Vocational Construction
Our construction classrooms come weekly to your site to teach practical hands-on construction skills. We provide all the tools, equipment, materials and training across all abilities. Our tutors have experience in the industry and teaching. They have chosen to work with us to inspire the next generation in construction.
We provide a range of practical units: Joinery, Electrics and Plumbing. A good basis is provided in Health and Safety across all practical units with additional units on Careers and Organisational Skills.
Years 9 -13
Who is it for?
“The SATRO programme which runs at our Hersham site has invigorated the curriculum on a Tuesday morning. Weekly sessions have provided 5 of our pupils with the chance to gain and develop vocational or work based skills they will need for further education and employment. Our pupils have worked their way through a well sequenced curriculum which encapsulates carpentry, electrical engineering, plumbing and many other trade-based skills.
All pupils have gained much more than qualifications form the SATRO sessions. For one of our pupils who had barely attended school for two years, the SATRO sessions played a vital role in re-engaging him in education. As well as this missed schooling, this particular pupil had a variety of complex learning needs, however, the sessions were expertly catered to his needs, to allow him to access all of the new knowledge and content.”
Deputy Head, North East Surrey Short-Stay School, 2023
Schools choose the Mobile Classroom for those that wish to study and follow a Construction qualification, for students who find mainstream education difficult and need a vocational subject to engage their learning, or to provide practical sessions to students who struggle in their learning.
We bring all that is necessary to teach a practical hands-on construction skills for two hours every week for up to 8-10 students subject to agreement.
Students on the 2 year Certificate will study joinery, plumbing and electrics. All our practical units include information about the opportunities in the Green Energy economy which will be growing for young people with the skills we are teaching. An important addition to the qualification is a Progression Planning unit which supports students consider pathways into careers in the construction industry and another on Organisational Skills. Throughout the course we also focus on employability skills and have just been awarded a Skills Builder Partnership Level 4 Impact Badge.
SATRO offer the following courses:
- BTEC Level 1 Introductory Construction - 1 year Award and 2 year Certificate
- AQA Unit Awards - For those with poor attendance or additional needs not ready for the commitment of a full BTEC course. Can be used as a introduction for RPL progression.
- Taster Courses (6 -12 weeks) to support student subject choices or as a practical activity
- SEN practical and vocational skills - SATRO Award
We currently work with over 30 schools and colleges including mainstream, SEN, alternative provision, pupil referral units and employability programmes. Each week we deliver over 100 hours of vocational teaching.
Results In 2023 we celebrated our student's success with the following achievements:
- 86 BTEC Level 1 Certificates of which 6% Distinction, 34% Merit
- 59 BTEC Level 1 Awards of which 17% Distinction, 24% Merit
- 13 BTEC Unit Notifications
- 267 SATRO Awards
With a further 84 continuing into their second year of study with us.
Construction Festival: new in 2023 we are now able to offer to all our 1st year students the opportunity to attend our Construction Festival. This will give them an insight into the pathways into and careers in the construction industry and will be held on the 30th November 2023 in Guildford. Feedback from students from our first event:
- 84% agreed they are more aware of how to gain employment within the construction industry,
- 81% agreed that ConstructionFest introduced them to careers they didn't know about,
- 75% met someone or took part in an activity that changed their attitude to construction careers.
In addition 94% of teachers agreed that students had been supported in understanding their career choices.
"This is what vocational education should be! "
Assistant Head July 2021
Pricing: From September 2023 the full academic year costs will be £9,180 inclusive of all equipment, tools, materials and an experienced tutor in the Construction industry. We are able to support schools seek additional funding to run the course and can provide a free taster session.
This programme meets the GATSBY Benchmarks: linking to the curriculum (GB4); engagement with employers and employees (GB5) and experience of the workplace (GB6).
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Outcomes
SATRO have been running the construction programme for over 15 years and this academic year we had over 500 students studying with our seven tutors in schools across the region.
In 2023 we awarded:
- 86 BTEC Level 1 Introductory Certificates (2 years) of which 6% Distinction and 34% Merits
- 59 BTEC Level 1 Introductory Awards (1 year) of which 17% Distinction and 24% Merits
- 13 BTEC Unit Notifications
- 267 SATRO Awards
A further 84 are continuing their studies with us into the next academic year.
Teacher feedback was overwhelmingly positive on the outcomes achieved by students:
- What was the most important element of the SATRO sessions for your students ?
- What are the next steps for the students on the SATRO construction course this year?
- Would you recommend this course to other schools and if so, why?
"Yes - the approachability of the tutors, the strong support from SATRO centrally, value form money and the outcomes that students achieve not just academically but socially and physically"
To find out more visit our online construction resources that were developed during lockdown to support our students with their ongoing studies.
Visit our Online Construction Resources
Volunteering with our Construction Classes
Careers Chat
- pathways into the industry: work experience, traineeships, apprenticeships, college courses;
- industry requirements such as CSC cards;
- a day on the job;
- working in a team;
- career pathways and salary expectations.
This is a 1-2 hour commitment in a SATRO classroom located close to home or a workplace across our 5 counties of operation.
"I really enjoyed visiting both schools (mainstream and pupil referral unit), Rob is great at his job! It is a shame to hear that PRU school funding is difficult as the students were great and I think it really gave them a space away from their problems." SATRO Volunteer 2022
Site Visits
We welcome the opportunity to take small groups of 8-10 students from school to a local construction site (big or small) to see for themselves the industry at work. This will be organised with the school and our construction tutor will join the class on the visit to relate learning back into their classroom.
Visits will normally last 1-2 hours in total allowing students to return to school within a half day session. SATRO will coordinate visits between the school and the construction site to ensure that all H&S and Safeguarding requirements are organised.
Find out more about SATRO volunteeering or site visit opportunities
Our Sponsors
Thanks to the generosity of the following supporters we are able to deliver this highly impactful programme giving young people, who have often been left behind, the opportunity to study for a vocational qualification that gives them future educational and employment opportunities.
