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The mission of Saffron Walden County High School is to be 'a local school of exceptional quality', what this means in practice is that we constantly strive to provide the highest quality education to young people in the Saffron Walden area. It is the kind of quality that is demonstrated by outstanding achievement at all levels, high expectations of behaviour, excellent teaching and learning and a broad and rich curriculum.
Overall impact
Awareness of just how important the essential skills are is key. In a way they are just as important as the academic skills students are developing. Understanding that employers are seeking out these skills in particular and then being able to communicate this to students so that they can then personally develop them is important. Every student is capable of developing these skills to a high standard.
Keep it simple
We understand the importance of teaching our students so that they will be equipped to make their best next step in an informed way. The eight essential skills are key to this and are displayed throughout every classroom at SWCHS as well as included in lesson content across all subjects. All teachers are encouraged to use the skills terminology at appropriate opportunities so that these are embedded in our students vocabulary, forming a golden thread for our careers delivery.
Start early, keep going
Our careers programme is delivered via our PSHE carousel from year 7 onwards and as life lessons within our sixth form. Students enjoy various careers based activities and have many opportunities to research skills and develop strategies to build on them. Our programme is shared with parents/carers via email and our school website.
Measure it
We have other careers partners and use some of their tools to store and track students eight essential skills development step by step. We find that this blend of Skills Builder and our other partners works well for the school and our students. We regularly download reports to review student progress.
Focus tightly
Through our PSHE Careers lessons and within our curriculum students are able to be aware and build upon the essential skills, be it in a music lesson, maths or science.
Keep practising
We have a Careers Champions team which is formed of volunteers from each subject area. We meet regularly to discuss, plan and implement our careers strategies. Embedding careers, and the essential skills terminology, into subject area schemes of work to bring a careers based real world perspective to each subject.
Bring it to life
SWCHS is keen to ensure that students are given the opportunity to experience the work place and to understand, from in-place work experience placements in years 9 and 10, just how the essential skills that they are taught about in school are truly essential for life beyond school.
What's next
We have had initial discussion on going further with embedding the skills terminology into our awards processes. One challenge we have found is ensuring that there is the right balance, not every lesson needs to have a career focus.
