Careers Education
Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance
Vision
At Polden Bower School, our vision is to ensure that all children and young people—and their parents and carers—are fully informed, supported and prepared to take confident, aspirational next steps into adulthood and the world of work.
Our Core Aims
- Access for all: Every child, young person, parent, carer and member of staff has access to high‑quality careers information, advice and guidance.
- A meaningful curriculum: All pupils engage in a developmental and meaningful careers education programme tailored to their needs.
- Positive transitions: Every child and young person transitions successfully to a positive, suitable and aspirational destination.
Our Commitment to Careers Education
Polden Bower School plays a crucial role in preparing pupils for each stage of their journey, whether moving into further education, employment, training or independent living. Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) is an integral part of every pupil’s entitlement and supports their wider personal development.
Through a planned and progressive careers curriculum, we provide a range of activities, experiences and guidance to ensure pupils can make informed decisions and navigate transitions confidently. Our approach is person-centred and strengthened through the EHCP annual review process, where we work collaboratively with families and professionals to set clear, ambitious outcomes that prepare pupils for adulthood.
Talentino Careers Programme
To further enhance our careers offer, Polden Bower School invests in Talentino, a specialist careers programme designed specifically for children and young people with SEND. Talentino provides structured, practical and aspirational pathways that help pupils develop essential skills for their future. By embedding Talentino within our curriculum, we ensure pupils benefit from high‑quality resources, experiences and guidance that align with best practice in SEND careers education.
‘Futures’ – Our Careers Programme
Across the school, our careers programme is known as Futures.
Futures is led by our Careers Leader:
Roger Knife
📧 Roger.Knife@poldenbower.org.uk
📞 01278 496386
Our impartial and independent Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) is provided by:
Emma France – Careers & Skills Adviser
📧 EFrance@fiveways.school
Emma delivers personalised guidance, supporting pupils in exploring options, developing aspirations and understanding the pathways available to them
- Enterprise Adviser Phil Riste
- Futures Charter
- Polden Bower Careers Futures Programme
- Polden Bower Careers Programme Overview
- Polden Bower Provider Access Policy
- The CDI Framework and Springpod Experience Hub Final9
Useful links
Virtual Tours of BTC - Bridgwater & Taunton College
Somerset Education Business Partnership (SEBP) Preparing for Adulthood: All Tools & Resources - NDTi
National Careers Service Jobs and careers with EDF (edfenergy.com)
National Citizenship Service (NCS)
College and University Open Days
Find an apprenticeship
Amazing Apprenticeships
Milkround for School Leavers Supported Employment – Skill Up Somerset
Parents and carers can find the latest careers related opportunities in home-school books and on our school Twitter and Facebook pages.
Do you work in a business that could help provide work experience or opportunities for our children and young people?
We are always looking for local businesses that are wanting to inspire and educate our students about the world of work and expand and develop our ‘Futures’ curriculum. If you think you could help to provide invaluable work experience or opportunities that give children and young people the chance to develop core skills and motivation, in the first instance, please contact Roger Knife Roger.Knife@poldenbower.org.uk
Employer Feedback Questionnaire
If you have engaged with our school through a careers event
Employer: Careers Event Feedback Questionnaire
Careerometer (LMI For All)
This Career-o-meter can be used to explore and compare key information and help you learn about different occupations and identify potential next steps. It provides access to a selection of UK headline data relating to pay, weekly hours of work and future employment prospects for different occupations, as well as a description of the occupation.
Instructions:
- Simply type in the title of the job you are interested in and the widget provides a series of options from which you can select the most relevant to you
- You can then look up another two occupations and compare
- You can also select ‘display the UK average’ and compare the information with the occupation you have selected
- Be aware that this is national average data, but you can use it to help you get a bigger picture of the potential opportunities on offer