‘Pupils are motivated learners, and they show respect for one another...Pupils understand the school values of ambition, confidence, empathy, independence, resilience and respect. From the early years to Year 6, children and pupils listen respectfully to the views of others.... This all helps to build pupils’ character and raise their aspirations’
(OFSTED, October 2023)
At Oakhill, all children should achieve their potential regardless of factors such as background, ethnicity, religion or SEND. We take a nurturing approach to children in our care and the pupils’ social, emotional and mental health is of the upmost importance. Children at Oakhill are offered a wide range of internal and external opportunities and experiences. We pride ourselves on our determination to ensure that pupils receive the best start to their life journey. Children at Oakhill will have the opportunity to explore the arts and STEM subjects through our program. Our aim is to engage and inspire our pupils to become the best possible version of themselves. We achieve this through giving them the tools to become creative, aspirational and pioneering learners, who can create fulfilling futures for themselves.
Our aim is to have Careers Related Learning embedded in our school curriculum, EYFS to Year 6. We want children to have aspirational career choices and we understand that a huge part of this is through breaking down biases and stereotypes. Pupils will be exposed to a range of diverse jobs and careers in differing sectors. When exploring different jobs throughout their time at Oakhill, pupils will gain a greater understanding of which jobs they may want to achieve in the fields they enjoy learning the most.
During each unit in history, geography and science, our pupil are exposed to different careers specifically related to the units content. The specific career is explicitly highlighted and discussed throughout that unit, to enable pupils to see a link between what they are learning about and a job they could achieve in that specific sector. Each of the jobs in each year group are progressive to suit the age and exposure of content to pupils. For example, a zoo keeper is exposed to the children in a Year 1 science unit based on animals including humans, compared to a Marine Biologist in a Year 6 science unit based on the same topic. In addition to this, by forging bonds with local employers, industries and educational institutes, children have the ability to make informed choices about future careers, with a strong prior understanding of the sort of career they may want to achieve.
Aspirations are taught within our 'Make Me Marvellous’, internally developed scheme. They are discussed through meaningful conversations, from EYFS to Year 6. Pupils in KS1 and Lower KS2 take part in 2 workshops throughout the year, to ensure they understand what aspirations are and how aspiring to become something, achieve something and becoming an improved version of themselves is paramount to their future. The workshops are based on six different areas which promote ambitions, but also focus on pupil’s wellbeing, teaching them vital skills to become more effective individuals. Pupils in Upper KS2 take part in an additional workshop (Year 5 with Mrs Obada – Careers and Aspirations Lead and Year 6, with pupils from St. Peters High School).
We hold a Careers Fair every year and photographs from our latest one can be found on the link on the right of this page.
Early Years Careers and Aspirations:
Career related learning and aspirations are provided through: role play opportunities, construction areas, writing areas, creativity stations, visits, trips and visitors. Learning is consistently driven by pupil experiences and encounters. Aspirations are highlighted throughout a pupil’s time in EYFS by discussing different jobs (with a particular focus on people that help us – Such as the Emergency Services) and encounters with external agencies and employers/employees in an early year’s child-friendly context (such as mini-beast encounters and keeping chicks, helping them in their journey to hatch their eggs).
Key Stage One Careers and Aspirations:
Careers - Careers related learning is provided through: visitors visiting the school/individual year groups, visits and trips externally, subject-specific resources linked to individual curriculum areas (e.g. artefacts in history and maps – e.g. OS map use in geography), life-skills and careers week, assemblies, consistent links to inspirational people (e.g. in D&T, art and history) and a progressive exploration of jobs and careers exposed through some of the foundation subjects, where each job is related to each unit of study (for example, Year 1 history ‘History Teacher’ or ‘Weather Presenter’ in Geography in Year 2, when learning about hot and cold climates). The careers related learning in this Key Stage is predominantly driven through subjects, by the class teachers.
Aspirations - Aside from inspiring children to be ambitious through the use of the careers related learning in the foundation subjects, aspirations in KS1 are explicitly taught through our wellbeing program that predominantly encourages and teaches children the basic skills needed to achieve an ambitious mindset. It also promotes the introduction to developing goals and aspiring for the future. The program has been developed by the Careers and Aspirations Lead – Mrs Obada. The tailored program ‘Make me Marvellous’ runs progressively throughout the school, to support pupils in desiring to achieve and to encourage them to be ambitious in relation to their futures.
Lower Key Stage Two Careers and Aspirations:
Careers - Careers related learning is provided through: visitors visiting the school/individual year groups, visits and trips externally, subject-specific resources linked to individual curriculum areas (e.g. artefacts in history and map – e.g. OS map use in geography), life-skills week, assemblies, consistent links to inspirational people (e.g. in D&T and art) and a progressive exploration of jobs and careers exposed through the foundation subjects, where each job is related to each unit of study (for example, Year 3 D&T explores the job of a ‘Chef’ whilst learning about cooking and nutrition and Year 4 will learn about an inventor of the first working lightbulb.) The careers related learning in this Key Stage will be predominantly driven through subjects, by the class teachers.
Aspirations - In lower KS2, aside from inspiring children to be ambitious using the careers related learning in the foundation subjects, like KS1, aspirations in Lower KS2 are explicitly taught through our wellbeing program that predominantly encourages and teaches children the skills needed to achieve an ambitious mindset. It also promotes developing goals and aspirations for the future. The tailored program ‘Make me Marvellous’ is set to enable all pupils in lower KS2 to develop their understanding of ambitions, but with a further emphasis on what the children are ambitious about, which goals they may have already set for the future and to begin exploring what their interests are in further detail. Furthermore, the skills for ambitions are taught through a sequence of projects that run progressively throughout the school, to encourage and support pupils in desiring to achieve and being ambitious in relation to their futures. Lower KS2 takes one step further than the KS1 content, to enable pupils to develop a clearer understanding of being ambitious.
Upper Key Stage Two Careers and Aspirations:
Careers - Careers related learning is provided through: visitors visiting the school/individual year groups, visits and trips, subject-specific resources linked to individual curriculum areas, life-skills and careers week, assemblies and consistent links to inspirational people (e.g. in D&T and art). UKS2 learning will also involve specific learning opportunities to attend a selection of talks/learning opportunities with people from the world of work. They begin to makes links with pupils in high schools and are able to visit both higher and further educational setting, in preparation for high school and beyond.
Aspirations – In Upper KS2, it is paramount that pupil’s have gained a clear understanding of what careers related learning is and have ambitions for their futures. Aspirations in Upper KS2 are still explicitly taught through our wellbeing program that predominantly encourages and teaches children the skills needed to achieve an ambitious mindset, but Upper KS2 content is taught in a way which enhances what pupils have learned previously and considers the knowledge they should therefore already hold. The basis of the project in Upper KS2 is to prepare pupils for the next steps in their education and future. For example, careers champions and aspirations ambassadors are chosen to represent careers and aspirations in Years 5 and 6. Pupils in these year groups have an additional workshop that delves deeper into aspirations and sets goals beyond primary school. Pupils in Upper KS2 will leave primary school with a clearer idea of a range of jobs and careers they could pursue in the future, a clearer understanding of the world of work and an understanding of different paths they could take in the future (such as apprenticeships, sixth form, college etc.)
Additional Links to Careers and Aspirations at Oakhill:
Inspirational People Assemblies (Head Teacher) – Each half term, an inspirational person related to the value of the half term is highlighted through an assembly by Mr Smith.
Aspirations Ambassadors and Careers Champions - Form an integral part of the program, as pupils champion aspiring to become the best version of yourself.
‘Make Me Marvellous’ internally developed program – Is utilized be to promote six key areas: Clarity, finding your brave, Eat. Move. Sleep, Resilience, Kindness is a Superpower, Why Gratitude is the Best Attitude and Mission Transition (For Year 6 Pupils only). Pupils actively take part in different workshops based on some of these areas throughout the year – To promote our involvement in the program, as well as to promote the importance of aspiring and aspiring to achieve. The program is progressive from Year 1 to Year 6.
Careers Fayre – During the year, a Careers Fayre is held for pupils in years 4-6. Many different businesses and professionals attend the fayre to promote different careers and champion aspirations.
Careers and Aspirations Display – A careers and aspirations display is up in school, outside the Year 3 classrooms. This display features a number of career option, promoting aspirations and aspiring pupils to reach their goals.
Other whole-school events which link strongly – ‘Life Skills and Careers’ week, sports day, Fitness Friday, online experiences, trips and visitors coming into our school to enable the pupils to have meaningful experiences.