Schools & Colleges

Making the most of Connexions in your school or college

Connexions offers both a resource for your school or college, and also an opportunity to bring together the resources of the school or college, and other agencies to provide better services for young people.

Connexions resources for schools and colleges include:

The time of Connexions Personal Adviser(s) allocated to young people in your cohort
INSET training and curriculum consultancy for your staff on careers education, information and guidance
The services of other Connexions staff such as Recruitment Advisers and Information Assistants, who may visit your school or college to support young people or your staff.
Financial support to develop information or provide accommodation, to help young people, through our Maintenance and Development Resouce packages (information on these sent separately in April 2003 to schools)
A range of publications produced for students at key stages, delivered through schools.
thesource website - a one-stop shop of information for young people on educational options, careers and other issues which may affect their lives and future choices

A multi-agency team approach
Connexions represents the opportunity to draw together services from a range of agencies to provide joined up services, with the particular aim of helping to meet key shared government targets such as:

Improving educational attainment at 16 and 19 years
Improving retention of 16 - 18 year olds in structured learning
Improving attendance in secondary schools
Reducing numbers leaving school not into employment, further education or training

Connexions PAs will be able to support for young people in school or college most effectively if they are integrated into a team of staff and other agencies, led by a senior manager, which will seek to ensure that:

Effective communications are developed between services
All young people have access to sources of information and support when making decisions about future options
Effective referral processes are developed to ensure the confidentiality and trust of young people
There is a team approach to supporting young people who face multiple barriers to learning and progress

The team (or a sub-group of the team) may also act as a "Guidance Forum," as recommended in the DfES Careers Education and Guidance National Framework 11 - 19 (March 2003).

Involving young people
A key Connexions principle is to involve young people in planning, implementing and reviewing services provided for them. Personal Advisers and Connexions Youth Development Workers will seek to ensure that young people are involved and consulted as widely as possible, through links with school and college councils and other groups of young people both within and outside of the school or college.

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Schools & Colleges

Making the most of Connexions in your school or college

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