At Brookhaven, our Careers and Enterprise curriculum is built around developing real-life skills that support learners with future aspirations and independence — ensuring every student leaves with the confidence, knowledge, and tools they need to make informed choices about their next steps.
Careers & Enterprise Curriculum Intent Statement
Our Careers and Enterprise curriculum is based around developing real-life skills to support learners with future aspirations and independence. We want every student to leave Brookhaven with the confidence, knowledge, and skills they need to make informed choices about their next steps in life.
Learning is rooted in real-world experiences, helping students to understand the world of work, explore career options, and practise the skills they will use beyond the classroom. Opportunities for real-life learning are built into every stage of the curriculum: from employer encounters and workplace visits, to enterprise projects where students design, make, and sell products.
These experiences help students to connect their learning with everyday life, understand the value of teamwork and communication, and see how their strengths can be applied in future pathways.
Our programme also places a strong emphasis on community engagement. Students develop skills such as organisation, responsibility, and problem-solving, while gaining experiences that prepare them for active roles in their communities — whether through enterprise activities, visits to local colleges, or practising routines that link to workplace expectations.
Careers and Enterprise at Brookhaven is delivered through three distinct pathways, ensuring that every learner can access the curriculum in a way that meets their individual needs and aspirations.
Vocational Pathway
Students following the Vocational Pathway engage in a structured curriculum closely aligned to the National Curriculum. This pathway equips students with both academic knowledge and practical employability skills, preparing them for further education, apprenticeships, or employment.
Learners explore the full range of career options, develop advanced skills in research, planning, and presentation, and participate in enterprise projects that mirror real-world business practices. Students gain an understanding of workplace expectations and work collaboratively on projects such as product design, marketing, and customer service. Alongside this, learners build confidence in communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.
Independence Pathway
The Independence Pathway offers a hands-on, practical approach that helps students connect their learning with real-world experiences. The focus is on developing life skills that build confidence, autonomy, and active participation in the community.
Careers and Enterprise learning on this pathway is closely linked to everyday routines, community-based experiences, and accessible enterprise projects. Students develop skills such as turn-taking, following routines, contributing to group activities, and communicating their preferences. They also gain experience of community roles and simple workplace expectations, preparing them for supported employment or independent living.
Across all pathways, our vision for Careers and Enterprise is clear: to equip every student with the skills, experiences, and confidence they need to build independence and resilience for adulthood — and to take their next steps with purpose, whatever those steps may look like.