Raising aspirations in primary school isn’t about asking seven‑year‑olds to choose a future career, it’s about making sure they don’t close off possibilities before they’ve even had the chance to explore them.
Rather than relying on a one‑off ‘Careers Day’, we can gently weave career ideas through everyday learning. A quick example: when teaching shapes, you might mention how architects, engineers or graphic designers use them in their work. Younger children often have a very limited picture of what jobs exist, and research shows they start picking up gendered ideas about careers surprisingly early. Parents also play a huge role. If they feel certain paths “aren’t for people like us”, children often absorb that message too. That’s why working in partnership with families is such an important part of raising aspirations for every child.
This staff meeting starter invites staff to think about how we can broaden children’s horizons and challenge stereotypes early on through simple, meaningful career‑related experiences and activities.
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