Project to improve careers guidance in North East primary schools extended after positive impact on pupils

A pilot project to test a new approach to careers guidance in North East primary schools is being extended, after it was shown to have improved children’s understanding of the range of future possibilities open to them, and enhanced teachers’ careers-related knowledge and skills.

The North East Ambition Career Benchmarks: Primary Pilot took place over two years and involved 70 primary schools in the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) area. It will now be made available to all primary schools in the area.

Matt Joyce, Regional Lead: North East Ambition at the North East LEP, explained: “Evidence shows that children begin to form ideas about their futures when they’re as young as five or six. By the age of 10, many young people have already made career-limiting decisions, which are fixed by the time they’re 14.

“We wanted to help primary schools to embed a new approach to careers guidance for younger children which has been shown to broaden young people’s horizons, help them to see the link between what they learn in the classroom and their future careers, and improve their outcomes.”

An independent evaluation found that primary school Careers Leaders who took part in the pilot project reported significant improvements in their own knowledge, skills and understanding as well as their pupils:

87% of Careers Leaders now rate their ability to design and deliver career-related learning across all year groups as good or very good (compared with 12% at the start of the project)
83% of Careers Leaders now rate their ability to monitor and demonstrate the impact of careers-related learning activities as good or very good (up from 6% at the start of the project)
93% of Careers Leaders say pupils believe they can achieve their career goals if they work hard (compared with 63% at the start of the project)
87% of Careers Leaders believe pupils understand the link between skills they develop in school and their future career options (compared with 34% at the start of the project)

The two-year pilot project, which was delivered by the North East LEP with support from independent charity EY Foundation, supported 70 primary schools to adapt the Good Career Guidance Benchmarks for primary-aged pupils and embed them throughout the school. The benchmarks place employer engagement at the heart of careers education and require that careers guidance is linked to the curriculum and is tailored to meet the needs of all pupils.

Jodie McNally, EY Foundation Head of Programmes and Regions said: “I’m delighted to see the positive impact that bringing careers aspiration and inspiration to a younger age can have. Having demonstrated the potential of this concept, it should be replicated across the country to bring together employers and the labour force of the future at a much earlier age.”

Donna Scott, Careers Leader, Barnes Junior School, said: “It has been an extremely worthwhile pilot to be part of and the Benchmarks will continue to enhance the provision in school. Our children are interested in the connection between what they are learning and real life, and it make sense to link today’s learning to future aspirations – to help nurture and develop our pupils’ confidence to chase their dreams.”

Following the success of the pilot, the North East LEP will now scale up this work and further embed a sustainable and replicable approach to the implementation of the Good Career Guidance Primary Benchmarks across the region and beyond. Read more about the results of the pilot project at www.northeastambition.co.uk and read the evaluation report here.