Careers

Career-related learning

Work related learning at Priory School is a journey for all pupils from Year 7 to Year 14. It is about broadening students’ horizons, challenging stereotypes and discrimination and helping students to develop the skills and sense of self that will enable them to reach their full potential.

The Gatsby Benchmarks were developed on behalf of the Gatsby Foundation by Sir John Holman. They define what world class careers provision in education looks like and provide a clear framework for organising the careers provision at your school or college.

The 8 Gatsby benchmarks of Good Career Guidance are:

  1. A stable careers programme

  2. Learning from career and labour market information

  3. Addressing the needs of each student

  4. Linking curriculum learning to careers

  5. Encounters with employers and employees

  6. Experiences of workplaces

  7. Encounters with further and higher education

  8. Personal guidance

Curriculum

Our careers programme begins in Year 7, and aims to help our students understand and make informed choices about what they would like to do when they leave school and access further education or the community. For full details, see links to further information below.

Collaboration

Priory School careers programme is delivered in conjunction with Talentino.  

To support the development of our careers curriculum we belong to the South London Careers SEND Community of Practice Forum.  The Forum is an opportunity for Priory School to collaborate with Career Leads from SEND schools, and to share challenges and best practices.

Links to careers information

Careers policy

Provider Access Statement

Priory School Sixth Form Curriculum

Talentino and Gatsby SEND Toolkit www.talentinocareers.co.uk/send-gatsby-benchmark-toolkit.pdf

For more information, please contact our Careers Lead — Penny Deakin, Deputy Headteacher.

Work experience

We are very proud of our work experience offer at Priory School. Students have the opportunity to have at least 2 discrete work experience placements.

Over time our dedicated team have formed strong links with local employers, and consistently source external work placements for our students. The current list of external placements include:

  • Hairdressing

  • Hospitality (e.g. Harvester, Costa Coffee, Volcano Coffee Works)

  • Community Groups such as L’Arche, Charity Shops, Food Banks

  • Garden Centres

Due to the complex needs of some of our students we are able to support a range of school-based work experience placements. Our current list of internal placements include:

  • Office assistant

  • Caretaker assistant

  • PE assistant

  • Cooking assistant

  • Therapy administrator

  • Catering assistant

  • Gardening and animal-care assistants

  • Enterprise (including all the school fairs)

  • Maintaining work spaces