At a time when the world of work is evolving faster than ever, it’s never too early to start introducing children to the possibilities that lie ahead.

That’s why at The Park Academies Trust in Swindon we’ve developed a careers curriculum that runs from nursery through to Year 6, opening young minds to the endless opportunities the world has to offer.

Of course, introducing careers at a young age isn’t about choosing a job for life. It’s about sparking curiosity, raising aspirations and helping children to understand the skills and strengths they already possess.

Careers education in primary

By weaving careers education into everyday learning, we show children how classroom knowledge connects with real-world applications - how the maths they’re learning could help them to become engineers, how a love of storytelling might lead them to journalism or animation, or how teamwork on a school project mirrors the collaboration needed in any professional environment.

Doing this also helps them to start to gain insight into their strengths and areas for growth. It opens up a world of possibilities that may never have been considered or ignites an early curiosity that can be nurtured and developed.

Understanding themselves better allows them to set goals and make more informed decisions as they grow.

Linked to this is the importance of helping them to see and understand what jobs exist in the world and why people of all backgrounds can go on to do them. After all, a child may not know what a marine biologist or architect does until they meet one, and that simple interaction could shape their aspirations forever. Given this, we have ensured that school trips contain a clear link to real-world jobs.

Real-world inspiration

For example, pupils from Years 5 and 6, from across our eight schools, went on a trip to Great Western Hospital in Swindon, where they learned about a range of medical professions through a series of hands-on activities, such as using keyhole surgery simulators and taking blood pressure readings.

Year 3 also visited the Wyvern Theatre to watch the pantomime, but while they were there they discussed all the types of jobs that might be done in a theatre, including those backstage and related to technology. The children realised that there are many types of careers that can be related to the theatre beyond the actors.

There is also a wealth of resources available online through various companies that produce specific materials for primary-aged children to help them to understand certain concepts, such as banking, farming and travel. Many year groups across our schools have been using these to support areas of the curriculum, such as maths and science.

The Year 5 classes engaged with a group of scientists online to ask specific questions about what they do and what skills they need for their job, as well as which education path they need to take. This was an online chat programme called “I’m a scientist, get me out of here!”. This is a free session that the teachers booked, and the class was able to interact on a live chat using iPads.

Scientists with all sorts of specialisms were able to answer the children’s questions on everything from space to looking after rabbits! This was highly engaging for the classes who were able to link with scientists who aligned with their individual interests.

Guess my job

The schools have also celebrated national careers days in various ways, including coming to school dressed as if they were going to work. Pupils in Year 6 considered their strengths and weaknesses and carried out mock interviews with each other, while Year 5 children wrote applications for classroom monitor jobs.

Some classes have also had parent volunteers visiting to share what they do for work and what their journey was to get there. The emphasis is always on hard work and trying your best.

Many pupils have also taken part in events such as “Guess my job”, hosted by the Education Business Partnership, in which a variety of volunteers come into school and pupils ask questions and look at clues to discover what the person does. This included visitors from organisations such as Cotswold Fayre, Cappagh Browne, Vodafone, Boeing Global Services and the RAF.

By embedding career learning throughout primary education, we are planting seeds of ambition, self-belief and possibility. Our mission is clear: to equip our children with the tools they need to dream big, to recognise their potential and to step confidently into the future.

Rachel Surch is director of primary at The Park Academies Trust, Swindon

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