At Warkworth, careers education is about helping children understand the possibilities open to them.
Our rural and coastal setting gives children a strong sense of place and community, but it can mean that some careers, universities and professional pathways are less visible in everyday life. Academic aspiration is therefore something we develop deliberately. We want children to be rooted in Warkworth, but not limited by Warkworth.
Broadening Horizons
From the earliest years, pupils encounter a wide range of careers through the curriculum, visitors, trips and real-world experiences. Children meet people working in fields including aviation, medicine, law, chemical engineering, farming, blacksmithing and small business, alongside opportunities to learn about universities (including Oxford and Cambridge) and different routes into further study and employment.
Our links with employers and organisations include local businesses, farms and the RAF, while university engagement and visitors help children understand opportunities beyond their immediate community.
We deliberately challenge stereotypes about who can do particular jobs and ensure that pupils encounter different routes, backgrounds and possibilities.
Careers across the curriculum
Careers education is not confined to a single lesson or subject. Teachers make meaningful links between curriculum learning and the wider world, helping pupils understand how the knowledge and disciplines they study connect to future possibilities.
PSHE also develops pupils’ understanding of strengths, interests, work, money, aspiration and decision-making. As children move through school, they become increasingly able to talk about what they enjoy, what they are good at and where these strengths might take them.
A planned and progressive offer
Every year group has planned opportunities to encounter careers and the world of work. Our careers programme is progressive across the school and is reviewed regularly so that experiences are purposeful rather than one-off events.
We also work with the North East Combined Authority careers network and use the principles of the Gatsby Benchmarks to help us evaluate and strengthen our provision.
Ultimately, our aim is simple: every child should leave Warkworth knowing that their background does not determine their destination, with the knowledge, confidence and ambition to imagine a future beyond what they already know.
Careers Bear
Meet Bear, our school’s Career Explorer! Throughout the year, Bear will go to work with parents, family members and friends in our community, helping children discover the many different jobs people do. His adventures might take him to a hospital, a workshop, a farm, a kitchen or a design studio. Following his visits gives pupils a chance to ask questions, explore the skills different jobs require and see how their learning connects with life beyond school. Careers Bear brings our commitment to broadening horizons to life, helping children discover opportunities they may never have considered and imagine where their own interests and ambitions could take them.
