In the Skills for Work Pathway, the emphasis is on developing the necessary English, Maths and IT skills to support our young people in gaining employment once they leave school. It also enables students to develop their strengths in more practical or creative areas. Some of these students may benefit from a further two years in our Sixth Form where they will follow a curriculum based around their main interest/strength, such as Catering, Art or Sport. As well as benefiting from the greater freedom and responsibility of being in the Sixth Form, students further develop their travel and independence skills. They also do some volunteering around the school and in the local community.
The curriculum has been carefully structured to be broad, balanced and engaging. We focus on the individual needs of each student and the teaching in this pathway is aimed towards ensuring our students are all able to gain some sort of employment, as well as being fully prepared to face independent life after Carew.
Skills for Work: Lower School
The Lower School Work Pathway curriculum has been carefully structured to enable students to grow and achieve as individuals who define themselves by their strengths and achievements. In this Pathway, our lower school students start to develop the skills they will need later in their school career.
Carew Academy offers all of its Lower School students a core suite of curriculum subjects that provide a solid foundation of learning and experiences that are meaningful and relevant in 21st century Britain. In addition, through our Enrichment programme, we offer a range of additional curriculum subjects and experiences that contextualise classroom concepts in the real world, enabling them to develop into rounded individuals. This ensures that students move through Carew Academy as confident young people who define themselves by their strengths rather than their weaknesses.
Subject Weighting in the Lower School Skills for Work Pathway
| Subject | Lessons per week |
| Literacy | 4 |
| Numeracy | 4 |
| Science | 2 |
| Food Studies (Year 7 in a block, not weekly) | 2 |
| PSHE | 2 |
| Art | 1 |
| Drama | 1 |
| Music | 1 |
| PE | 1 |
| Enrichment | 8 |
| Assembly | 1 |
Some of the enrichment options we offer are:
| Handwriting | Circuits | Craft | Cycling |
| Unihoc | First Aid | Travel Training | Friendship Time |
| Board games | Animal care | Sensory | Carew Music Band |
| Dance | Jewellery | Deadly 60 | Culture Club |
| Games Review | Fun Science | Bug Art | Outdoor Explorers |
While the core curriculum aims to provide students with a solid foundation and a flavour of different subjects, Enrichment sessions are focused on supporting students to identify areas of strength and interest, and use this as a vehicle to develop their academic, social and independent skills. Enrichment runs during three afternoons each week. Students take part in a different session each day and have either a communication or skills based target for each one, depending on the activity. Students are supported by staff to review and reflect upon their targets at the end of each session. This supports students to take ownership of their learning, begin to dictate the direction of their learning and build a series of achievements. This will help to ensure that when students transition into the Middle School, they have a clear sense of what they enjoy and of their areas of strength, allowing them to make more informed decisions about their futures.
Skills for Work: Middle School
Students remain in their registration group for the majority of the working day and are supported by the same team of Teaching Assistants. The Middle School work in different groups for their Options lessons.
In Middle School, students begin to be taught by subject specialist teachers to ensure stretch and challenge. During this time, students in the Skills for Work Pathway begin to prepare for accreditations, as well as beginning to consider their learning journey beyond Carew Academy.
Students are allocated two periods of Tutor Time throughout the day. This ensures that Form Tutors have regular contact with pupils and their parents and can offer support, including pastoral care. Students are also allocated a Targets lesson each week with their Form Tutor. This allows tutors to work individually with students to focus on their personal targets. During these sessions, students will also be developing their careers-based skills through project work.
Subject Weighting in the Middle School Skills for Work Pathway
| Subject | Lessons per week |
| English | 5 |
| Maths | 5 |
| Science | 2 |
| Food Studies | 2 |
| RSE | 2 |
| PE | 2 |
| Options | 6 |
| Computing | 2 |
| Humanities | 2 |
| Tutor Time | 1 |
| Assembly | 1 |
Skills for Work: Upper School
The Upper School curriculum has been carefully devised in order to maximise the potential for students in this Pathway to achieve their accreditations.
Subject Weighting in the Upper School Skills for Work Pathway
| Subject | Accreditation | Lessons per week: |
| English
|
Functional Skills/Entry Level | 5 |
| Maths
|
Functional Skills/Entry Level | 5 |
| Science
|
Functional Skills/Entry Level | 3 |
| ICT
|
Functional Skills/Entry Level | 2 |
| RSE and PSHE
|
Princes Trust award | 2 |
| Humanities
|
Entry Level Geography | 2 |
| Options A
|
Various (see below) | 4 |
| Options B | Various (see below)
|
4 |
| PE
|
Entry Level Certificate in Physical Education/ Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1) in Physical Education (Short Course) | 2 |
| Targets
|
NA | 1 |
| Assembly
|
NA | 1 |
There are two groups of ‘Options’ subjects for pupils to choose from:
| Option A | Accreditation | Option B | Accreditation |
| Art | GCSE | Art | Entry Pathways Creative, Media and Performance |
| Computing | Functional Skills Level 1/ Functional Skills Entry Level 1-3 | Computing | Functional Skills Level 1/ Functional Skills Entry Level 1-3 |
| Drama | BTEC Level 1 | Photography | Entry Level 3 |
| Duke of Edinburgh | Bronze / Silver / Gold | Duke of Edinburgh | Bronze / Silver / Gold |
| Biology | GCSE
|
Geography | Entry Level |
| Dance | BTEC Level 1/Entry Level 3 in Performing Arts | Photography | Entry Level 3 |
| Food Studies | BTEC Level 1
|
||
| Photography | Entry Level 3 | ||
| PE | Cambridge National / GCSE short course |
Students choose one option from each group and have four lessons per week for each one. Our students have a wide range of choice about what they learn which enables them to develop their particular talents in an enjoyable and personalised curriculum.
