Supporting Your SEND Child’s Future Career

At our school, we believe every young person deserves a clear, meaningful path into adulthood. While statistics show that historically only 6% of SEND students achieve paid employment, we are dedicated to shifting this narrative. By focusing on your child’s individual strengths, skills, and aspirations, we ensure they are fully prepared for the workplace or continued training.

Transition planning begins early, our Careers Adviser collaborates with families and when required during Education, Health, and CarePlan (EHCP) reviews to map out tailored progression routes. When your child turns 16, they have a variety of paths to explore based on their unique abilities, interests, and need for support.

1. Supported Internships

What they are: Structured study programs based primarily with an employer.

Who they are for: Young people with an EHCP who need extra support to step into employment.

How they help: They include a dedicated job coach to provide on-the-job training, helping the intern transition into a paid role.

2. Apprenticeships and T-Levels

Apprenticeships: Combining paid work with targeted industry training. Many employers offer reasonable adjustments and flexible structures for SEND learners.

T-Levels: A technical alternative to A-Levels that includes an in-depth, 45-day industry placement backed by employers.

3. Specialist and Further Education (FE) Colleges

Mainstream FE Colleges: Most mainstream colleges offer dedicated foundation learning tiers and robust SEND support teams.

Specialist Residential Colleges: For young people requiring independent living skills alongside technical education providers.

How to Start Career Conversations at Home

You do not need to have all the answers right away. Building career confidence starts with regular, low-pressure discussions.

Focus on Strengths: Instead of asking "What job do you want?", focus on what they enjoy. Do they like organising things, working outdoors, or solving puzzles? Use the strengths-based conversation tools via Talking Futures Guidance.
Challenge Assumptions: Explore broad industries together using accessible profiles on the National Careers Service. Look past the traditional routes to see how varied roles can match your child's profile.
Log onto Interactive Portals: Sit down with your child to build a profile on neuro-affirming platforms. Tools highlighted by the Careers & Enterprise Company help break down local labor market data into accessible reading levels.