Welcome to the Vocational Faculty

Mrs J Tudor
Faculty Leader, Vocational

Miss C Perry
Job Coach

 

Vocational Pathways

Meadow High school offers a wide range of vocational pathways to Sixth form pupils so that they can learn and develop essential employability skills for their increased independence. All these pathways are run under close supervision and guidance of our experienced staff.  Year 12-14 students participate in various Vocational Pathways 1 day a week and some of these pathways are off-site.

On-site Pathways: -

Tuck shop

Tasks involved: - Setting up, cleaning and sanitising the tables, setting up equipment for the shop such as food warmer, toasties maker, induction hob and smoothie maker, preparing hot dogs (halal and normal) and cheese toasties, setting up items such as water, juices, hot drink cups, tissues and so on ready for sale, counting cash tin, selling food to the students and staff and maintaining overall good standards to hygiene.

Site-team

Students are also great at supporting our school site team by doing different jobs within school.  Tasks involved: - Distribution of items such as printing paper, paper towels, anti-bacterial wipe, blue tissue roll, facial tissues all around the school, provide support in various cleaning tasks such as window cleaning, littering picking after lunch, inspection of the playgrounds and report any damages and complete any other tasks as requested by the site team.

Crunchy-Munchy

Twice a week students prepare fresh food for the school staff as part of their Catering Assistant pathway. Tasks involved:- buying ingredients from the local supermarket, preparation of the meal as per the recipe such as washing, cutting, chopping, peeling, follow the recipe and instructions, time management - Prepare meal by given time, packing cooked meal into containers and  ready for collection, delivering food to the designated staffroom, tidy up the kitchen and maintain high level of food hygiene.

Office/administrative

Carrying out detailed stock count of tuck shop and stationery cupboard, Budgeting - calculating total expense and sales from the shopping and sales receipts, creating spreadsheets, learning to do emails including attachments, CC, BCC and General office/admin tasks such as laminating, printing, scanning

Enterprise

Students produce simple high end products which could be sold in the Cafe or during sales events such as Christmas, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and so on.

Hairdressing

Students run a hair salon for the school staff and students.

Tasks involved:- Setting up the salon for customers including external clients, making appointments, meeting and greeting customers, making refreshments, money handling, assisting the hairdressing instructor (Teacher), tidying up the hair salon and equipment and following  health and safety rules.

Vehicle cleaning

Students carry out general cleaning of the school vehicles (mini-buses and 7-seater cars) from inside with the staff full support.

General cleaning (kitchen/staffroom/student common room):- Students also carry out general cleaning tasks in the various areas to build their practical skills and independence.

Off-site Pathways

Iver Environmental centre, Uxbridge

Tasks involved:- General maintenance of grounds and site, sowing seeds according to the weather, maintaining and watering the plants, following health and safety rules and learning to use different gardening tools

The Burroughs (care home in West Drayton)

Students volunteer at the local care home and carry out general tasks as given by the care home staff, such as; setting up/clearing tables, making beds, supporting the site team with various tasks and assisting the laundry team.

Shopping assistant

Students learn to shop in the local supermarkets, focusing on essential skills such as money management, buying fresh food, bagging items correctly, following the shop layout effectively to pick items, buying items that are value for money, asking for help from the shop staff and so on.

Oasis Soft play, Uxbridge

Students volunteer at the soft play and carry out tasks as assigned by the manager. Students help to set up for sessions/parties, preparation of the soft play area, assist Oasis staff in the cafe, meet and greet guests and general cleaning of the site.

---

Work Experience At Meadow High School

In order to ensure that students have an individualised learning programme, work experience is a very important part of the curriculum at Meadow High School. Students that are able to travel to employers independently or with the parents/carers support, are given the opportunity to participate in work experience at least one day a week, for the whole of the academic year. If requested by the employer  and the placement is proving beneficial,  then this can be increased.

Work experience covers all 8 aspects of the Gatsby benchmarks so it is very important that students are given access to this opportunity.

During their 1:1 guidance interview work experience is discussed and the possibility of students attending explored.

1 day per week is timetabled for years 12-14 students to access the day at a work experience placement. The placement is picked according to the students' requests and requirements and across different sectors such as retail, catering and hospitality, construction, administration, education, care and others. 

We work with a wide range of employers including:

• Ansell Garden centre
• Blu Gates, West Drayton
• Rural Activity Garden Centre
• The Entertainer, Uxbridge
• Oasis Soft Play, Uxbridge
• Kinnective care Ltd.
• Pets at home, Cowley
• Local Florists, cafes, schools, libraries, early years nursery
• Family run businesses
• Heathrow Marriott Hotel
• Many more

These opportunities are primarily based off site and encourages our students to develop ‘employability skills’ in preparation for their transition beyond Meadow School. The responsibilities associated with finding and securing employment are developed through our World of work sessions, work experience and Vocational Pathways. All of these together create a holistic, individualised programme that allows the students to explore options and opportunities that are available to them.

Students often ask for specific placements, and we try to accommodate them whenever possible.This will depend on Health and Safety checks, appropriate insurance and safeguarding assessments.

Those students who are unable to access work experience independently are given the opportunity to attend a placement with a job coach or another member of staff. These placements are normally based in a block and not necessarily for the whole of the academic year.

Students in other year groups (year 10 upwards) can also request work placements and if this is feasible and beneficial to the individual it will be investigated. Work placements will help students with their employability skills

Students are also given the opportunity to engage with the many different partners that we work with who deliver group activities and virtual work experience. These include:

• Department for Works and Pensions
• Educational Development Trust
• Careers Cluster
• Local Authority
• SCS Railways ( The Skanska, Costain and STRABAG) working in partnership with HS2
• The Clancy group

These are just a few of the main partnerships that we are involved in, and we use every opportunity to engage the students in many different experiences.. These include visits, virtual workshops, job fairs, teaching sessions, Q and A etc.

During their time at Meadow High School, different year groups participate in work experience in the local community and work related activities including Vocational Pathways, training sessions with external providers, interviews and other relevant enterprise. The school actively encourages local businesses, colleges, apprenticeship providers and employers to engage with our careers programme and our students are invited to visit employers’ premises as well as local educational providers. Additionally, Year 12-14 pupils attend one day a week work experience for the whole of the academic year allowing them to understand the complexities of working life.  Pupils learn about different options available to them when they leave school and how to become more confident and prepared for life beyond Meadow.

We get very good feedback about our students who enjoy working at many different local employers. Examples include:

“Here at South Ruislip Library we have had the pleasure of working with Alfie, he has been gaining work experience with us for two years now. He has always been such a delight to work with, and we have seen him grow in confidence and achieve so much during this time. He has worked regularly with our children's groups and events and has been not only popular with the staff but also with the families that attend. We are very sorry to see him go but wish him all the best for the future. We know that he will achieve great things, and he is always welcome back! “ -  Sharon, South Ruislip Library 

 

“Malachai is always very polite and shows good manners when engaging with the customers.  He is very punctual and keen on helping out.” - Mark, MS Electrical Ltd.

 

---

Vocational Studies

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE

Our vision is to inspire and prepare students for meaningful futures in the health, social care, and early years sectors. The Level 1 Award in Introduction to Health, Social Care and Children’s and Young People’s Settings offers a vital foundation for learners to explore and understand the values, roles, and environments within these caring professions. Through this course, we aim to build informed, compassionate individuals ready to take the first step toward making a positive difference in people’s lives.

Course Aims:

• To develop students’ awareness and understanding of health, social care, and children's and young people's settings.
• A chance to understand how different care environments work and who they support
• Practical knowledge about real-life job roles and the people who do them
• Opportunities to build confidence, independence and communication skills
• To introduce the key values and principles of care and support work.
• Encouragement to think about their future and where their personal strengths might take them
• To support informed decision-making about future career pathways and progression opportunities.
• To prepare learners for further study, including the Level 1 Certificate in Health, Social Care and Children’s and Young People’s Settings.

HAIRDRESSING

City and Guilds 

The Hairdressing department at Meadow High School focuses on our learners developing skills and knowledge in a practical skill set. This therefore supports their ability to encounter real life situations and to work in a realistic working environment. We offer the course to the learners in KS4 and KS5.

This course has been created to provide experience to widen basic industry skills, with a focus on communication and client care. This is a bespoke course that develops the pupils’ learning and personal growth in a nurturing and supportive environment. Learners develop excellent communication skills, build practical skills in a multiple sector environment and help them prepare for progression and employment within the hair and beauty sector. These skills can lead to a successful career in the hairdressing industry.

The hairdressing lessons involve interacting with a variety of clients who each have their own likes and dislikes, and an important part of the hairdresser's job is to actively listen to and communicate with each client both verbally and non-verbally.

This course applies to those who have a keen interest in working within the hair and beauty industry.  

Aims:

• To gain a greater understanding towards the hair and beauty sector.
• Being able to present a professional image in the salon. 
• To gain confidence in shampooing and conditioning the clients hair.
• To gain understanding of Health and Safety within the hair and beauty sector.
• to be able to apply basic skincare and the knowledge of the required products.
• to be able to apply basic manicure and the knowledge of the required products.
• To be able to style, plait, roller set and twist the hair.
• to gain employability and personal skills.

HORTICULTURE

Our vision is for horticulture to inspire our pupils and encourage them to be inquisitive about the world. Working outdoors on the school allotment nurtures their innate curiosity and enables them to develop a range of skills that are useful across their learning both now and in their future lives.

There is a range of evidence that supports the idea that regular contact with nature can benefit a wide range of our learners. Importantly, research highlights that children’s senses are motivated by nature and that the experiences form children’s relationships with natural areas in a way that is often remembered into adult life. Literature in this area has identified the need to keep children connected to nature and natural landscapes. It has also suggested that young people develop better when they have access to outdoor learning, which can affect their cognitive learning, their behaviour and social interactions as well as their wellbeing. Academic progress has been linked to exposure to the outdoors as well as learning about horticulture through horticultural experiences. As well as the use of the environment for learning, there is the impact that the landscape itself can have on pupils. Increasing young people's access to the outdoors can have a positive impact on pupil performance.

Aims:

• become aware of the appropriate clothing required to work outdoors
• be able to safely use and identify the tools required
• be able to grow and look after the seed until it is ready to be planted outdoors
• be able to sow plants outdoors
• be able to clean and tidy the tools and the garden after planting and safely put the tools away

WORLD OF WORK

In Year 10 & 11 students will begin to explore topics around the workplace. The intention is for knowledge to be encountered to inform students about the workplace, behaviours expected when at work and the responsibilities involved. Communication is a focus as students become familiar with appropriate conversation and interview etiquette. 

Year 10 Aims:

• Consider relevant skills and how beneficial these will be in the workplace
• Discuss qualities required for particular careers
• Acquire knowledge of various careers and working locations 
• Know which equipment they might use in different workplaces

Year 11 aims: 

• Appreciate health and safety in the workplace 
• Know how to be responsible in the workplace
• Recognise positive communication 
• Develop effective teamwork skills
• Practise effective interview communication skills

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

The main focus of the Personal Development subject is to develop pupils' social and emotional skills and to support their wellbeing.  During sessions, pupils are encouraged and supported to set their individual goals and steps to success.  

Aims:

• To be able to identify regulation strategies that work for each individual and generalise these across settings 
• to recognise that change can be difficult and identify ways to cope with change
• to participate in different social activities and projects and learn how to make a change in our community
• to realise that most people have mental health issues and understand how & why it may fluctuate 
• to understand what anxiety is and how it can affect individuals 
• to recognise how feelings and emotions can change behaviour
• to be able to reframe negative thinking 
• to be able to identify unhealthy and healthy coping mechanisms 

MOVING ON 

Students in year 14 learn about Moving on to increase their understanding of the different options available to them when they leave school. The intention is for our pupils to become more confident and prepared for life after school as they gain the knowledge and skills required to make informed choices about their life. 

The subject aim is to help the students become as independent as possible when looking after themselves, their home and make informed choices about their life and know how and where to seek support when required. 

Aims: 

• to gain awareness of different work related and educational options available after 6th Form and become aware of health related options and processes related to health care.
• to become aware of activities and challenges in their everyday life and learn about different housing options, cost/responsibilities and benefits with relation to accommodation.
• to learn about banking and its risks/safety and how to make the most of their money. They will explore and become more aware of various leisure options available to them.

LIFE SKILLS

Within the Life Skills curriculum, 6th Form students are given the opportunity to explore 6 different subject areas to further enhance their independence skills and in preparation of their future career choices.

Aims: 

Travel training: 

• develop confidence in crossing roads safely and using public transport
• gain awareness of safety when traveling on foot, bus or train.  

Personal Safety: 

• know how to manage emergencies, 
• understand how to keep their home safe
• feel safe and confident when out in public and equally when at home

World of Work:

• know how to behave in an interview situation and when in the workplace
• acquire skills and knowledge of  interview responses and appropriate conversations when at work
• gain skills required to work in customer service

Home Management: 

• know how to maintain cleanness in their home
• know  how to set up their own home, buy furniture 
• understand how to manage household expenses

Childcare:

• develop awareness of caring for babies and young children
• understand the level of responsibility required to supervise care and what milestones to expect in child development

Adultcare:

• understand  what is required to support the elderly or vulnerable adults
• know the health needs to be aware of when working with the elderly