Career Pathways Introduction

Lesson Overview

• Duration: 60 minutes
• Class size: 6 students
• Age: Year 12+ (16+)
• Context: Specialist SEND school with pupils including ASD, ADHD, and fine motor difficulties
• Unit: Exploring Career Pathways (Lesson 1 of 5)
• WALT: Understand various career pathways available after school

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Curriculum for Wales Linkages

• Area of Learning and Experience: Health & Well-being
• Statements of What Matters:
  • Managing career and life choices (SoWM 3): Understanding opportunities and pathways to realising ambitions and career goals.
• Curriculum Mandatory Cross-Curricular Skills:
  • Literacy: Discussing and expressing career ideas verbally to build communication skills.
  • Digital Competence: Using career cards and resources visually.
• Personal and Social Education (PSE): Developing self-awareness and decision-making skills relevant to future careers.
• COPA (Careers, Opportunities, Planning and Aspirations) Alignment: This lesson supports students to develop knowledge about real-life work and career options, a key part of COPA guidance within Curriculum for Wales.

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Learning Objectives (WALT)

• To identify at least three different career options available post-school.
• To understand basic requirements (skills, qualifications) for these careers.
• To begin forming ideas about personal interests linked to careers.

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Success Criteria

• I can name at least three different career pathways.
• I can explain basic requirements for each career pathway.
• I can participate in discussions about careers using visual aids or support.

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Resources & Materials

• Career cards with pictures and simple descriptions (include sectors like health, technology, arts, trades).
• Visual aids: career pathway posters with icons and colour coding.
• Structured lesson outline printed for ADHD learners with clear time segments.
• Whiteboard and markers or digital board for group brainstorming.
• Voice recorder/tablet for students who struggle with writing to record their thoughts verbally.
• Sticky notes for quick ideas or questions.

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Lesson Structure

1. Welcome & Introduction (10 minutes)

Activity:

• Teacher greets and reviews the unit theme "Exploring Career Pathways."
• WALT and success criteria are shared clearly and displayed visually.
• Quick warm-up: Each student says one job they know or are curious about (any format: verbal, drawing, or using sticky notes).
  Differentiation:
• Use visual prompts for students needing communication support.
• Allow non-verbal responses through drawing or symbols.

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2. Career Pathway Exploration (20 minutes)

Activity:

• Introduce three distinct career options using career cards (e.g., Nurse, Software Developer, Chef).
• For each, teacher explains: job role, typical qualifications, necessary skills. Use simple language and visuals.
• Students work in pairs to pick one card each and discuss what they find interesting or what they want to know more about, supported by sentence starters (e.g., "I like... because...").
• Teacher circulates and scaffolds conversations with prompts.
  Differentiation:
• ASD: Use visual cards and direct questions to support understanding.
• ADHD: Provide a clear worksheet with structured questions to answer in pairs.
• Fine motor: Allow verbal responses, or use tablets to select options.

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3. Group Discussion & Brainstorming (15 minutes)

Activity:

• Teacher leads a group mind-map on the board about the requirements for careers discussed (skills, qualities, education).
• Students contribute verbally or place sticky notes with words/ideas on the board.
• Highlight transferable skills that apply across careers (e.g., communication, teamwork).
  Differentiation:
• Provide sentence frames and key vocabulary cards for ASD learners.
• Use timers and clear turn-taking cues to support focus and structure for ADHD learners.

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4. Reflection & Personal Connection (10 minutes)

Activity:

• Students individually or with adult support reflect on which of the three careers interests them most and why.
• Responses can be verbal, drawn, or recorded digitally for students with fine motor issues.
• Teacher prompts with questions such as "Which career would you like to learn more about?" or "What skills do you have that might help in this job?"
  Differentiation:
• Visual choice boards or symbols for students needing alternative communication.

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5. Lesson Review & Plenary (5 minutes)

Activity:

• Review key points using a quick verbal quiz or flashcards.
• Recap WALT and success criteria; ask students to show thumbs up/down if they think they met them.
• Set a simple task for next lesson: Think about one new career you want to explore next time.

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Assessment

• Formative assessment through observation of pair discussions, contributions to mind-map, and personal reflections.
• Use of verbal or recorded responses as evidence of understanding.
• Teacher notes on participation and any support adjustments needed for individual needs.

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Additional Differentiation Notes

• Use multi-sensory materials and chunked information delivery to accommodate diverse learner needs.
• Provide quiet spaces or movement breaks if pupils with ADHD become unsettled.
• Encourage peer support within pairs/groups to boost confidence and social skills.

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Teacher Reflection Prompts for Next Lessons

• Which career sectors engaged the students most?
• Were there barriers to participation that could be reduced?
• How effective were the visual aids and structured support?
• Plan how to include more personalised career research activities next time.

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This detailed plan closely follows the Curriculum for Wales outcomes for year 12+ Health & Well-being learning, personalised for SEND learners, and incorporates engagement strategies to inspire active exploration of career pathways.