The SENAD Group > Alderwasley Hall School & Sixth Form > Careers

Careers

Helping Every Student Discover Their Future

At Alderwasley Hall School & Sixth Form, we believe every young person has unique strengths, talents and ambitions. Our careers programme is designed to help students recognise those strengths, explore opportunities and develop the confidence to make informed choices about their future.

We know that every student’s journey is different. That’s why our approach is highly personalised, providing the guidance, experiences and support needed to help each young person achieve positive outcomes in adulthood.

Our careers provision is built around the Gatsby Benchmarks for Good Career Guidance recognised as the national standard for supporting young people to prepare for the world of work.

The Gatsby benchmarks are a set of 8 standards that schools and colleagues use to develop and improve careers provision and ensure that all students:

Receive consistent and high-quality careers education
Have access to meaningful employer and work placement experience
Understand all available progression pathways
Are supported to achieve their full potential

Our Commitment to the Gatsby Benchmarks

A Stable Careers Programme – Careers education is embedded throughout school life and forms an important part of every student’s journey from Key Stage 3 through to Sixth Form. Students, families, staff and employers work together to ensure careers learning is meaningful, relevant and tailored to individual aspirations.

Learning from Career and Labour Market Information – We help students understand the opportunities available in their local community and beyond. Students are encouraged to explore:

Different career sectors
Employment trends
Growth industries
Local and national opportunities
Further education and training options

Families and carers are also supported to access information that can help young people make informed decisions about their future.

Addressing the Needs of Each Student – Every student at Alderwasley Hall is unique. Our careers programme reflects this by providing personalised support that considers individual interests, strengths, aspirations and support needs.Students receive guidance that is appropriate to their stage of development, helping them move confidently towards adulthood and greater independence.

Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers – Students are supported to understand how the knowledge and skills they develop in the classroom relate to future careers and life opportunities. Through lessons, projects and practical experiences, students discover how subjects can connect to real-life workplaces and career pathways. This helps learning feel relevant and meaningful while encouraging students to develop ambitious goals for the future.

Encounters with Employers and Employees – Meeting people from the world of work helps bring careers to life. Throughout their time at Alderwasley Hall, students have opportunities to:

Meet employers
Hear career journeys and experiences
Attend careers events
Take part in workshops
Take part in virtual work experience
Develop workplace skills

These encounters help students gain valuable insight into different industries and increase their confidence in exploring future opportunities.

Experience of Workplaces – We know that experiencing the workplace is one of the most powerful ways for students to build confidence and independence. Students benefit from opportunities such as:

Workplace visits
Employer projects
Volunteering experiences
Meaningful work experience placements
Virtual work experiences available through online platforms such as Unifrog and Springpod

Our placements are carefully matched to students’ interests, strengths and aspirations to ensure a positive and successful experience.

Encounters with Further and Higher Education – Students are supported to explore a wide range of progression routes.

These may include:

Specialist colleges
Further education colleges
Training providers
Apprenticeships
Supported internships
Universities
Use of platforms, such as Unifrog and Springpod

By learning about different pathways, students can begin to identify the options that best suit their future goals.

Personal Guidance – As a specialist provision, we recognise the importance of personalised careers guidance.

We ensure that:

Career’s support is adapted to meet individual needs
Students are supported to overcome barriers
Opportunities are inclusive and accessible
Reparation for adult is the key focus.

These one-to-one conversations help students:

Explore their interests and ambitions
Understand available pathways
Set achievable goals
Plan for future transitions
Build confidence in decision-making

Our aim is to ensure every young person feels supported, valued and excited about the possibilities ahead.

Meaningful Work Experience

Work experience is an important part of preparing for adulthood. Placements are tailored to individual interests and may include areas such as:

Animal care
Hospitality
Retail
Horticulture
Administration
Construction
Community services
Engineering

These opportunities help students develop practical skills, workplace confidence and a better understanding of potential career pathways.

Working Together with Families

Parents and carers are key partners in helping young people prepare for their future. We value the vital role families play and work closely with them to support students in exploring aspirations, planning next steps and building confidence for adulthood. Together, we create a shared vision for each student’s future success.

Our Careers Team

Our dedicated careers team is passionate about helping every student achieve positive outcomes and a fulfilling future. They work closely with students, families, employers and education providers to ensure each young person receives personalised support and meaningful opportunities throughout their journey at Alderwasley Hall.

Carly Polkey – Careers and Work Experience Manager. Email: carly.polkey@senadgroup.com

Kim Knapper and Hayley King – College Coordinators. Email: Alderwasley.collegecoordinators@senadgroup.com

Useful Links

The Unifrog platform helps students aged 4 to 18 explore the worlds of work and education, make the best choices, and submit the strongest applications. They partner with universities and employers to further support students. Parents can be involved too – they have their own Unifrog accounts!

If you are a student/parent/carer of this school and you would like an account set up, then please email carly.polkey@senadgroup.com who can assist with this.

Springpod is a free careers platform offering interactive virtual work experience, career insights, and university course tasters for anyone 13+ years. Students can explore industries, complete real-world projects, and earn certificates all aligned to Gatsby Benchmarks and career education best practice

National Apprenticeship week – 8^th to 14^th February 2027. Exploring future options through apprenticeships and T levels.