Careers at Snowflake
At Snowflake School, careers education and Preparation for Adulthood are embedded throughout our curriculum and wider school community. We are committed to providing meaningful, personalised and aspirational opportunities that support pupils to develop confidence, independence, communication and employability skills through real-life learning experiences.
Our Careers Vision
At Snowflake School, we believe every pupil deserves opportunities to:
- develop confidence and independence,
- build communication and social interaction skills,
- engage meaningfully within their community,
- develop employability and workplace understanding,
- and prepare for adulthood and future pathways.
Careers education is embedded throughout the curriculum and supports pupils to generalise skills across a range of practical and real-life contexts.
Our programme supports pupils through:
- Preparation for Adulthood pathways,
- Skills Builder,
- ASDAN accreditation,
- Essentials for Living outcomes,
- ABA-informed approaches,
- enterprise learning,
- and supported work experience opportunities.
Visit our updated policy here.
Snowflake Cafe
The Snowflake Café forms part of our enterprise and employability curriculum and provides pupils with authentic, real-life learning experiences.
Within a supportive environment and through activities such as:
- food preparation,
- customer service,
- teamwork,
- communication,
- money handling,
- organisation,
- IT skills
- Math (profit and loss accounting)
- and workplace routines,
the pupils develop confidence, independence and transferable employability skills.
The café acts as an internal supported work experience model where pupils can safely practise workplace expectations and Preparation for Adulthood skills.
External Work Experience
External work experience is a key part of the Snowflake careers and Preparation for Adulthood programme. Pupils access meaningful placements within the local community, including Scope Charity Shop, Aunty Bonnies Food Truck and Aunty Bonnies Store, with additional partnerships continuing to be developed.
These real-life experiences help pupils develop communication, confidence, independence, teamwork and employability skills while increasing their understanding of the world of work. All placements are carefully planned, personalised and supported to ensure pupils can successfully apply their learning within authentic workplace environments and prepare for future pathways.
Assessment Framework
At Snowflake School, the careers curriculum is supported through four interconnected assessment approaches that promote meaningful Preparation for Adulthood outcomes and real-life skill development alongside formal accrediation and qualifications.
Preparation for Adulthood sits at the centre of the curriculum and supports pupils to develop skills linked to employment, independent living, community inclusion, and health and wellbeing. Learning opportunities are personalised and designed to help pupils apply and generalise skills across school, community and workplace environments.
The Skills Builder framework is embedded throughout the curriculum and work experience programme, supporting pupils to develop the eight essential skills of listening, speaking, problem solving, creativity, staying positive, planning, leadership and teamwork. These skills are practised daily through classroom learning, enterprise opportunities, community participation and workplace experiences.
Essential for Living and ABA-informed approaches underpin the careers curriculum by supporting pupils to develop functional communication, independence, routines, confidence and problem-solving skills through structured and meaningful learning experiences. These skills are applied through the Snowflake Café, community participation and supported work experience opportunities within real-life contexts.
ASDAN accreditation pathways support pupils to develop independence, personal development and employability skills through practical and meaningful learning experiences. Current pathways include Transition Challenge, Introduction & Progression, New Horizons and Workright, with evidence collected through thematic learning, workplace experiences and community participation.
Gatsby Benchmarks
The Snowflake careers programme aligns closely with the Gatsby Benchmarks and supports pupils through:
- a stable careers programme,
- personalised careers pathways,
- employer encounters,
- workplace experiences,
- curriculum-linked careers learning,
- further education exploration,
- and personal guidance.
Careers education is carefully adapted to meet the individual strengths and needs of all pupils.
Our current destination data demonstrates continued positive outcomes and progression for pupils transitioning from Snowflake School into further education and future pathways.
Out Commitment
At Snowflake School, we are committed to ensuring every pupil receives meaningful opportunities that prepare them for adulthood and future pathways.
Through our integrated careers curriculum, enterprise provision and work experience programme, pupils are supported to develop confidence, independence, communication and employability skills within real-life environments.
Every experience matters.
Every opportunity builds confidence.
Every pupil deserves a meaningful future.
