Writing a CV

Lesson Overview

Unit: Exploring Career Pathways
Lesson: 4 of 5
Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 6 students (including learners with ASD and ADHD)
Curriculum: Curriculum for Wales (CfW) – Careers and Work-Related Experiences
Year Group: 12+ (16–18 years old, SEND specialist setting)

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Learning Aim (WALT)

We Are Learning To:

• Create a professional CV tailored to a chosen career pathway.

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Success Criteria

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Draft a CV including personal details, key skills, and relevant experiences.
• Tailor their CV to match a specific job role or career interest.
• Demonstrate understanding of professional CV layout and language.

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Curriculum for Wales Alignment

Area of Learning and Experience (AoLE): Health & Well-being / Careers and Work-Related Experiences

• Statements of What Matters:
  • “Developing skills and attributes to explore, plan, and manage career pathways” – CfW Careers and Work-Related Experiences.
  • “Applying literacy skills to real-life situations” through CV writing and job applications.

Cross-cutting themes:

• Communication and literacy skills applied meaningfully.
• Personal and social development through planning and self-reflection.

Competencies Developed:

• Personal effectiveness: Planning and managing tasks independently.
• Creativity and innovation: Structuring and tailoring content.
• Communication: Using clear and professional written language.

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Resources

• Paper and coloured pens
• Laptops/tablets (optional for word-processing)
• Pre-prepared CV template (simplified and visual) for ASD learners
• Sample job adverts/career role descriptions (from previous lesson)
• Peer support cards with task reminders (for ADHD support)
• Accessibility tools (e.g., speech-to-text, ergonomic pen for fine motor skills)

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (10 minutes)

Objective: Refresh understanding of CV purpose and introduce today's focus.

• Begin with a brief discussion: “What is the purpose of a CV? Why do employers read them?”
• Show examples of CVs (paper and digital) highlighting the sections: Personal Info, Skills, Experiences.
• Use a quick jigsaw task: Each student reads a CV section and explains it to the group — engages interaction and reinforces understanding.

Differentiation:

• Provide a visual checklist to all students outlining CV sections.
• For learners who benefit from repetition, provide a short video clip or song summarising CV basics (shown prior or after class as reinforcement).

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2. Main Task (35 minutes)

Objective: Draft a tailored CV using a template and job description.

• Provide students with a job advert or career interest from previous lessons.

• Guide the class step-by-step through drafting a CV:

  1. Personal Information (name, contact details)
  2. Personal Statement – a short sentence about their career ambitions
  3. Skills – listing relevant hard and soft skills (prompt questions: “What are you good at?” “What skills have you shown before?”)
  4. Experience – work, volunteering or education related to the role

• Students complete their CV draft on paper or digitally.

• For learners with ASD: Provide the specially designed CV template with prompts and visual cues.

• For learners with ADHD: Assign a peer buddy to provide prompts and keep focus on task; include short timed breaks if needed.

• For the learner with poor fine motor skills: Allow the option of speech-to-text tools or using a scribe.

Teacher Role:

• Circulate, offer personalised support and check progress.
• Prompt detailed examples where necessary to ensure clarity and relevance.

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3. Peer Review and Feedback (10 minutes)

Objective: Use peer learning to refine CV drafts.

• In pairs, students exchange CV drafts and provide positive, constructive feedback using a simple feedback sheet:
  • “What do I like about your CV?”
  • “One thing you could add/ improve.”
• Teacher models one example of supportive feedback to build confidence and skills.

Differentiation:

• For ASD learners, provide structured sentence starters and clear feedback guidelines.
• For ADHD learners, keep pairs consistent from previous lessons to aid social comfort and focus.

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4. Plenary and Reflection (5 minutes)

Objective: Reflect on learning and identify next steps.

• Ask learners to share: “What part of creating your CV was easiest? What was hardest?”
• Encourage learners to think about how they will continue developing their CV outside the lesson.
• Collect CV drafts for teacher review and to inform the next lesson (CV finalisation and cover letters).

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Assessment & Evidence of Learning

• Formative assessment during drafting and peer feedback activities.
• Observation and anecdotal notes on engagement, accuracy, and individual support needs.
• Review of CV drafts against success criteria.
• Self-assessment checkbox: “I can complete a CV with relevant details for a job I want.”

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Differentiation Summary

Learner Need	Strategies
ASD	Visual CV template, clear structure, written instructions, reduced distractions
ADHD	Peer support buddy, timed short breaks, task reminder cards
Poor Fine Motor Skills	Use of speech-to-text, scribe assistance, ergonomic tools
General SEND	Scaffolding language, multimodal input (audio/visual), guided questioning

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Additional Notes

• Consider gamifying the CV sections by awarding each completed section with a ‘badge’ or token, encouraging positive reinforcement.
• Use real-world examples relevant to learners’ interests and aspirations to increase motivation.
• Include social-emotional check-ins to ensure learners feel successful and supported.

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This detailed lesson plan is designed to empower SEND learners to independently build crucial skills for their future career pathways, meeting the aspirations and requirements of the Curriculum for Wales.