Preparing for Adulthood

Once a child reaches the age of 14, the transition process begins. The ‘Transition Plan’ forms part of the Annual Review and All about me documents and will be created with a student and their class staff, and this will be introduced at the student’s year 9 annual review meeting.

At the year 9 review, other professionals become involved with a student – a representative from the New Directions service (formerly Connexions) will attend. This plan is discussed and developed over the next 6 years, until the young person leaves Newfield.

Each year Newfield holds a ‘Planning for the future’ transition event, which young people and their families can attend to talk to a wide variety of representatives from post school providers, adult social care and adult health care teams in order to learn about what is on offer within the borough at 19.

Newfield works hard to liaise with many other agencies in order to ensure that all young people leaving school have a smooth transition, and that they and their families feel prepared for the future. There is an extensive preparation for students prior to leaving school, and below are some of the agencies with whom we liaise. As a legal requirement, our pupils must receive Independent Advice and Guidance (IAG) about their futures. This is the responsibility of the Local Authority, who provide this through a partnership agreement. The service becomes involved with students once they reach the age of 14, and remains involved for the rest of their time at Newfield. The personal advisors interview young people with their family before the Annual Reviews which they also attend.

• Adult Social Care – If a child has a social worker, then the children’s social worker will liaise with adult social care in order to ensure a smooth transition to an adult social worker at 18. An adult social worker will attend the annual review before a child reaches the age of 18 to explain the process to the young person and their family. The adult social worker will also inform families how to request an assessment for adult social care if the child does not have a children’s social worker but the family feel that they may require assistance in adult life. Adult social workers can also assist families who are looking for social care, rather than educational, provision for their young person at 19.
• Health Transition Nurse – The school nurse liaises with the transition nurse to draw up a transition health plan which ensures that any health needs are correctly documented and passed on to adult provision. The transition nurse will also meet with families, either at a medical appointment in school, at an annual review meeting or at the family home.
• Colleges and Social Care providers – Representatives from colleges and other post school providers will attend annual reviews to discuss with young people and their families what they have to offer. This usually takes place in years 13 and 14, but if requested, school is able to arrange for advisers to attend at earlier review meetings. Families are also given information about open days and are advised to visit a range of facilities in order to help them make their final decisions.

Throughout years 12 to 14 all students will embark on college placements, which will become tailored towards their intended destination post 19.

Newfield has many links with post school providers - Myerscough College, Blackburn College, Birtenshaw College, Valley College, My Step Up, Futures Farm, Purple Patch, REACH etc. Young people have opportunities to attend some of these provisions, beginning in year 12. Students are encouraged initially to try out a variety of these options. As they become older they refine their choices, and by year 14, young people should be attending their intended destination.

When learners leave Newfield they make effective use of independent guidance in order to choose their next placement. This is an outstanding achievement for this group of learners. (Ofsted, 2016)

In addition, some students work on an individual basis with class staff to complete travel training - learning to travel independently both on foot and using public transport.

All students have opportunities to engage in work experience which is adapted to suit their interests and needs and is organised by school. Additionally, where appropriate, bespoke work placements are available in a range of local businesses including Tesco, Asda, Halfords, Pets at Home.

On leaving the school students receive their Record of Achievement, a portfolio of work and a person centred transition profile, as part of a presentation package which details their achievements.

There is extensive preparation in year 14 for young people prior to leaving school. During that final year, the school, with some help from the other agencies involved with a young person, works alongside the young person and their family, to make final decisions and complete the application process to post school provision. At the Annual Review in the final year we bring together all of the people who are important to the young people’s transition in order to ensure that everyone is fully prepared. We may decide with the family to hold an additional interim meeting closer to the end of the academic year. Transitional issues are paramount and most young people begin a transitional course with a post school provider whilst still at school, in order to ensure that they and the providers are confident that the transition and new placement will be successful.

Each learner has a personal programme which is matched expertly to their specific needs and interest. This is a culmination of the school’s excellent approach to person-centred planning across the school. (Ofsted, 2016)

Students move on to a variety of destinations including local colleges, residential colleges, supported employment, and placements using individual budgets.

Ten pupils left in the academic year 2023-24 and moved to the following locations:

• 1 student obtained placement at out of borough day college
• 2 students attending local social care funded day centres
• 5 students receiving individual social care packages, inculding accessing private day centres
• 1 student receiving an individual adult social care package

Moving on from Newfield

Transition from Newfield can be a worrying time for young people and their families - but don’t panic! We are with you every step of the way and will support a smooth journey towards life after school!

Newfield School have produced a booklet to help families think about what the lives of our children and young people could look like once they have left Newfield. This booklet contains information focusing on how we start to make plans with our young people and their families, so that they can access whichever pathway is best for them on leaving us the summer after their 19th birthday whether that be the community of education pathway, we explore what is available.

We know that thinking about the future can be very worrying, so this is a list of some of the places and services that support young people with disabilities and learning disabilities locally within BwD that our leavers at 19 can or indeed have accessed.

We are very happy to discuss what might be suitable – all of these would come under the community pathway, and adult social care would assess you and fund them as required.

We can also put you in touch with families whose young people have left Newfield and who can share their experiences with you and offer advice.

Contact information

• To request an Adult Social Care Assessment please call 01254 587547
• A very good contact for support with Adult Social Care Packages and options is the Care Hub Network (opposite the library in Blackburn). They offer different weekly sessions to support carers/families of young people with SEND. Please call in as there is lots of support on offer. 01254 507255.
• Please visit www.bwd-localoffer.org.uk which has full details of all community activities and provision available to young people with SEND within Blackburn with Darwen.
• For information on the local offer across Lancashire, please visit https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/children-education-families/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities/

We work closely with colleagues from New Directions, to identify opportunities and develop pupil’s aspirations with regard to the world of work, based around:

• Employment
• Training courses
• Apprenticeships
• College courses
• Volunteering opportunities
• Advice and Guidance
• Supported Internships

Our Careers leader in school is Assistant Head, Lois Talbot

She can be contacted in school for any information about the careers learning on offer for pupils.

Every pupil and their parents should have access to information about future study options and labour market opportunities.

Useful information may be found on the following websites:

Preparing for Adulthood - Giving Everyone Equal Life chances as they move into Adulthood - This is funded by Department for Education (DfE) and provides expertise and support to local authorities and their partners to embed preparing for adulthood from the earliest years. They work to ensure that young people with SEND achieve paid employment, independent living, housing options, good health, friendships, relationships and community inclusion.

Lancashire Skills and Emplyment Hub

The LMI for All portal

Please click here to read our Compass Careers Results July 2024

Provider Access Policy

Introduction

This statement sets out the school’s arrangements for managing the access of Education and training providers to pupils at the school for the purpose of giving information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with the school’s legal obligations under section 42B of the Education Act 1997.

Pupil Entitlement

All pupils In Years 8-13 are entitled:

• To find out about Further Education qualifications, supported internships, apprenticeship opportunities, paid employment and volunteering as part of their careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point.
• To hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including, Further Education, Supported Internships, Apprenticeships, Paid Employment and Volunteering - through Transition Events, Jobs Fairs, College Links, EHCP Reviews and Transition Planning Meetings.
• To understand how to make applications for the full range of courses, internships, paid employment and volunteering opportunities.

We will make these opportunities available to all pupils and this will be personalised to meet the needs of the individual.

Procedure

A provider wishing to request access should contact:

Mrs Lois Talbot – Careers Lead – enquiries@newfield.blackburn.sch.uk

Opportunities for access

The Preparing for the Future event held each year will offer providers an opportunity to speak to pupils and/or their parents /carers. We are here to support this process and any information providers give us will be passed on to pupils, families and or carers.

Premises and facilities

The school will make the hall, classrooms or meeting rooms available for discussions between the provider and the pupils as appropriate to the activity. The school will also make available AV and other specialist equipment to support provider presentations. This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the career’s leader or a member of their team. All providers will be expected to adhere to the school procedures for visitors and these will be explained to you.

Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other course literature with the Careers Lead.

Newfield recognises that it is vital to have high expectations and aspirations for all of our learners. We strive throughout school to give experiences which help provide learners with the knowledge to make informed choices, allowing them to fulfil their potential.  

The Gatsby benchmarks, a framework of eight guidelines that define the best careers provision, help us to identify where we support the development of life skills and encourage our learners to have ambition.

The Gatsby Benchmarks

• A stable careers programme.
• Learning from career and labour market information.
• Addressing the needs of each pupil.
• Linking curriculum learning to careers.
• Encounters with employers and employees.
• Experiences of workplaces.
• Encounters with further and higher education.
• Personal guidance.

We want our learners to be aware of the employment pathways and opportunities available to them. These include volunteering, supported internships, traineeships and apprenticeships.

Work can help us all to feel part of society and have a stronger purpose that drives us every day.

The Gatsby Benchmarks at Newfield

At Newfield we offer learners a wide range of enriching opportunities to address each of the areas within the Gatsby Benchmarks.

These include::

A stable careers programme

• Planning and running termly mini enterprise projects within school.
• Running a weekly lunch club.
• Planning, preparing and serving food to staff in a school cafe.

Learning from career and labour market information.

• Activities learning about different jobs, identifying equipment needed for roles and experiencing choosing and using equipment to complete tasks.

Addressing the needs of each pupil.

• Pupils have specific sessions with our school counsellor and HLTA around planning for the future and transition beyond school.
• All pupils have individual targets and outcomes based on strengths and needs.
• All pupils are involved in creating an ‘All about me’ profile reflecting on their talents as well as what support they may need.
• The very active school council and Rights Respecting School steering group enable pupils to practice many workplace skills.

Linking curriculum learning to careers.

• Activities linked to a range of job roles for example conducting a survey about food preferences and using this to then buy ingredients, prepare and sell food items making practical use of maths, literacy, health and safety, communication and life skills.
• Participation in our annual Takeover Week where pupils take on adult roles in school.

Encounters with employers and employees.

• Running a stall at Blackburn Market each term setting up alongside other traders and selling items to the public.
• Regular visits and liaison with staff and clients at a local nursing home
• Taking part in social action activities including Blackburn Foodbank, Bag2school and other fundraising and awareness raising initiatives to develop interaction skills and an understanding of social responsibility.

Experiences of workplaces.

• Work experience placements.
• Regular visits and liaison with staff at local amenities including Royal Blackburn Hospital, supermarkets etc
• Exploration of objects linked to the world of work.

Encounters with further and higher education.

• Pupils take part in links with other schools, colleges and adult social care providers.
• Transition visits for pupils preparing to leave Newfield are arranged and supported by school staff to their future placements.

Personal guidance.

• Pupils have annual review meetings with staff from Education, Social Care and Health providing bespoke guidance.
• Pupils have individual sessions with BwD New Directions experts planning for future placements and are supported to understand their options.