Doucecroft School About Doucecroft About Us About Doucecroft About Autism A Therapeutic Approach to Learning Statement of Purpose Achievements & Results Calendar The Team Our Curriculum Academic Achievements & Results Careers & Preparing For Adulthood Evidence for Learning Key Stage 3 Curriculum Our Curriculum Primary Curriculum Student Council Transition Curriculum Positive Career Outcomes for SEND Students 16-19 Bursary Fund Provider Access Policy Music Sessions Students Area Families Area Uniform Leave of Absence Parent View Transport School Lunches Calendar School Action Plan Key Information Accreditations Admissions Covid 19 Information OFSTED Reports Policies and Procedures Safeguarding & E-Safety Student Destinations Staff Vacancies Contact Us Careers & Preparing For Adulthood Doucecroft school has a strong ethos on the preparation for adult life and ensuring that our pupils have the very best opportunities to lead fulfilled adult lives. The link below is a presentation for parents explaining the process for Preparing for Adulthood. Moving into Adulthood Information for Parents Careers Jim Ketley-O'Donel (Careers Leader) & Lindsay Hansford (Careers Assistant) OPEN EVENTS 2023-2024 Colleges run open events at various times throughout the year. These are free and an excellent way to find more about the courses available at a specific college. It is also an opportunity to ask about the type of support your young person could receive. Although these events are free, you usually need to book a place online first so here are links to the various open events coming up – SUFFOLK West Suffolk College, Bury St Edmunds https://www.wsc.ac.uk/about-the-college/open-events Thursday 1st February 2024 5.30pm- 7.30pm Saturday 22nd June 2024 9.30am- 12.30pm Please select your preferred arrival time on the form. If you're looking for Supported Learning (SEND) courses and would like to visit and meet their team, please fill in the form for Supported Learning (SEND). Suffolk New College, including Suffolk Rural ( formerly Otley College) https://www.suffolk.ac.uk/college-life/events/open-events/ · Suffolk Rural campus (formerly Otley College) Saturday 9th March 2024 09:30-12:00 · Ipswich campus – Saturday 2nd March 09:30-12:00. Suffolk One https://www.suffolkone.ac.uk/news-dates/open-events Tuesday 6 February 2024 5pm to 7.30pm New Skill Centre Please contact New Skill Centre direct to arrange a visit - https://www.newskillcentre.com/ ESSEX Colchester Institute in Colchester Main campus is in Colchester town centre but they have a smaller campus in Braintree as well. https://www.colchester.ac.uk/events/#open-events Chelmsford college https://www.chelmsford.ac.uk/news-events/showcase-information-events.asp Wednesday 07th February 2024 (6pm to 8.30pm) · Wednesday 12th June 2024 | Full-Time, Part-Time & Apprenticeships (6pm to 8.30pm) USP college (SEEVIC) https://www.uspcollege.ac.uk/courses-apprenticeships/open-evenings-events/ Harlow College https://www.harlow-college.ac.uk/about/upcoming-events · · Tuesday 13 February 2024 · Wednesday 24 April 2024 Colchester Sixth Form college https://www.colchsfc.ac.uk/admissionsevents/ Since last updating this section, we have taken some of our Transition Hub pupils to visit Chelmsford College, Colchester Institute (both their Colchester and Braintree campuses) and Suffolk New College’s Rural campus. These visits help our pupils to experience a larger, busier environment as well as finding out about the courses available to them. Our young people often need more support from parents and carers than those in mainstream which is why it is so important for parents and carers to be well informed about opportunities but also about how their young person’s rights and responsibilities change as they become adults. For this reason, Emma Mitchell, our Family Liaison Officer and myself worked with Barbara Greer from Essex Family to Family Network to arrange a series of workshops for parents using the “Thinking Ahead” guide. The feedback from those who attended was overwhelmingly positive. Each day, at least one pupil from the Transition Hub is going out on work experience with Wednesdays being particularly busy. We have some new providers – Kingsland Church café in Colchester and Re-Create in Ipswich. Jim and I continue to source new providers and hope to announce more after Easter. The Spring term has been busy with both National Apprenticeship week and National Careers week falling in this term. National Careers week saw us having visitors to deliver a day on the theme of Renewable Energy and Essex Young Farmers delivered an amazing Farming Day including bringing a combine harvester, various tractors and some lambs into school. The weather was kind to us and all the pupils (and staff!) had a fantastic day. Since September, more opportunities have opened up for our pupils to gain experiences of workplaces, plus the chance to develop their transferrable skills. I have been joined in careers work by my colleague, Jim, who is helping to source bespoke, individual placements which match pupils’ aspirations. We recently invited some of our former pupils back to school for a reunion. This gave our current Transition Hub pupils the opportunity to ask questions and find out more about life beyond Doucecroft. It was really inspiring to see how well our former pupils are getting on – we’re very proud of them all! After October half term, we will start to take Transition Hub pupils on visits to local colleges as carrying on in education is one of the options available to them after Doucecroft. I have also revised our Careers Policy and Programme, both of which were recently approved by our Governors. There is also a pupil-friendly version of the policy in this section of the website. As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions please contact us on [email protected] or [email protected] A guide to our careers programme is available here for students A guide to our careers programme is available here for parents Students' Destinations Upon Leaving Doucecroft School Positive Career Outcomes For SEND Students Responses To Our Consultation With Parents On Our Careers Programme Responses To Our Consultation With Employers On Our Careers Programme Our Provider Access Policy can be viewed here The websites listed below can assist you to explore possibilities for the future with your son/daughter. Information for all students, parents and carers National Careers Service website, free to use https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/ Apprenticeship website https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/ Apprenticeship Parents Newsletters - See Post 16 Options for students with SEND sections July 2021 April 2021 December 2020 November 2020 Government website explaining when students can leave school https://www.gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school Government website which helps students to find traineeships. These, in turn can lead onto an apprenticeship https://www.gov.uk/find-traineeship Useful website explaining how to find an apprenticeship https://amazingapprenticeships.com/app/uploads/2020/03/Find-an-apprenticeship_LAH.pdf Tips on finding a good apprenticeship https://amazingapprenticeships.com/app/uploads/2019/09/Parent-Pack-June-Pg7-Good-Apprenticeship.pdf Good explanation of how apprenticeships are structured https://amazingapprenticeships.com/app/uploads/2019/09/Parent-Pack-June-Pg6-off-the-job-training.pdf How to get additional help to access work if you have a disability of any kind https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work This lists all organisations that have signed up to the Disability Confident scheme https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-confident-employers-that-have-signed-up Information about financial support for students and their families https://workingfamilies.org.uk/publications/from-child-to-adult/ Information about financial assistance for students in education www.gov.uk/1619-bursary-fund Young people focused site with career information on jobs within the NHS www.stepintothenhs.nhs.uk Free online library of careers related film, news and information https://www.careersbox.co.uk/ Information about university courses www.ucas.com Post 16 Child Benefit Information www.gov.uk/child-benefit-16-19 DOSH Financial Advocacy https://www.dosh.org/ Information for Essex students, parents and carers The local offer from Essex: this is your starting point http://www.essexlocaloffer.org.uk/ Essex Opportunities Portal www.essexopportunities.co.uk A parents guide to services in North East Essex Click Here To View Adult Community Learning, supported learning http://www.aclessex.com/ Colchester Institute https://www.colchester.ac.uk/ Chelmsford College https://www.chelmsford.ac.uk/ Seevic College www.uspcollege.ac.uk Thriftwood College https://www.thriftwoodschool.com/college Writtle University College https://writtle.ac.uk/ To find out about opportunities to do voluntary work http://www.volunteeressex.org/ Independent parent carer forum for the whole of Essex https://essexfamilyforum.org/about/meet-the-team/ Specific support aimed at people with autism, from Essex County Council https://www.essex.gov.uk/autism/Support-for-people-with-autism Local groups in Essex for people with autism https://www.essex.gov.uk/autism/local-groups-for-people-with-autism Designed to give you an understanding of your personality and the career areas that you would be best suited to. https://www.getmyfirstjob.co.uk/Develop/CareersQuiz.aspx Careers and labour market information for Essex Click Here Information for Suffolk students, parents and carers The Local Offer for Suffolk: this is your starting point Click Here Suffolk Parent And Carer Network https://spcn.org.uk/ Suffolk New College ( this now includes what used to be Otley College) https://www.suffolk.ac.uk/ West Suffolk College https://www.wsc.ac.uk/ Suffolk One https://www.suffolkone.ac.uk/ Lapwing Education https://lapwingeducation.co.uk/ A quiz to generate a few ideas https://www.getmyfirstjob.co.uk/Develop/CareersQuiz.aspx Find a job or career in Suffolk based on your specific interests https://www.icanbea.org.uk/ Suffolk County Council’s Post 16 travel policy https://www.suffolkonboard.com/school-travel/send-travel/ Organisations offering volunteering opportunities within Suffolk www.communityactionsuffolk.org.uk https://volunteersuffolk.org.uk/ Careers and labour market information for Suffolk Click Here Fairview Farm – Care farm just outside Ipswich for 16 to 30 year olds www.fairviewfarm.org Indigo Opportunities – quite a new provision started by a lady who worked for Leading Lives www.indigo-opportunities.org.uk Inclusive Opportunities Only on Facebook and no website. Started by two ladies who worked at the Bridge School, they seem to be offering after school and holiday provision at Stonham Barns Leaps Suffolk – provides Holiday, Saturday, Out Not In and Residential opportunities for young people in Suffolk. https://www.leapssuffolk.org.uk/ Manage Cookie Preferences