How to Make National Careers Week Meaningful in Primary Schools

National Careers Week (March) is a strategic moment to reinvigorate careers education in primary schools. Many primary leaders assume careers education is a secondary concern, yet research is clear: career aspirations form early, and narrow career knowledge in primary years disadvantages disadvantaged pupils further.

The Gatsby Benchmarks—eight standards for good careers education—apply equally to primary schools. This week offers the perfect calendar hook to audit your careers provision, broaden children's aspirations, and establish sustained, evidence-informed careers education.

Why Careers Education Matters in Primary

Children's career aspirations narrow significantly between ages 5 and 10. A Year 6 child has often already limited their ambitions based on family influence, media representation, and their own confidence. Yet research by the King's College London STEM education centre shows that primary intervention—exposure to diverse career roles—expands aspirations and increases progression into underrepresented fields (particularly STEM for girls, and caring professions for boys).

Beyond aspiration-raising, careers education builds self-knowledge. Discussing strengths, interests, and potential career pathways in primary years supports later subject choices at Key Stage 4.

Gatsby Benchmarks in Primary Context

The eight benchmarks include: stable careers programme (careers education is embedded in PSHE and wider curriculum, not one-off); insight into the world of work; experience of workplaces; encounter with employers; curriculum links (careers integrated across subjects); personal guidance; teacher competency; and parent engagement.

In primary, this translates to: regular careers discussions in PSHE; visitors from a range of occupations (not just traditional professions); visiting local workplaces or virtual workplace tours; linking careers to subjects (engineers in design technology, scientists in investigations, writers in literacy); and involving parents in careers conversations.

Aspiration-Raising Activities by Year Group

Key Stage 1: Explore "helpers in our community"—teachers, doctors, firefighters, rubbish collectors. Visit workplaces or invite visitors. Read picture books featuring diverse characters in various jobs. Discuss "What would you like to be?" without limiting options.

Lower Key Stage 2 (Years 3-4): Develop understanding of how jobs connect to school subjects. "Scientists do investigations. Who uses science in jobs?" Introduce the idea that jobs require qualifications and training. Invite diverse visitors—accountants, artists, plumbers, nurses, solicitors, builders.

Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5-6): More sophisticated exploration. What skills does a job require? How do different roles contribute to society? What's the earning potential? Are certain jobs male- or female-dominated, and why? Encourage children to interview adults about their careers. Link to subject choices and aspiration conversations.

Bringing Visitors and Workplace Experiences into School

Visitor days are high-impact but require planning. Brief visitors on age-appropriateness and ask them to share: how they got into the role, what they enjoy, what skills matter, and what their typical day involves. Prepare children with questions beforehand.

If workplace visits are logistically difficult, virtual tours using Google Street View or pre-recorded videos offer insight. Some businesses run virtual work experience programmes suitable for Year 5-6. The key is authentic exposure, not token gestures.

"A child who meets an engineer, speaks to a scientist, and sees diverse adults in various roles learns that career possibilities are wider than they imagined. This early exposure shapes future aspirations."

Bring It to Life with a Workshop

A specialist facilitator can lead careers-focused workshops, conduct interviews with children about their interests and strengths, and expose them to a range of role possibilities in engaging, interactive formats.