Teach Secondary - Issue 13.2

31 teachwire.net/secondary Apply EARLY W hat do you want to be when you grow up?” “A fireman.” “A vet.” “A space cowboy that rides a dinosaur.” Children are asked this question from a young age, and however unrealistic the response, the sky’s the limit. They’re role-playing from the age of 2, acting out their possible futures with outfits in imagination spaces. Their passions can quickly become fixations, though the ability to name every carnivorous dinosaur doesn’t necessarily equate to a future as palaeontologist or museum curator... but should it? Breaking it down As they progress through school, students will typically be expected to focus ever more on their academic prospects. Occasional PSHE sessions aside, the extent to which students think about their future careers will very much hinge on whether their school considers that to be a priority. And if not, they often won’t – at least until they hit 16, at which point they’ll suddenly be inundated and potentially overwhelmed with information. Would it not be better instead for pupils to have their careers education exist as a golden thread running throughout their time in school? In an age when services such as Connexions have been cut, many students would benefit from a curriculum that prescribes a certain amount of real world contextualisation with regards to their lessons, and more knowledge of how to actually operate as grown adults. It would certainly their make careers education more meaningful. Students already get a taste of this kind of ‘real-life experience’ in lessons supported by school trips. What might initially seem like a fun trip to Harry PotterWorld will get broken down into multiple areas themed around employment and mapped to lesson content. Set and costume design? D&T and textiles. Promotion and marketing? Business studies. Visual effects creation? Computing and media production. Box office figures and budgets? Maths and business studies. The writing of the script? English and drama. Organic decisions There are other reasons to consider bolstering your pre-KS4 careers provision. The start of KS4 can be a fraught period in students’ lives, not least because of the important decisions they’ll be making around their GCSE options. It can cause some students to become anxious, and if there isn’t a strong support system at home to help direct them, they can end up choosing subjects to which they’re not ideally suited. If, however, those considerations can be built in earlier on at KS3 and regularly revisited, they’re more likely to have a stronger sense of direction come Y10, reach decisions that feel more organic and less forced, and be better placed to bring their intrinsic interests and engagement to bear on those subjects that really interest them. You can also make the options before them feel more real by having them meet people who once sat in the same classroom chairs as them. If you can arrange a school visit from alumni who have gone on to pursue careers that your students have shown an interest in, the impact can be especially pronounced in Y8 and Y9. Non-linear progression At the same time, young people should be made aware that career progression isn’t always linear. Life situations can result in career gaps and breaks, whether it’s having children or being made redundant. Introducing students to this reality may well reduce their chances of experiencing career anxiety as adults, and prevent them from being too risk averse in the short term. We want them to feel that they can seize as many opportunities, and pursue as many different options as they can. If something doesn’t work out, they can always try something else. The notion that you don’t have to necessarily stick to one career for life may also make their futures feel more interesting. Moreover, if pupils were aware fromY7 of non- university routes such as degree apprenticeships, supported internships, traineeships or starting their own business, teachers could actively expand the scope of their ambitions and career horizons from the very inception of their secondary education journey. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nikki Cunningham-Smith is an assistant headteacher based in Gloucestershire Nikki Cunningham-Smith explains why careers education can, and indeed should be making regular appearances in the timetables of KS3 students... TEACH SECONDARY SPECIAL CAREERS C A R E E R S “