John Snell is Headteacher at Welton Primary School in Somerset and is a teacher ambassador and longtime user of Primary Futures. In this article, he discusses how Primary Futures has been vital in his school’s career-related learning journey and how external volunteers have helped open pupils’ eyes to the wider world beyond the classroom.
I have worked in schools for over 25 years, 13 of which as a headteacher in the southwest of England. I know how stressful and relentless the world of leadership is and I recognise that all too often there isn’t time to stop and think, let alone bring in a new initiative. I am always keen to find high impact, low effort teaching resources and was delighted to discover such a resource to support us on our career-related learning journey. For zero cost and little effort, Primary Futures gives primary schools access to a vast database of volunteer visitors and superb online learning materials and YouTube content. Launched in 2014, Primary Futures was the result of a joint pilot project between the NAHT and the charity Education and Employers, which looked at the impact that role models from the world of work could have on children’s motivation and attainment. It is a headteacher-led service for headteachers, trusted by headteachers. So how has it worked for my school?, and what else do I do?
In my experience, I have found that children do not lack aspiration; many children do have dreams and hopes for their futures. The reality, however, is that in many cases, their personal goals are limited, based on what they have experienced, and the people that they have met in their lives to date. As we know, children ‘cannot be what they cannot see’ which is why I view career-related learning as so important in opening minds and bringing new opportunities to their young lives.
