Careers
Developing a Careers Curriculum at Coleridge Primary
At Coleridge Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to dream big and plan for a purposeful future. Following a Trust-Wide Pupil Premium review, we identified the need to provide our children with greater direction and inspiration regarding future careers. Rather than relying on one-off events like ‘dress as a career’ days, we sought to create a sustainable and impactful approach. This led to the development of a weekly careers curriculum designed to engage students in meaningful and practical ways.
Our careers curriculum is designed to inspire and empower our students from an early age. Our aim is to raise aspirations, providing children with a vision for their future beyond traditional expectations. By exposing students to a wide range of opportunities, we seek to increase their cultural capital, broadening their horizons and understanding of the world. Our curriculum challenges stereotypes, ensuring that every child feels free to pursue their interests and talents without the constraints of gender, background, or societal expectations. Rather than simply talking about jobs, we focus on developing key skills, resilience, and a love for lifelong learning. We also hope to instill a sense of purpose, encouraging pupils to see how they can contribute to society through the world of work. This holistic approach ensures that our students are well-prepared to navigate their future educational and career pathways with confidence and curiosity. Together, we are building a foundation for success and fulfilment in the diverse world beyond Coleridge Primary School.
Our careers curriculum is underpinned by the Gatsby Benchmarks, an internationally recognised framework for good career guidance. However, we have adapted these benchmarks for each individual key stage to ensure they meet the needs of our children, in our context to create ‘Coleridge Career Education Benchmarks’. These benchmarks provide us with a robust foundation to design sessions that are both aspirational and achievable.
In addition, we have adapted the essential skills from the Skills Builder Framework to meet the specific needs of our children. These include Oracy, Leadership, Teamwork, and Perseverance—skills we believe are fundamental and transferable for any future career path. These essential skills are progressively developed throughout our students’ primary journey, ensuring that they are equipped to succeed in an ever-changing world.
Each career session is designed to be engaging and relevant, helping our children connect classroom learning to real-world applications. From exploring various industries to understanding the importance of teamwork and communication, our curriculum ensures that every child feels prepared and empowered for the future. Below is a snapshot of our plans:
By embedding these purposeful career sessions into our curriculum, we aim to ignite ambition and provide all children at Coleridge Primary with the tools they need to thrive in the future.
