Blackburn College

School Liaison Programme Starting September 2013 - 2014 where are you going?

to a College with a tailor-made School Liaison Programme

01254 29 25 11 I [email protected] I blackburn.ac.uk/schools Welcome Welcome to School Liaison at Blackburn College

At Blackburn College, our School Liaison team is dedicated to providing a Liaison service.

Our programme of events isn’t just about We’re really keen to work with Blackburn College or general guidance on teachers and careers advisors to post-16 education. We go further – and ensure that pupils are kept up-to-date that makes us different. with changes affecting applications to providers or Our programme is about raising any information that could enhance aspirations, offering positive role models your pupils’ transition into post-16 and progression opportunities – giving education. your pupils the chance to see what can be achieved once they leave your care. And The aim? More people on the right we start early. We believe that pupils as courses getting great grades and young as 10 and 11 need to have goals jobs and continuing with the work and understand the connection between you started. It’s simple really. education and the world of work. This booklet sets out our school liaison Our programme starts with aspiration, offer. You’ll find information about takes in independent research and the programme – and how to book planning and culminates with all the your pupils onto sessions. And you information your pupils will need to can be sure that our sessions are, of know to progress including qualification course, delivered by trained staff in a ladders, employability skills and career professional yet engaging manner. opportunities. So whether your pupils are aspiring We feel the needs of students are best graduates, budding apprentices, or served by keeping the channels of want to hit the job-market running, communication open between schools/ start their journeys early with colleges and post-16 education providers Blackburn College. – that’s why we’ve designed a programme of events tailored to pupils in Year 6 all the way to Year 11*.

*For Special Schools we offer a parallel series of events up to Year 14.

Introducing our new £7 million state of the art Sir Bill Taylor Futures Centre opening 2013.

2 School Liaison Programme 2013/2014 About School Liaison at Blackburn College

The School Liaison Team’s role is to provide an innovative, engaging and relevant series of curriculum-linked activities, events and services. These all promote universal and successful transition to post 16 education and training. About School Liaison at Blackburn College

Corwynne Whitehead, Dermot Gallagher and Amy Woods

We provide a comprehensive service for school aged learners, their parents/carers and schools to inform, challenge and support educational aspirations. What we do:

We liaise with school’s, college’s, learner’s and their families with regards to the Blackburn College offer We offer a wide variety of programmes and activities as well as taster days, college tours and careers events We work closely with partners to support new initiatives and to provide a collaborative approach to education and training We develop and deliver relevant and impartial sessions and workshops for learners both in school and in college

To book your session call 01254 292511 email [email protected] visit blackburn.ac.uk/schools 3 Our Sessions Our Sessions All our sessions are delivered in a non-judgemental and positive way which encourages young people to reflect upon and challenge their own views on stereotyping Year 8 and discrimination. Climbing the Ladder Year 7 What is it? This session is about First Steps raising overall aspirations. The session Year 6 What is it? focuses on specific destinations but rather than solely focusing on What do I want to be? This session is designed to how to get to that profession looks introduce your pupils to the world What is it? at lifestyles, salaries, locations of work. We also look at extra- and the comparative merits that This session is designed to curricular activities that can help different careers bring. This helps provoke interest in careers, pupils with gaining life experience pupils think about the wider further and higher education. and improving self confidence. implications such as jobs, careers We give pupils the opportunity to and further education choices. The really think about what they might All of the outcomes in this session comparative merits of different want to be. From astronauts to fit withCitizenship and ECM levels of qualifications are also zookeepers with a stop off at outcomes. We also introduce a discussed in this session. farmers and lawyers – we then career timeline in this session. explain how it can happen and how to make it happen. Activities include the development of a pathway or a pledge which can be kept as a momento. 8

7 6 Year 9 Relevant

Our session introduces your real life learning pupils to the concepts of College, opportunities University and work as well as a tailored to the timeline of how the next few years needs of your may pan out for them. Jobs that school pupils have never heard of before will be introduced. This session challenges factors that prevent progression into chosen careers and addresses the transition from Primary to .

4 School Liaison Programme 2013/2014 Making your own way What is it? Time to make a choice This session is designed to finalise pupils’ choices for post-16 What is it? Our Sessions Making Plans education. Sessions are used to This session will focus on a explore what studying at Blackburn What is it? structured approach to making College might really be like. career choices. We’ll look at This session is designed to work activities revolving around getting as much as it is to We’ll look not just at the courses with parents the right information: work with the pupils. It’s about how to use but the added value that prospectuses, the Internet and Blackburn College can bring: from broadening the understanding and introducing other online resources, as well work placements and enrichment of career routes . We’ll different pathways to pupils’ goals. as interview techniques activities to others such as fantastic also introduce an understanding state of the art facilities and progression Vocational courses as well as of entry criteria and residentials. – or where you can go next. In this Apprenticeships and A Levels are session we may link with specialist introduced as well as the merits teachers if a number of pupils are of each. The session will focus interested in a specific area. on progression routes after each qualification – whether that be Sessions are work or higher education.

designed to let 9 students make an informed These choice. We’ll look at application sessions can prepare forms, conduct mock interviews, students for Blackburn College deliver Scholarship workshops and Taster Days in July and summer offer free IAG to all Year 11 pupils. schools throughout July The emphasis here is on one to and August. one support to ensure pupils can Year 10 make an informed and effective application.

Year 11

“The services offered to pupils at Vale High School by Blackburn College School Liaison Team are excellent. They continously work with all our pupils, giving advice and guidance through sessions in school, attending our Career Events and Parents Evenings, as well as hosting fabulous Taster Days which our pupils thoroughly enjoy”

Janet Greenhalgh Pastoral Administrator | Darwen Vale High School

To book your session call 01254 292511 email [email protected] visit blackburn.ac.uk/schools 5 Bespoke Activities

As well as sessions delivered to pupils we also offer a range of

Bespoke Activities Bespoke bespoke activities delivered on an ‘on demand’ basis. These include:

Attendance at Taster Days VIP Tours for pupils & Parents Evenings and We hold regular taster days teachers Careers Fairs throughout the year to engage Our School Liaison team is on pupils in the College experience. Our School Liaison team will gladly hand to offer bespoke tours of attend Parents Evenings and Blackburn College to yourself or Careers Fairs to offer IAG to parents your pupils. This often helps you and pupils about the options get a feel for what it might be like available once pupils leave school. studying at Blackburn College and If you would like us to attend your will help you advise your pupils parents evening or careers fair appropriately. we will bring a range of excellent information and guidance materials. Contact the School Liaison Team on 01254 292511 or [email protected] “Thankyou so much for all the events that you have supported us with over the last 12 months. The students have thoroughly enjoyed every event from Year 7 to Year 11. From the drop in application form sessions to the in-class education sessions and also the Year 9 drop down day when we did different sessions with our students. Your attendance at our events has always been well supported, even when I have had to rely on you at the last minute!!! You truely do have an amazing team, and I am really looking forward to 2014 being as successful as 2013”

Joanne Bury Careers & Examinations Officer Rhyddings High School

6 School Liaison Programme 2013/2014 Events Calendar

Each year Blackburn College has a range of activities that your Calendar Events pupils can get involved in. These aren’t just limited to Open Days. Other activities that you might wish to get involved in include:

Skills North West Today Tomorrow and Summer Slam! Skills NorthWest is the biggest Beyond Over the summer we organise a skills and careers event happening The School Liaison Team attended series of workshops for 11-16 year in the region. This free event is for the annual event run in conjunction olds, these are completely free of 14-19 year olds and is aimed to with charge and include a huge range inspire and motivate. Borough Council and supported by of activities. local providers for Year 9 students The hands-on interactive features prior to choosing their ‘options’. Just some of the workshops we gave everyone a chance to get a ran this year included: real taste of different future career The event was attended by pupils • Prom Night Hair and Beauty options whatever your dreams from 10 local schools and a very • Ready Steady Cook or ambitions. popular and busy evening session • Fit 4 Life for parents. • Music • Creative Arts

College Events We have regular College Events where you get a chance to see what life is really like at Blackburn College. We visit local schools and arrange college tours and taster days. Just some of our fantastic events include:

The Sixth Form at Blackburn College Open Evening Blackburn College Open Evening Blackburn College Young Chef Young Pastry Chef Young Hairdresser / Beauty Therapist Creative Arts & Media Schools Competition Inter-School Quiz Annual Art & Design Show

For the most up-to-date events list visit blackburn.ac.uk/events

To book your session call 01254 292511 email [email protected] visit blackburn.ac.uk/schools 7 So, why come to Blackburn College

For the career you want – study the subject you love from business with law to professional cookery and childcare

For guaranteed success – 100% success in 100 employment focused courses

For £50M of continued investment in state-of-the-art facilities

To travel the world – opportunities to travel globally including trips to Disneyland, Paris, Russia, Sweden, China and New York

For our amazing value – £I0 per term travel pass, free kit and uniform, free breakfast and a subsidised lunch for all

The opportunity to make and meet new lifelong friends

Scholarships

facebook.com/bbcol Start your Contact Corwynne, journey with twitter.com/bbcollege Amy or Dermot: Blackburn School Liaison Team College Blackburn College Feilden Street Blackburn Lancashire BB2 1LH

School Liaison Team: 01254 292511 Email: [email protected]

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01254 29 25 11 I [email protected] I blackburn.ac.uk/schools