We have concentrated on Years 9-11, making sure that all students are aware of the skills they need for employability once they leave us. Our groups are diverse in terms of their academic ability; particularly in Year 11. It was great to see how a Grade 4 student could give examples to Grade 1 and lower about how they had shown these skills in their work/life and vice versa. At Parents Evening (offered via Zoom), teachers were asked to make parents aware of our strategy of keeping positive, and asked to give examples in each subject area of how each student had shown this, The highlighted skill was also made known to parents in newsletters.

We know that our students find listening difficult, as many have Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnoses. We know that many students find "mainstream" learning difficult, and so we often "chunk" work. Many students are still at the egotistical stage of development, and so find it difficult to empathise with others and to take part in teamwork activities.

One of our teachers used the basic toolkit from Skills Builder on following instructions to move this on and create something that students would partake in together. This was following instructions on paper origami; it worked really well. Regular opportunities have been put in place for students to reflect on the skills we have been focusing on during lesson plenaries and tutor time. Students are now getting used to talking within the class and reflecting on the ways they have proven the essential skills, both inside and outside the classroom.

Most students have the opportunity to practise their skills at Max Events- a communal project run by the school and lead by the Deputy Head. Here, they have worked together to make a an outdoor classroom area that can be used by Compass and other schools. Whilst there, students also have the opportunity to partake in outdoor activities such as archery and cycling. Forest School provision is offered to Key Stage 3, both during lesson time and for enrichment. This involves survival skills and learning about the rural environment together. In English and Life Skills, we use formal letter writing to ensure that students are aware of how to write letters to employers (This is also a requirement of the Functional English exam they take.) Opportunities to practice mock interviews are also written into the curriculum, alongside work based workbooks for the AQA Personal and Social Education Award.

Youth Workers have been prevalent in our work with Years 10 and 11 this year. They have come in to engage students with teamwork skills and to enhance ideas about careers. Students have enjoyed this and we have seen an improvement in their confidence and communication skills. The Talent Foundry have also been in to deliver lessons to Year 10 and 11 about interview skills and how to use the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) method to think about how to present and talk about their experiences in interviews. We also have links with Weymouth College, and their main pastoral lecturer has made connections with KS4 students to ensure that students make a good transition to College. The Youth Health Champions Award Year 11s have been working towards links to "Staying Positive" and resilience. Our Careers Advisor set up an employment encounter with the CEO from the local prisons, and this went really well- Students made connections to the variety of career options available in this sector.