Croydon Community School

Careers & Pathways

Pathways

The working lives of today’s young people will be full of change and they will need to be flexible and responsive. Everyone needs to actively manage their career, moving between or combining work and further study in order to add to their skills and qualifications. Together with students and their families, we work to equip students to make informed work and study choices throughout their lives.

Career education, work exploration through shadow days, internships and structured workplace learning, VET in school programs and work-related curriculum and whole school events are vital so that students can explore career options and understand the nature and expectations of different jobs and industries.

 

Senior Pathways Handbook

Apprenticeships and Traineeships

atEAST is a consortium of 11 leading schools in the eastern region of Melbourne who offer School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBATs). This provides students with the opportunity to study a trade and earn money while at secondary school. atEAST provide ongoing support for students in gaining an SBAT, visiting students at their school, workplace and TAFE and liaising with employers, teachers and TAFE on behalf of the student.

 

A typical program looks like this (click to enlarge)

Graduation Portfolio

Our non-ATAR pathway is called the ‘Graduation Portfolio’.

This is a rigorous, standards-based assessment process that allows our senior students to demonstrate their learning and their passion in a field of interest to prospective employers, colleges and universities.

Big Picture Education has negotiated partnerships with over 12 universities around Australia. Our students are not restricted to their local area or to their State.

For their Graduation Portfolio, students do original research in an area of deep personal focus, work with external mentors on internships in their area of interest, write an autobiography and explore their post-school pathways.

University Entry via Portfolio

The Graduation Portfolio is a three year process, beginning in Gateway and graduating at the end of their senior year.  It is a pathway into university without an ATAR score.

Year One

Gateway students begin their future pathway portfolio. Future pathways include TAFE, university, apprenticeships, internships, and employment. The Advisor works with the student looking at projects and Leaving to Learn major experiences they have participated in. Student Career Action Plans are worked on and used as a tool for setting goals and plans.

Year Two

Transition students work closely with their Advisor and Big Picture Education (BPE) specialist on their personal projects and portfolio work. The Advisor provides regular feedback to students against the elements of the Big Picture Graduation Portfolio Standards document (ACSF), usually following each exhibition. Students need to achieve at Level 5 for university entry. In Term 4, students begin to plan their Senior Thesis Project.  This is worked on during their senior year.

Year Three

Early in the year the student and Advisor investigate academic mentor options. (An academic mentor does not have to be from the university the student eventually applies to). Students continue to work on their portfolios and receive feedback. At the mid-year mark, the student decides which university/ies they wish to apply to or future pathways they wish to take. The Advisor notifies National Project Coordinator and the National Project Coordinator makes contact with the university/ies and advises students and Advisors of the process from this point.

Principal
Ms. Bronwyn Harcourt

Assistant Principal
Mrs. Kaye Bhan

Address:
61-77 Croydon Road
Croydon, VIC 3136

Postal:
P.O. Box 239
Croydon, VIC 3136

Telephone:
(03) 9724 2900

Facsimile:
(03) 9724 2999