Careers Spotlight: Learning About Youth Work with No Limits KS4

As part of our PSHE and careers learning, students recently took part in a session led by No Limits, a local organisation that supports young people across our community. The session helped students understand both the role of youth workers and the real-life challenges young people may face, while also highlighting youth work as a possible career pathway.

Real Stories: Becoming a Youth Worker

The session began with Gerson and Emma sharing their personal journeys into youth work. Students heard about:

• What inspired them to work with young people

• The skills and qualities needed for the role

• How youth work can make a positive difference in young people’s lives

This helped students see youth work as a real, achievable career, rooted in empathy, communication, and community support.

What is No Limits?

Students explored who No Limits are and the services they offer to young people. This included viewing an animated video explaining:

• How young people can access support

• The different services available

• How No Limits works alongside schools and communities

Students were also guided through the No Limits website to better understand how young people can seek help when they need it.

Understanding the Role of a Youth Worker

Students learned that youth workers:

• Listen, rather than lecture

• Help young people think through their choices

• Share clear, honest, age-appropriate information

• Support young people to stay safe

• Take action if someone is at risk (safeguarding)

A key message throughout the session was that the focus of youth work is support, not punishment, helping young people feel heard and empowered to make safer choices.

What is Detached Youth Work?

The session introduced students to detached youth work, which involves youth workers meeting young people in their own communities, such as parks or local spaces, rather than expecting them to attend a building-based service.

Students discussed why this approach can be effective and how it helps reach young people who may not otherwise seek support.

Exploring Risks Young People May Face

Through discussion, students identified challenges young people can experience in the community, including:

• Drugs and understanding their consequences

• Personal safety and environmental risks (such as poor street lighting)

• Peer pressure

• Mental health challenges

• Difficulties finding employment

• Money and financial pressures

These conversations helped students reflect on risk, safety, and support, and understand where trusted adults and services can help.

Creative Activity: Designing the Perfect Youth Service

To finish the session, students took part in a creative activity where they designed their ideal youth service. This encouraged them to think about:

• What young people need to feel safe and supported

• What services would be helpful

• How youth workers could best engage with young people

This activity developed teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving skills while reinforcing learning from the session.

Why This Matters

Sessions like this support students’:

• PSHE learning around health, wellbeing, and safety

• Careers education by showcasing real-world roles

• Understanding of support services available to them

• Confidence to seek help when needed

We are grateful to No Limits for providing such an engaging and informative session and for helping students understand both the support available to them and the people who work to keep young people safe.

Cooking at Morris House!

Over the last term the Engagement Pathways pupils have cooked up some absolute storms in the Morris House kitchen alongside Miss Thom whilst developing their culinary skills. The pupils really enjoy the practical learning, and a lot of the dishes they make go towards AQA Unit awards too. 

Here's some of the dishes produced in recent sessions: 

Rhyo made Chicken Alfredo which was delicious! He seasoned everything himself and he really has a good taste for flavours! Miss Thom even convinced him to add some spinach which even Rhyo admitted, definitely elevated the dish!

Aaron made some really delicious Chocolate Lava cakes which he was very proud of, and they were perfectly gooey in the middle, yet with a nice crust on the top. Aaron sat down and enjoyed these with the Engagement staff and they were absolutely delicious. Well done Aaron!

Jack made a Shepherds Pie, and showed off his great knife skills chopping up all his vegetables. Jack took this home to share with family and get their verdict on his cooking expertise!

Marzell made some great chicken burgers! He battered and seasoned his own chicken and then constructed it all into homemade chicken burgers! Marzell really enjoys sharing food he's made with other pupils in school and getting feedback from his friends, so this is what he does every week. 

Last but not least, Ewan made some Greggs inspired Festive Bakes which had chicken, bacon, stuffing, and cranberry sauce all in a creamy white sauce. Ewan made these last year as they are his favourite Christmas and he did really well to remember how to make them more independently this year! Just look at that Sage & Onion breadcrumb crust on top!

Cooking will always be accessible to pupils who engage well and Miss Thom really encourages the pupils to have creative freedom of what they cook, whilst also supporting them in choosing things they can recreate at home on their own. Its also the opportunity to be proud of what they make, so gaining the certificates and also sharing food with the team whilst at school really helps make that happen!

AQA Unit Awards with the Engagement Pupils

 

Pupils on the Engagement Pathways work towards accreditation on the AQA Unit Awards Scheme. This encourages students to engage with learning and have their achievements in their diverse personalised curriculum recognised. Students are rewarded with certificates each time they successfully complete a unit of learning. They can build up a portfolio to evidence their skills, knowledge and experience.  

The awards are versatile and can be delivered in partnership with our external providers, or on-site. Some examples of recent success in off-site accreditations include: Basic Fishing Skills, Wiring a Three Pinned Plug and Introduction to Indoor Top-Rope Climbing. It's great to see our pupils working so successfully within the local community and having meaningful encounters.

Using the Unit Awards Scheme enables us to recognise the breadth and depth of our student's achievements on-site. During the Autumn term, Making a Cheesecake, Improving Self-Knowledge and Self-Esteem and Designing and Carving a Pumpkin have been achieved. Pupils can choose unit awards from an extensive library to fit around what they already do and what they have interest in.

 

Unit Awards boost confidence, increase engagement and improve motivation. On leaving The Polygon School, each pupil will have an extensive portfolio which can be shown to colleges and employers to demonstrate their lifelong learning journey. 

KS4 - Collaborative Project with Hampshire Police

We are excited to inform you that our KS4 pupils will be working with Paul Richards from Hampshire Police this half term within their PSHE lessons.

As a school, we are proud to work in partnership with a range of amazing charities and organisations across Southampton to enhance the delivery of our PSHE curriculum. These partnerships help our students become familiar with the support available to them, build confidence in accessing local services, and provide valuable employer encounters to develop their understanding of potential careers.

All sessions will adhere to the NEW PSHE Statutory Guidance (effective from July 2025) and will include the below learning outcomes:

·        I understand the concepts and laws relating to harms which are exploitative including criminal exploitation.

·        I understand the risks and signs of grooming or exploitation, and how to seek help where there is a concern.

·        I understand the laws relating to violent or threatening behaviour.

·        I understand how to increase personal safety in public spaces, including when socialising with friends, family, the wider community or strangers.

·        I understand ways of seeking help when needed and how to report harmful behaviour.

·        I understand that there are strategies which can be used to increase safety, and that this does not mean you will be blamed if you are a victim of harmful behaviour.

·        I understand the importance of trusting instincts when something doesn’t feel right, and understand that in some situations a person might appear trustworthy but have harmful intentions.

·        I can recognise and manage peer influence in relation to risk-taking behaviour and personal safety, including peer influence online and social media.

·        I understand how to develop key social and emotional skills that will increase safety from involvement in conflict and violence.

·        I understand the law as it relates to knives and violence.

·        I can take part in a First Aid skills session and understand how to contact support and services in an emergency situation.

During our first session on Tuesday 18th November, we will be joined by two additional members of the Educational First Aid Team. Students will receive an introduction to the project and team, explore seized knives, and discuss some of the key objectives around knife crime and personal safety. The session will also include essential first aid training, supported by the use of prosthetic materials to enable a hands-on, practical learning experience.

We are delighted to be able to offer our students this valuable opportunity to learn from local professionals, supporting their personal development and preparing them for life beyond school. Please check back in with the blog each week for updates and photos from the sessions, we can’t wait to share what we’ve been up to!

Saints Foundation Careers Day

 Saints Foundation Careers Day

4PR were invited to attend St Mary's Stadium this week to take part in the Saints Foundation Careers Day. While there the pupils took part in sessions around 'Dressing for an Interview', 'Setting a hospitality table' and 'Interview Practice Skills'. They also had the chance to have a dressing room tour and go pitch side as well as visit the control booth and see how the lighting, big screen displays and sound engineering operated in the stadium.

The pupils all engaged well and were a credit to the school.

IConstruct Careers trip

 A group of Y10's went to a Careers day at Fareham College, that was put on by the Construction sector, they had the chance to look at different careers and talk to different companies. There was also hands on experiences. The day was a great success and the students really enjoyed looking af the different companies.

They were able to build a brink wall as well as have a go on the vitual diggers and demonlition vehicles.

Ties, Ties and more Ties

 

Year 11 and their ties!

In WorkSkills this half term we have been looking at personal presentation in relation to Interviews. We have looked at and discussed, dress code, hygiene and greetings.

As well as this we have also been practicing a valuable life skill.....tying a tie.

There were laughs, frustration and some odd looking knots but all of the boys did a great job of learning to tie their ties as you can see below. Well done for the perseverance !

Vocational Wednesdays

As part of their personalised timetables, a group of the Morris House pupils attend a vocational provision at the Routes Skill Centre.

Steve teaches them a number of different areas of construction, all as part of their Level 1 Multi Trade Construction qualification. 

The boys learn the basics of tiling, brickwork, plastering and plumbing, and more. 

The course lasts 4 years, and goes towards their Laser Learning Employment & Progression Qualification - which can be carried on in their next stage of education.

The set up in the workshop replicates that of a real work environment, so the pupils learn a work ethic as well as skills to set them up in a job, and the scenarios are realistic for training purposes too! 

CEMEX Careers Day

 CEMEX Careers Day

Recently, 4PR were invited to go to St Mary's Stadium who hosted a Careers Day from CEMEX.

CEMEX is based in Southampton and provides building supplies across the south of England. These are dredged from the sea bed, brought back to shore, refined and distributed.

While there we had talks from various areas within the business and tours of the docks, machinery used and the dredger that was in port.

We all learnt a lot about this local business and career opportunities they offer.

Bringing Reading to life

KS3 have been reading a selection of stories about surviving in extreme conditions. We have been learning new vocabulary and trying new tinned food like Corned Beef to try and understand the struggle of the characters in our books.  

Check out pictures below of us exploring a real ration pack from the Army. We discussed this as a career opportunity and skills we had that would benefit us like resilience, co-operation and teamwork.