Careers Curriculum

At Hunningley Primary Academy, we understand the importance of broadening children's horizons, raising aspirations and helping every child believe that their future is full of opportunity. We are committed to ensuring that all pupils, regardless of background or starting point, develop ambitious goals for themselves and understand the many pathways available to achieve them.

We believe that careers education begins from a young age. High-quality careers guidance inspires children to think about their futures, make informed choices and recognise how the knowledge, skills and experiences they develop in school can open doors to a wide range of opportunities. Through our careers curriculum, children learn about the diverse range of professions, industries and career pathways available to them, whilst developing an understanding of how the subjects they study today can influence the opportunities they pursue tomorrow.

Our careers curriculum is about much more than future employment. We are committed to developing confident, independent and resilient learners who understand their strengths, talents and interests. Through meaningful encounters with employers, educational visits, enrichment opportunities and real-world experiences, children are encouraged to explore their potential, challenge stereotypes and develop the character, communication and employability skills that will support them throughout their lives.

We believe every child should know that they belong, they matter and they are capable of achieving great things. Through strong relationships, ambitious aspirations and memorable experiences, we empower pupils to become confident young people who are well prepared for the next stage of their education and future career pathways.

Our careers curriculum is implement through four key areas using the Gatsby Benchmarks as our starting point. 

Alongside these opportunities, we are committed to broadening horizons and raising aspirations through a wide range of enrichment experiences. Through educational visits, curriculum-linked projects, visitors, assemblies and workshops, pupils develop confidence, independence, communication skills and an understanding of how their learning connects to future opportunities. We encourage children to challenge stereotypes, recognise their individual strengths and understand that ambition, determination and character are key factors in future success.

Hunningley has embedded a programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by students, parents, teachers, and governors. We raise the future aspirations of a children through educational visits.

All teachers link curriculum learning with careers. Each subject highlights various careers and career paths, available to children. Displays in school provide children with the opportunity to explore a career path they might like to take. Our PSHE curriculum has been designed so children across all phases learn about the world of work and characteristics needed in a variety of job roles.

Every student has multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. Students across school have the opportunity to speak to adults from across the world of work from Paralympians to police offices, nurses to farmers. Children have the opportunity to work alongside them in workshops, interview them and listen to speeches and presentations in assemblies and classrooms. Teachers also use educational trips to introduce children to other professions such as museum curators and zoologists.

All students understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace. Children in KS1 visit a local secondary school, LKS2 visit a college and UKS2 visit a university.

Our career guidance will have a long-term impact on students and pupils. It will improve social mobility because it helps open young people’s eyes to careers, they may have never considered. Students will have a better understanding of potential work and progression routes as well as having more motivation to acquire the necessary skills and qualifications. There will be fewer numbers of children in our community who are not in education, employment or training. Benefits can also be seen in the shorter term when pupils are still at school. These benefits include better motivation of pupils once they have clear goals for future study and careers, leading to:

• higher self-esteem
• higher attainment
• reduced drop out rates

Children leave Hunningley Primary Academy with high aspirations for their future and a strong understanding of the opportunities available to them. They recognise the importance of education in achieving their goals and have developed the confidence, resilience, independence and communication skills that will support them throughout their educational journey and beyond. Pupils understand that their background does not limit their potential and that they can make a positive contribution to the world around them.