窪圖勛蹋厙 Hosts Ealing Progression & Pathways Conference

Local leaders and employers met last week on 22 June 2023 for the Progression and Pathways Conference to ensure every student in the borough of Ealing has a clear path to education, training and employment. Hosted at Ealing Green College, over thirty experienced professionals discussed employer inclusivity, SEND provision, apprenticeships, careers support, FE college provision, T-Levels and post-16 options.

Opening the conference, Julie Lewis, Ealing Director of Learning Standards and Schools Partnerships, posed the question: ���How well are we serving our additional needs children from early years to post-16 to work?���

Recognising Ealing schools came top in the country for Progress 8 scores in 2019 and 2022, Julie also said: ���There are gaps in attainment for children from Caribbean, dual heritage white and Caribbean, and Somali backgrounds,��� and described plans to address this.

Sajada Sajid, Assistant Principal described 窪圖勛蹋厙���s Bridge to Supported Internships programmes. Sajada said: ���Bridge to Supported Internships prepare students with the skills, knowledge and attitudes required to progress onto Supported Internships.���

Someone who undertook the Bridge to Supported Internships programme is currently a University of West London Supported Intern, Ibrahim Mohamed, who is hearing impaired. Ibrahim told the conference his long-term objective is to become a football coach.

Fellow former Supported Intern and Inclusive Apprentice, now Teaching Assistant, AoD Job Coach, and a host at Nando���s, Will Goold described his journey to employment.

High Speed 2 (HS2) Legacy Manager Ambrose Quashie said he���d come along ���to demonstrate HS2���s commitment to supporting diversity and inclusion within its workforce.���

HS2 have been working with various SEND schools in Ealing offering employability support and site visits. Ambrose said: ���In the future, we aim to deepen our involvement in offering employment opportunities to young people with SEND.���

���窪圖勛蹋厙 works hard to progress inclusive learning students to foundation learning and on to mainstream courses, wherever possible,��� added Deputy Principal James Taylor.

As well as 300 inclusive learners, 窪圖勛蹋厙 also has sixty Year 11 students in a dedicated Key Stage 4 unit within Southall Community College.

Conference organiser, Corinne Gill, said: ���Many students apply to study post-16 at their school sixth forms, but a percentage of these learners won���t achieve the GCSE results they need.��� Acknowledging this was a complex issue which involved working closely with young people and their parents, delegates were urged: ���We can inform young people about the other opportunities in education and apprenticeships now, while they are still at school to support progression in Ealing.���