Pendle Community High School and College

Pendle Community High School and College (PCHS&C) serves young people aged 11–19 who all have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The school and college run a careers programme designed to support students to prepare for adult life, employment, and further learning in ways that reflect their individual needs, strengths, and aspirations.
The careers programme takes a dual approach. Firstly, it focuses on developing new and creative ways for students to access meaningful encounters with employers, helping them to understand different job roles, workplaces, and career pathways. Secondly, it provides purposeful, practical, and accredited work‑related learning within the school environment, allowing students to gain real experience and transferable skills in a supportive and accessible setting.

The programme involves all students from Year 7 through to Year 14, with the level of focus increasing as students progress through the school. From Key Stage 4 onwards, the work becomes more closely aligned with Preparing for Adulthood (PfA) outcomes. This develops further into a carefully planned Key Stage 5 college programme, which is designed to help students build independence, employability skills, and confidence, in line with their most appropriate future destination pathways.
Central to this approach is the Vocational Education Centre Development Project. This project is the cornerstone of the future development of inclusive employability opportunities at PCHS&C. It aims to expand and enhance vocational and practical learning, ensuring that students can access high‑quality, realistic experiences that support positive transitions into employment, further education, or other meaningful adult outcomes.