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Alfreton Park Community School


		11-16 schools

		6th form schools

		Colleges

About the case study

This case study shows how a school is delivering work-related activities across the 14-19 age range. It describes how the school is used as a context for work-related learning and how industry days can be planned and run. The case study includes an audit of current activities against the nine elements of the QCA framework, and concludes with action planning for future work-related learning.

The school

Alfreton Park Community School caters for students with severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties, and severe learning difficulties with autism. The age range of the students is 3-19. The school catchment covers both urban and rural areas together with former coal-mining and industrial areas and market towns.

There are currently seven students at key stage 4 and nine students at key stage 5. To ensure continuity and progression the key stage 4 students work closely with the students in key stage 5. Some curriculum activities are completed jointly.

Work-related learning provision

The main thrust of current provision of work-related learning has been to deliver the framework at key stage 5 with some limited provision at key stage 4. This reflects the lack of maturity of individual students, the limited availability of work experience opportunities, and the need for repetition and reinforcement of the curriculum.

Students have enjoyed a range of activities in local and national businesses and have gained knowledge and insight related to objectives through direct contact with employees. This knowledge and insight can be built on and used for further classroom-based learning.

Work has included industry days where students have visited several sites and learned through contact with employees from different employment sectors. Work shadowing has included shadowing school staff such as the caretaker, school secretary and learning support assistants, as well as occasional supported external work shadowing placements, for example at a local supermarket and at National Trust properties. Practical Challenge Days have been held where emergency and uniformed services personnel have visited the school for practical demonstrations.

Key stage 5 students have done a series of mock job interviews with managers from a local business. Previously students have prepared their own CV as a basis for the interview process.

Industry days

In September 2003 key stage 4 and key stage 5 students participated in an industry day. The day was organised by the Derbyshire Education Business Partnership and Open Industry East Midlands. Students went on three industrial visits with Open Industry covering two thirds of the transport costs.
· One group visited the aero engine heritage museum and technical sales centre at Rolls-Royce plc Derby.
· The second group visited Key Joinery in Derby. The company operates a manufacturing process using computer controlled woodworking machinery.
· The third group visited the Remploy site in Pinxton where woollen garments are manufactured for the Ministry of Defence.
In the afternoon all the students visited the local fire and rescue service station for a practical demonstration of fire-fighting equipment. They toured the ‘smoke house’ simulation building used in fire-fighter training.

Key stage 3 and key stage 4 students went on follow-up visits to the Remploy factory at Pinxton. The aims of the visits were to focus on:
· the jobs available
· the skills that are needed to carry out the key tasks for each job
· the processes involved in garment manufacture, together with associated health and safety issues.

These visits address elements 3, 4 and 8 of the QCA key stage 4 work-related learning framework.

An evaluation of the visits has since identified the following future objectives:
· before each visit, write clear, specific and focussed educational objectives for the visit
· hold a joint school staff/employer planning meeting before each visit. Do not use an intermediary organisation to do all the pre-visit planning but do invite partner organisations to the meeting.
· encourage employer/employees to visit school to meet and talk to students
· have a mutually agreed visit process in place
· have a post-visit debriefing meeting for employers and school staff.

These objectives will help the school effectively to deliver the QCA work-related learning guidelines at key stage 4 and make more informed decisions in future.

Audit of current provision against the QCA framework

The school audited its current work-related learning provision against the QCA framework as follows.

1. Recognise, develop and apply their skills for enterprise and employability.

Students are provided with opportunities within careers lessons and through problem solving activities and work on self-advocacy and decision making.

2. Use their experience of work, including work experience and part-time jobs, to extend their understanding of work.

This element is covered as part of careers follow up to work experience. Also, students do a ‘history of the world of work’ topic during key stage 4.

3. Learn about the way business enterprises operate, working roles and conditions, and rights and responsibilities in the work place.

Work shadowing placements and visits to industry offer good opportunities as does the ‘history of the world of work’ topic. The emphasis is on practical sessions due to students’ limited understanding.

4. Develop awareness of the extent and diversity of local and national employment opportunities.

A survey of local industries is done during key stage 4 and the element is also covered in careers lessons.

5. Relate their own abilities, attributes and achievements to career intentions and make informed choices based on an understanding of the alternatives.

All students have an interview at the end of key stage 4 as part of career planning. There is also provision for mock interviews and other work in careers and PSHE lessons.

6. Undertake tasks and activities set in work contexts.

This is covered through daily involvement in school life and careers lessons. Students have classroom-based jobs throughout school.

7. Learn from contact with personnel from different employment sectors.

Visits and work shadowing opportunities are provided during key stages 4 and 5.

8. Have experience (direct or indirect) of working practices and environments.

Experience of work practices and environments is gained through the programme of visits and placements, and through practical activities in the classroom.

9. Engage with ideas, challenges and applications from the business world.

This is covered at key stages 4 and 5 by mini-enterprise participation and fundraising at Christmas and summer fairs.

Action plan for the future

The school’s action plan for the future is as follows.
· Implement the strategy for industrial visits outlined earlier to maximise learning outcomes.
· Introduce regular visits at key stage 4.
· Introduce planning sessions with the Education Business Partnership (EBP) to help identify and target employers and to plan for students’ future needs.
· Engage local employers across a variety of sectors in the work of the school.
· Maintain a bank of resources, available from partner businesses.
· Clarify the direction and provision of work-related learning in school.
· Develop the citizenship curriculum provision at key stage 3/4/5.
· Identify realistic work experience/shadowing placements and projects for all key stage 4/5 students with the help of the EBP project workers.
· Raise awareness among employers of work-related learning.
· Develop work experience placements in local businesses targeted at individual students’ requirements and skills. Initially these will be single days supported by a member of staff through to unsupported extended placements, depending on the needs and capabilities of the students.