“The journey of pursuing the Careers Quality Mark has been both rewarding and transformative for our school.”
Eccleston Lane Ends Primary School has successfully piloted the Career Connect Primary Award for career-related learning, nationally endorsed by the Quality in Careers Consortium. Headteacher, Sarah Bond said that the achievement of the certification was bolstered by “the access to resources, support, and valuable connections that Career Connect have provided that were truly invaluable.”
The Career Connect Primary Award is a certification that recognises Primary Schools as a place of best practice and innovation in career-related learning. It presents schools with an effective model for developing an inspiring programme of career learning and support from Early Years through Key Stages 1 and 2.
Career Connect’s Primary Award aims to help schools develop sustainable outcomes such as increased pupil satisfaction, positive behaviour, and enhanced educational, economic, and social outcomes.
Eccleston Lane Ends is a one-form Primary School located in St. Helens with around 245 pupils. The school has a higher percentage of SEN students than the national average and double the national average of EHCP (Educational, Health, and Care Plan) students. Despite a high percentage of students with complex needs, the school has a low mobility rate due to their quality provision that enables students to be supported for the duration of their primary education.
Headteacher and PHSE Lead, Sarah Bond, sought out the Primary Award to help implement a bespoke, personalised careers curriculum for her students.
“I wanted to make it a subject with real value that elevated learning beyond the default curriculum. Through a focus on careers and life skills, we want to help prepare our students for the rest of their lives and encourage them to have high aspirations. The aims and values of the Primary Award was the perfect fit.”
Feeling that there wasn’t a readily available career-focused resource bank for primary schools and families of younger children, the Primary Award allowed Sarah to reflect on the resources and activities she was already utilising and benchmark them against the quality mark.
Sarah found that the process of achieving the Primary Award with Career Connect was smooth and professional, recognising the “invaluable help and unwavering support” of the Career Connect team.
At an initial meeting, the Career Connect team explained the Primary Award process, aims, and potential impact for the school.
With the comprehensive workbook, Sarah was able to plot career activities that were already taking place against tasks given. It enabled her to look at areas where the school was missing activity and build an action plan for areas to develop and improve provision.
Although Eccleston Lane Ends ran career-oriented events with parents, the Primary Award allowed Sarah to take an increasingly strategic approach in mapping out activities for the rest of the academic year.
“It wasn’t a large workload. We already had pieces of provision in place, but the Primary Award gave us the space and framework to tie it down and flag areas that were weaker.”
“The workbook helped us to evidence what provision was already being delivered and provided a format for the activities to follow.”
Eccleston Lane Ends implemented a career page on their website, career-specific assemblies became scheduled throughout the academic year, room décor and posters had been placed around the school, external companies engaged in delivering talks to pupils, and careers became an important topic that arose in the wider curriculum.
“The feedback we have received from both parents and pupils has been incredibly positive. The awareness, understanding, and importance of careers was increased for everyone involved.”
Staff awareness and mindfulness around flagging careers also became more apparent in their subject delivery. “It was brought to the forefront – a focus for the school. It is spoken more about in passing and is raised frequently where it hasn’t been before,” said Sarah.
Sarah said the Primary Award also played an important role in building positive outlooks about careers, and challenging career stereotypes before they can become embedded. She found that through the Primary Award framework, stereotypes in careers, specifically gender-based stereotypes, were being consciously met and challenged head on.
“This level of engagement and enthusiasm is a testament to the impact of the Careers Quality Mark, and we are thrilled to see our pupils’ horizons being expanded in such a meaningful way. Parents value the inclusion of careers more.”
Helen Lucarelli, a representative of the Careers Strategy and Infrastructure Unit at the Skills Journey Directorate within the Department for Education, visited Eccleston Lane Ends during the delivery of the Career Connect Primary Award certificate, saying: “Achieving this award is a testimony to the hard work of Sarah, the teaching staff, and the support of Career Connect. Seeing the evidence of an enhanced careers provision through student led activities, achievements, and the integration within the curriculum highlights the benefits that a Primary Award can give a school.”
Sarah highly recommends other Primary Schools look at achieving the Primary Award. “The award enhances the school’s offer in the career sector and showcases what you are already doing. It helps you become more efficient, effective, and suitable in your delivery.”
“While taking on the award came with some initial hesitancy – time and resources is always an issue in schools – I found that it was easier to work through than I expected. It was about looking at opportunities in the activities we already do and putting a careers slant on it. I’d say to any school, give it a go!”
“The Careers Quality Mark has been a transformative experience from our school, and we look forward to continuing our partnership in years to come.”
Discover if the Primary Award is suitable for your Primary School, or learn more about the Quality in Careers Standard that offers a quality mark for secondary schools and further education institutions.
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