Careers and Aspirations at Pike Fold Primary - Why it matters !

A Champion School for Careers Education
Pike Fold is proud to be a Champion School for careers and aspirations, helping to develop primary practice across England. As one of the research schools in the Careers & Enterprise Company’s national pilot, we have helped to test and shape new primary benchmarking tools that work alongside the Gatsby Benchmarks, including the Primary Maturity Model and the Primary Internal Leadership Review. Our feedback has helped to develop a more scaffolded approach for schools at the start of their careers journey. We work closely with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, whose work under Andy Burnham has focused on creating opportunities for young people to move into skilled work. Andy Burnham, now Prime Minister, visited Pike Fold as Mayor of Greater Manchester to launch one of our Careers and Aspirations Fairs as part of the “Start Small, Dream Big” pilot with Teach First and Manchester City Council. Pike Fold has also been chosen to host colleagues from the Greater London Authority, who are coming to see an exemplar of primary careers education as they plan a strategic approach for schools across London. Through all of this, our mission stays the same: every child leaves Pike Fold confident, informed and believing they can become who they dream to be.

Inspiring Encounters with the World of Work - learning in the classroom and outside in the community.
Our Careers and Aspirations Fair brings more than 20 professionals into every classroom from EYFS to Year 6, giving pupils the chance to learn directly from role models across many industries. Pupils have learned CPR and mental health awareness from NHS staff and explored land and property with Avison Young and CR Construction. They have also designed and critiqued their own office spaces with Bruntwood and created a pet product for market with the PR agency Citypress. Children have met doctors, nurses, scientists, gas engineers, firefighters, an international shipping consultant, a local vicar, dance teachers, a kickboxing tutor and an events planner. In our “What’s My Job?” challenge, small teams question visiting professionals, such as a construction site manager, a landscape architect and a Manchester Art Gallery representative, to work out what they do. Our partnership with Hexagon Tower in Blackley, an innovation hub for science and technology, has introduced pupils to professionals from companies based there, such as Lubrizol, a global chemicals company, and Intertek, an international testing and quality assurance company. Discovering that world-leading science companies work just down the road from our school shows pupils that ambitious, global careers are within their reach. It also helps them see how what they learn in science lessons connects to real jobs in their own community. These encounters show children that the curiosity, resilience and critical thinking they develop now are the foundations of future success.

Our Vision: Start Small, Dream Big
At Pike Fold, we believe every child has unique potential, and we want to help each of them become whatever they aspire to be. Children begin forming ideas about their future at age three or four, and by six many have already started to rule out options they believe aren’t for them. That is why careers education at Pike Fold starts early. We see it as our role to restore lost aspirations, challenge stereotypes and open children’s eyes to the huge range of careers available. We have adapted the principles of the Gatsby Benchmarks, originally designed for secondary schools, so that every pupil builds a broad understanding of the world of work, sees how their learning links to real careers, and meets a wide range of employers. Our guiding message is “Start Small, Dream Big”: children’s futures belong to them, and their skills are their superpowers.

Careers Learning Across Our Curriculum
Careers education at Pike Fold is part of everyday learning. Our four core values of Communication, Creativity, Collaboration and Problem-Solving run through all our teaching, and every history and geography topic shows how these skills connect to modern careers. Careers websites such as MYPATH help pupils see where each subject can lead: maths to engineering, architecture, finance and coding; English to journalism, law, marketing and teaching; science to medicine, veterinary work and environmental research; art and design to illustration, fashion and animation; and history and geography to archaeology, museum curation, tourism and urban planning. Our approach builds as children move through the school. Early Years and Key Stage 1 pupils explore jobs through play and visits from community members, with families encouraged to take part. Lower Key Stage 2 pupils connect their learning to real-world settings by working with local employers. Upper Key Stage 2 pupils reflect on their own strengths and interests, meet professionals and community leaders, and explore the routes open to them after primary school.