Aspirational learning and promoting careers at Eaton Park
As a school, it is important for us to raise the aspirations of the children that we teach and expose them to a range of careers, memorable experiences and skills to help them with their future choices. As part of the Alpha Trust, we work alongside staff from other primary and secondary settings to pool ideas and information and provide our children with as much information and guidance as possible.
British Values and our own MASTER values run through everything we do at the academy, and as of this academic year, children will have specifically designed values to work towards to prove that they are aspirational learners. Where possible, year bands will ensure that any links that can be made with the curriculum and topic are explored – examples of this are interviewing experts on school trips, visiting high schools and other education settings and exploring enterprise activities. Our children will be invited to local careers events as well as receiving funding for activities out of school to promote careers and aspirations amongst year 5 and 6 children. Visits to local universities and colleges have also been planned in along with visits to businesses and places of work to give the children a flavour of the options that they have in the future.
You will start to see a common careers feature in each of the school brochures, where you can keep up to date with the work that is going on in school linked to careers and aspirations as well as features from ex-pupils talking about their career choices and success. Parents are very much encouraged to come in and share their education and careers with the children during whole school events, family learning and interactive sessions.
Each year, we will hold an ‘Aspirations Week’ where each year band will explore different careers and hobbies with the aim of inspiring them, helping them to understand the path that will lead to their dreams or to explore options that they had never previously thought of. This year, children will have visits, questions and answer sessions and mini workshops from professionals from a whole range of careers, ranging from local business owners to professional footballers. We will also be promoting creating aspirations for the community that they live in by thinking of ways to involve or improve the community.
As an Academy, we have successfully achieved the Primary Careers Quality Mark, achieving outstanding for our work within this area.
The term ‘careers’ means different things to different people, encompassing work-related learning (types of work, developing skills for and through work); careers education (self-development, exploration, and management) and careers information, advice and guidance. We believe it’s important to expose our children to the term ‘careers’ early in order to develop their understanding of the world of work, but more importantly to develop their aspirations for the future, to open up their opportunities for the future and broaden their horizons in terms of what they are able to achieve or become, providing them with ample experiences of the world and opportunities to visit different places of work.
It is about opening doors, showing our children the vast range of possibilities open to them and helping to keep their options open for as long as possible. And there are a range of attributes, skills, and behaviours that can be encouraged in this early stage of a child’s life that will leave them in the best possible position as they begin their transitions to secondary education and to future life
Starting early – the importance of career-related learning in primary school
Useful career websites:
Why is Careers education for our children so important?
Gives you details about a wide range of jobs as well as looking at key skills and education needed to achieve these jobs.
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/
Careers week is a yearly event that emphasises the importance of Careers Education. The website has information about different careers and some activities the children can do at home.
https://nationalcareersweek.com/
Sign up for a free account to get access to a range of careers based activities aimed at Primary and Secondary school age children.
https://www.myworldofwork.co.uk/
Research different areas of work and see what opportunities are available.
https://successatschool.org/careerzones
Take the Buzz Quiz
https://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers
https://successatschool.org/advicedetails/68/All-About-Apprenticeships