Careers and Aspirations 2025 - 26

We start our careers education early at Pike Fold!

Looking Ahead to 2025–26

At Pike Fold, we believe that children should be encouraged to “Start Small and Dream Big.” Research tells us that children begin forming aspirations as early as age three, and by six many already have ideas about the jobs they might like to do. This is why our Careers and Aspirations programme is woven through the school year, helping every child recognise that their future belongs to them—and that their skills are their superpowers.

In 2025–26, we will continue to build on the success of last year’s Careers and Aspirations Day, which gave our pupils the chance to meet an inspiring range of visitors from the world of work. Children heard from doctors, scientists, gas engineers, firefighters, international shipping consultants, a local vicar, nurses, dance teachers, a kickboxing tutor, and an events planner, each of whom helped pupils understand how communication, teamwork, creativity and problem-solving play a vital role in different careers.

A key highlight of our programme is our ongoing partnership with Hexagon Tower in Blackley, an innovation hub home to several leading science and technology companies. Last year, our pupils met professionals from organisations including:

• Lubrizol – a global chemicals company specialising in advanced materials and technologies used in everyday products such as skincare, transport, and energy systems.

• Intertek – an internationally recognised testing and quality assurance company whose scientists check the safety, reliability and performance of products used around the world.

These sessions gave pupils a real insight into scientific careers and showed them that the skills they are developing today—curiosity, resilience and critical thinking—are the foundations of future success.

Although the Gatsby Benchmarks were originally created to support careers education in secondary schools, their principles provide an excellent structure for high-quality careers learning in primary settings too. At Pike Fold, we adapt these benchmarks to ensure our pupils begin developing curiosity, ambition and an understanding of the wider world of work from an early age. Through meaningful encounters with employers, exposure to a wide range of job roles, and by linking learning to real-life contexts across the curriculum, we are building the strong foundations the Gatsby report identifies as essential. This ensures that by the time our pupils reach secondary school, they are already confident, informed and equipped with an early understanding of the skills they need for the future.

Looking ahead, we hope to expand our programme even further by offering pupils opportunities to go out into the community. Our aim is for children to visit local workplaces, meet more professionals, and see first-hand the incredible range of careers available in Manchester and beyond. These experiences help our pupils realise that every expert—whether a scientist, engineer, performer, nurse or entrepreneur—was once a beginner, just like them.

Through assemblies, workshops, visits and partnerships, our mission remains the same: to inspire children to dream big, plan small steps, and believe that whatever their aspiration, their journey begins here at Pike Fold.