South Midlands Careers Hub Inclusion Conference 2025
On 1st July 2025, the South Midlands Careers Hub held its very first Inclusion Conference. It was truly inspiring to see such a passionate mix of educators from SEND settings, mainstream schools, FE SEND teams, employers, and wider stakeholders come together with a shared commitment: improving outcomes for young people with SEND. Throughout the day, we celebrated the incredible work happening across our network to ensure young people are confident, prepared, and supported as they take their next steps.
We were honoured to welcome a fantastic lineup of guest speakers and schools showcasing great practice, including:
- Kelly Dillon, Senior Manager Progression, Transition and Removal of Barriers at The Careers & Enterprise Company: sharing national updates and resources for learners with SEND
- Gareth Ivett, Principal of Creating Tomorrow College: promoting the incredible work being delivered across their colleges
- Louise Worts, Assistant Head at Careers Lead at Daventry Hill School and Beccy Brown, Careers Lead at The Woodlands School MK: highlighting how they meet Provider Access Legislation in their schools
- Lee Nelson, Work Experience Coordinator and Careers Lead at Woodlands Secondary School: delivering practical and creative ideas around embedding enterprise for learners with SEND
In addition, a huge thank you also goes to our inspiring panellists who discussed and explored two key themes that emerged from the Gatsby 10 Year review – parental engagement in careers, and meaningful encounters and experiences with employers. Our panellists included:
- Roger Williams, Assistant Headteacher and Careers Lead at Ivel Valley School & College
- Josh Bell, Deputy Headteacher and Careers Lead at the Academy of Central Bedfordshire
- Lorraine Emerton, Partner & Recruitment, Social Values & Early Careers Section Manager at John Lewis Partnership
- Sarah-Jane and Bertie from Creating Tomorrow College – two incredible young voices, sharing their insights and experiences
We would also like to thank Bedford Academy’s work experience students, Liam and Finlay, for capturing the day as our photographers.
This event marked the exciting launch of our Inclusion Community of Practice – a space for continued collaboration, learning, and innovation for our practitioners working in SEND. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed – this is just the beginning!
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Inspiring futures across MK
This term has been packed with exciting opportunities and achievements as students across Milton Keynes schools continue to develop vital skills for their futures.
Spotlight on Oakgrove School
- Year 9: Took part in a dynamic STEM workshop with NiftyLift and emerged winners of the Robotics Competition!
- Year 8: Engaged in a hands-on Enterprise Activity Day, exploring business ideas and building creativity, teamwork, and entrepreneurial thinking.
- Year 7: Began their careers journey through PSHE and Unifrog, focusing on communication, problem-solving, and resilience.
DHL Employability Programme at Lord Grey School
- 24 Year 10 students were selected from 41 applicants to join this transformative programme.
- Activities included employability workshops and a week at the Outward Bound Facility in Wales.
- Students gained confidence and leadership skills—one student was even praised for stepping up as a group leader!
Speed Interview & Networking Events
- Held across MK schools, including Ousedale School, where students connected with parents and local enterprise volunteers.
- Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with students gaining valuable insights and confidence for the world of work.
Celebrating Excellence
- Ousedale School: Re-awarded the Quality in Careers Standard for their continued commitment to high-quality careers education.
- Kents Hill Park School: Achieved the QiC Standard for the first time—an exciting milestone for their careers team!
Fond Farewells
- Emma Barnett-Vincent: Moving on to a new role at Northampton School in September—wishing her every success!
- Karen (Stantonbury) and Renuka (Lord Grey): Retiring this year. Thank you for your passion and dedication—you’ve made a lasting impact!
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Celebrating activity across West Northants
Welcome Sophie Allan – Wootton Park School
Sophie Allan joins Wootton Park School as the new Careers Officer, bringing a wealth of experience from Norfolk. She’s passionate about helping students explore and engage with the world of work. Welcome, Sophie!
CE Academy Business Breakfast
On 18th June, CE Academy in Northampton hosted a vibrant Business Breakfast, welcoming 13 local employers. Attendees heard inspiring stories from Headteacher James Thomas, Careers Leader Paul Kairis, and former student-turned-staff Lorna. Industry Partner Dave Gilmour highlighted the school’s commitment to preparing students for diverse career paths. The event sparked new partnerships in sectors like healthcare, retail, security, and construction—offering students more real-world experiences. This model of schools organising a business breakfast to develop employer networks works well, giving schools the opportunity to build a story behind their students and their aspirations.
Young Inspirer Dillon’s Apprenticeship Workshop
On 8th July, Dillon Considine led his first apprenticeship session at Malcolm Arnold Academy for Year 8 students. Sharing his personal journey, Dillon introduced students to apprenticeship pathways and sparked conversations about future choices. Key takeaway: only 25% of people end up in their dream job from school—so exploring options is key! Highlights included a “Week in the life of Dillon’s apprenticeship” and started to make them think that finding and applying for an apprenticeship is competitive. We had a look at the latest apprenticeship vacancies in Northampton, and they were surprised to find that there were not as many as they would have expected.
Dillon said “Honestly, it was very much out my comfort zone to be speaking with Year 8’s and being back in school, but I really enjoyed hearing their thoughts, having them engage and answering their questions.”
DSLV Academy at National Careers Challenge Finals
Six students from DSLV E-ACT Academy in Daventry competed in the National Careers Challenge finals at London’s Barbican Centre. Senior Deputy Head Teacher Bev Maughan said “their hard work, creativity and ambition have brought them to this prestigious stage, and we couldn’t be prouder! “ The National Career Challenge offers a dedicated challenge per year group; each aligned to the Gatsby Benchmarks. Each challenge is designed in response to our sponsor’s real, business-critical needs, and students build the skills required for the world of work. Find out more here The National Careers Challenge | The Inspirational Learning Group
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North Northants Highlights
Celebrating Shona Smart – Corby Technical School
Following two years of study, this term Careers Leader, Shona Smart was successful in completing her Level 6 Certificate in Careers Leadership. This qualification requires a long term commitment to study and is a significant achievement which supports Shona’s ability to continue her development of Corby Technical School’s Careers Programme. Well done, Shona! Congratulations!
Montsaye Academy: Provider Access Legislation
This term Year 8 & 9 students from Montsaye Academy, Raunds continued their apprenticeship journey supported by the Young Inspirers Project.
Having welcomed Engineer Apprentices from Tresham College to their school earlier in the term for an introduction and activity session, staff and students enjoyed the opportunity of experiencing an apprenticeship lesson at the Corby campus. The apprentices took the lead by delivering a workshop tour and demonstration of engineering equipment and materials.
The students greatly enjoyed this ‘hands on’ experience.
A huge thanks to Clare Beevis-Shemilt for making the visit possible, Zak Lowe of Zeeco, Inc. Lewis Chandler and Will Owen of Tata Group. for such a fantastic guided tour- the learners loved asking lots of questions as they were taken around!
Also thank you to Tresham College – Engineering Department for providing students with access to the impressive facilities. It was a wonderful day and we are confident that students went away feeling extremely inspired about their future plans!
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For Action
Please ensure you complete you final Compass evaluation by the the end of term.
South Midlands Careers Hub Annual Conference 2025 – 75% of places now booked
Date: Thursday 25th September 2025
Time: 9:00am – 3:00pm
Venue: Delta by Marriott, Milton Keynes
This year’s theme, Careers Reimagined: Innovation, Impact, Inclusion reflects our mission to continuously improve careers provision and embed meaningful, modern work experience into every young person’s journey.
For more information and to book now click here.
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For Information
Recording of our recent LinkedIn Masterclass from Dale Willis, My Great First Job available here
