At Treloar’s, we know that careers education includes a broad range of positive outcomes for our students: supported or paid work, volunteering, further education, independent or supported living, and active participation in the community.
The SEND Code of Practice states:
High aspirations are crucial to success – discussions about longer-term goals should start early and ideally well before Year 9 (age 13-14) at school. They should focus on the child or young person’s strengths and capabilities and the outcomes they want to achieve.
Our careers programme enables every young person to explore their best next steps.
What to Expect from our Careers Programme
Our aim is to provide all our students with a holistic programme which is embedded into the wider curriculum and all staff in the school and college are involved in the planning, delivery, implementation of the programme.
Key principles:
• Careers is everyone’s responsibility
• For our students, success looks different, and outcomes are personalised. We support our students to follow their own journey to reach their goals
• Our careers programme is designed to encourage our students to raise aspirations of what is possible and to have strategies to take down barriers.
Careers isn’t a single subject — it’s part of everyday learning, and everyone has a role to play, including:
• Class Teachers and Tutors
• Student Support Assistants
• Therapists
• Residential teams
• The Transition Team
• Senior Management Team
• Governors
• And other professionals across Treloar's
We use a multi-disciplinary, student-led approach. This ensures students receive the right support in the right way — often from trusted, familiar staff who understand their communication, sensory and physical needs.
We also work in partnership with:
• Families and carers
• Social Workers
• Health professionals
• Advocates
To ensure guidance is relevant, impartial and meaningful to each student.
Our Careers Programme is part of the School and College Improvement Plans, and we are committed to ongoing reflection and development to ensure the best outcomes for our students.
Gatsby Benchmarks
We follow national standards like the Gatsby Benchmarks. The Gatsby Benchmarks are a research based framework for delivering high-quality careers education. They help ensure that all students, including those with SEND, receive personalised, meaningful guidance through real-life experiences, curriculum links, and encounters with employers and training providers. As staff, your role is vital in embedding career learning across subjects, helping students connect their skills and interests to future pathways.
For more information: The SEND Gatsby Benchmark Toolkit
Supporting positive outcomes
As a staff member, you play an important role in:
• Helping students reflect on their interests, strengths and hopes
• Contributing to the Annual Review process with relevant insights, and ensuring students make progress on EHCP outcomes
• Supporting students to set small, meaningful goals
• Keeping communication open with families and the wider support team
• Introducing key transition concepts early and gradually
• Supporting students to understand their options and make decisions about their next steps.
Useful Resources for Staff
Specially designed resources to help staff support meaningful, accessible careers education for students with SEND.
- Careers and Enterprise Company Resource Directory. Search over 400 high quality and trusted resources to support students’ career development. SEND specific resources are available.
- Preparing for Adulthood - A government-supported site offering guidance, frameworks, and teaching tools around employment, independent living, community inclusion, and health—core to career outcomes for SEND students.
- Disability Rights UK – ‘Into Apprenticeships’ & ‘Into Work’ Guides
- Moving On: Student Transitions and Preparing for Adulthood
- Free Online Training Courses from the Careers and Enterprise Company for teaching staff and the wider education workforce. Each course takes approximately 45mins – 1hr to complete and there are links and signposting to additional resources throughout. You will need to log in to access the courses.
This content is reviewed annually. Last reviewed: July 2025