every young person to become a happy, confident and successful adult. We are deeply committed to high-quality Preparation for Adulthood (PfA), and we firmly believe that a proportion of our students are employable with the right support, opportunities and guidance.
Our Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) programme is designed to empower our young people to develop the skills, confidence and independence they need for adult life, whether this leads to employment, further education, supported internships, volunteering, or community participation.
Embedding Gatsby Benchmarks, the CDI Framework and Skills Builder
Our Careers Programme is fully aligned with the Gatsby Benchmarks, which provide the national framework for best practice in careers education. We meet these benchmarks through:
- A stable careers programme (Benchmark 1) rooted in the CDI Framework for Careers Development, ensuring structured outcomes across careers, employability and enterprise learning.
- Curriculum-linked careers learning (Benchmark 4) delivered through subject areas and themed pathways.
- Employer encounters and experiences of the workplace (Benchmarks 5 & 6) tailored for SEND learners through supported work experience, in-school enterprise, structured visits and guest speakers.
- Personal guidance (Benchmark 8) provided by trained staff who understand the learning, communication and sensory profiles of our pupils.
- Decision-making support and transitions (Benchmarks 2, 3 & 7) using accessible resources, one-page profiles, visual supports and structured planning.
We also use the national Skills Builder Universal Framework to break employability and life skills into small, teachable, measurable steps. These steps help us support our young people to develop mastery over time through repetition, practice and real-life application.
Core Competency Skills
Across the curriculum, we intentionally develop core skills, essential for life, independence and employment. These are adapted using the CDI Framework outcomes and Skills Builder progression steps to ensure accessibility, differentiation and meaningful learning.
Our main areas of focus include:
- Speaking and Listening
- Presenting
- Problem Solving
- Creativity
- Staying Positive
- Aiming High
- Leadership
- Teamwork
These competencies are embedded in every phase of learning—from classroom projects, enterprise activities and community engagement, and internal/external work experience.
Our Careers Leadership
Rebecca Brown, Head of Destinations – Careers & Transitions Lead, leads CEIAG at The Woodlands School. Rebecca ensures that our programme meets national expectations, adheres to statutory guidance (DfE 2023), and provides meaningful, personalised pathways for all young people.
Partnerships and Employer Engagement
We are proud to be part of the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP), enabling us to connect with a wide range of employers across sectors. This collaboration helps bring the world of work to life for our students and supports Gatsby Benchmarks 5 and 6.
Employer engagement plays a vital role in raising aspirations and building self-belief. We welcome partners who can support us by offering:
- Talks or assemblies to share career journeys
- Industry-focused small group sessions
- Mock interviews and CV workshops
- Q&A networking sessions about job roles
- Employer-led activities or demonstrations
- Workplace visits tailored for SEND learners
- Work experience or volunteering opportunities
- Enterprise and business challenges
We are flexible in our approach and can adapt activities to suit your organisation and our young people’s needs.
Celebrating the Strengths of Our Students
Our students are talented, creative, hardworking and capable. At The Woodlands School, we champion the belief that:
- Differences are strengths
- Disabilities are different abilities
- Special needs are special talents
- Behaviour is communication
- Employment is inclusive and achievable
We encourage all families, employers and visitors to celebrate these strengths with us.
Please check our website regularly to see some of the exciting learning, work-related activities and enterprise projects our young people are taking part in.
We are also pleased to welcome Sarah Cleaver , our link governor for Employability and Careers, who supports us in continually developing and strengthening our CEIAG programme.