Big dreams start young: Sunnyside pupils explore the world of work
Inspiring children to think about their futures starts earlier than you might think, and across the North East, our schools are rising to the challenge!
Children as young as seven at a Teesside primary school have been learning about the various career paths they may wish to pursue in the future. Pupils at Sunnyside Academy in Coulby Newham recently participated in the school’s fifth annual careers event which has been hailed a huge success.
Giving children meaningful opportunities to engage with the world of work from a young age is vital. It helps them to see what’s possible, raises aspirations, and connects their learning to real-life futures. Initiatives like this are exactly what we need to ensure every child, regardless of background, can dream big and achieve their potential.
Following dreams and aiming high
A wide range of sectors were represented at the day-long event including construction, engineering, Middlesbrough College, the NHS, culture and leisure, the Police, architecture, Middlesbrough Football Club and the Deaf Empowering Network.
Michael Suthers, Deputy Head Teacher at Sunnyside and lead for the Careers Fayre, said: “The Careers Fayre is a great opportunity to encourage our children to start thinking at a young age about what they might like to do in the future.
“The event gives an insight into some of the careers which they could pursue and helps inspire them to follow their dreams and achieve high.
“It also helps children to understand why learning in school is important and what hard work and determination can lead to.
“I’d like to thank everyone for giving up their time to attend the event. All of the children were fully engaged and thoroughly enjoyed the day.”
Sunnyside Academy is home to over 300 pupils between the age of three and 11. It is a mainstream school with provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), particularly those with visual and hearing impairments. It is one of ten primary schools across Teesside, County Durham and Hartlepool under the umbrella of Ad Astra Academy Trust.
Andy Brown OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Ad Astra, said: “It is part of the curriculum in all of our primary schools to encourage children at a young age to start to think about their futures.
“Each school has its own individual approach to promoting careers and the work at Sunnyside is just one example of the great work across the Trust to inspire our young children to achieve high and reach their goals.”