At Doubletrees we aim to provide our learners with the knowledge, skills and experiences to maximise independence, communicate effectively and play an active, positive role in their communities. This journey is highly personalised and underpinned by our values — Achieve, Belong, Communicate, Develop and Enjoy. Careers education is for every learner and is integral to preparation for adulthood (PfA).

Doubletrees School is committed to meeting its statutory duty to provide pupils with access to education and training providers, in line with Section 42B of the Education Act 1997 and the DfE statutory guidance: Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (updated May 2025).

This policy sets out how Doubletrees School fulfils this duty in a way that is lawful, inclusive, ethical and appropriate for pupils with complex needs.

The school recognises that while all pupils are entitled to high‑quality careers education and provider access, this must be personalised and aligned to pupils’ Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), with a clear focus on preparation for adulthood, quality of life and supported adult pathways rather than employment or independent living outcomes.

Provider Access

At Doubletrees School, careers education for pupils is defined as:

• Learning about adult life beyond school
• Experiencing and understanding meaningful activities and routines
• Developing awareness of people who support them (e.g. carers, health professionals)
• Preparing for transition to adult social care, health and community services

This approach reflects the DfE expectation that careers guidance should be ambitious, realistic and personalised for pupils with SEND.

Provider access at Doubletrees School is delivered in a flexible and developmentally appropriate manner, which may include:

• Short, sensory‑based or experiential sessions
• Repeated visits to build familiarity
• Visual, object‑based or multi‑sensory approaches
• Providers attending EHCP reviews or transition meetings
• Engagement primarily with families and staff, where direct pupil engagement is not appropriate

Encounters may be face‑to‑face or virtual and are planned carefully to ensure pupils’ dignity, wellbeing and safety.

Doubletrees School is committed to ensuring that all provider encounters are meaningful, as defined by DfE guidance. This means:

• Encounters are matched to pupils’ cognitive, sensory and communication needs
• Pupils are not exposed to inappropriate or inaccessible information
• Activities are focused on familiarisation and reassurance, not decision‑making

The school reserves the right to adapt, defer or decline provider access where the content would not be meaningful or appropriate for learners. This is a reasonable adjustment and is compliant with statutory guidance.

Providers are selected based on their relevance to pupils’ post‑school pathways and their ability to engage meaningfully with pupils with complex needs.  They may include:

• Further education providers
• Local authority adult social care teams
• Transition social workers
• Health services (therapy, nursing, specialist medical teams)
• Community and day services
• Voluntary and third‑sector disability organisations
• Supported activity and inclusion providers

Gatsby Benchmarks

Doubletrees School has regard to the Gatsby Benchmarks for Good Career Guidance as set out in DfE statutory guidance. The school recognises that the Gatsby Benchmarks must be applied flexibly and proportionately.

The Gatsby Benchmarks are met through:

• Benchmark 1 – A stable careers programme: Careers education and provider access are embedded within the school’s preparation for adulthood curriculum and EHCP processes.
• Benchmark 2 – Learning from career and labour market information: Learning is adapted to focus on helping pupils develop awareness of adult roles, services and routines through concrete, experiential and sensory‑based approaches. This includes understanding who supports them in adulthood, what adult services look like, and how daily life may change after leaving school, rather than labour market data or employment trends
• Benchmark 3 – Addressing the needs of each pupil: Careers guidance and provider encounters are fully personalised and aligned to individual EHCP outcomes.
• Benchmark 5 & 6 – Encounters with employers and experiences of workplaces: These are adapted to focus on supported adult provision, meaningful activities, and community participation rather than employment.
• Benchmark 7 – Encounters with further and higher education: Encounters focus on appropriate post‑school pathways, including adult social care, community services and specialist provision.
• Benchmark 8 – Personal guidance: Guidance is provided through transition planning, annual reviews and close collaboration with families and professionals.

Doubletrees School does not use employment outcomes as a measure of success for pupils. Instead, impact is evaluated through preparation for adulthood, wellbeing, and successful transition to adult services.

Wider CEIAG programme at Doubletrees

CEIAG at Doubletrees is personalised and embedded through our three Upper School pathways and their long‑term plans: Engagement (Therapeutic), Exploration (Independence) and Discovery (Pre‑vocational). Across all pathways, PfA outcomes (Employment, Independent Living, Community Inclusion and Health) are planned for and evidenced. Enterprise, community‑based learning, travel training, internal work experience and encounters with providers are sequenced from Middle School through to Post‑16. Learners who can access accreditation follow ASDAN Personal Progress and/or Functional Skills.