Each November we host our Aspirational Careers Event where a range of local employers attend the school to offer workshops and information sessions about their current roles and industries over the course of our week long event. Students have the opportunity to try out activities, look at equipment as well as finding out what job different job roles might involve. We are lucky to be well supported by local businesses including: the NHS, SPFit Gym, Rugby Tots Somerset, Tu Casa Tapas Takeaway, Body Shop, The Walled Garden at Mells, Halfords, Inspired to Achieve, Gather Technology, Kazbar, We Make Things (art and craft shop), Lanes Hotel, Metropolitan Police, Knight deliveries, ((Bounce)), Red Berry Recruitment, Abri Housing (formally Yarlington), Morrisons, Amaze Hair Salon and Waitrose.

Students are then able to record their experience through their Careers Journals where they are able to recount their experience and consider next steps. Students able to book in to see a number of different employers either in areas of interest or to explore new opportunities.

Not only is this a fantastic opportunity to raise the aspirations of our students through exposure to employers and a wide range of roles but the exposure is two way. Employers, following their successful visits, have felt more aware of what a special school does and increases their understanding of our students and their additional needs. Employers have fed back that they can see how some of the skills within our student body could be a good fit within roles within their own industries, making the potential impact of the event far reaching within our local community.

Although our 2020 event was impacted by the Covid pandemic we took the opportunity to more this event online. Although different to past events more students were able to access sessions both from school and at home with recordings available for later viewing. Employers were also able to talk to students from their work places, in some instances, giving students an additional experience. We also chose to look more at self employment and home businesses for this years event which could also be additional future options for our students.