We are delighted to contact you with an opportunity for your school to join the Start Small; Dream Big pilot (see attached flyer). This national pilot is a free career-related learning programme for primary schools, delivered by The Careers & Enterprise Company in conjunction with Teach First and backed by the Department for Education (DfE).
Following the success of Wave 1 of the pilot in which 77 North East schools across Sunderland, South Tyneside and County Durham participated, the North East LEP are delighted to have been asked to widen the reach and take part again in Wave 3. Wave 3, delivered from April 2024 – March 2025, will see an expansion of this work across the whole LEP region, to welcome an additional 200 primary schools from County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland.
The programme holds huge importance for the future of careers-related learning. It gives schools the opportunity to be part of an innovative national programme of activity and research, influencing and shaping future policy decisions on primary career-related learning. Through participation in this programme, career-related learning and skills development will become embedded into curriculum teaching, leading to an enhanced curriculum that will impact the learning outcomes for all.
The programme aims to:
- Increase awareness and aspirations amongst primary aged children of the range of jobs and career pathways available to them in the future.
- Remove barriers and stereotypes which limit children’s thinking about their future careers.
- Provide children forward-looking, realistic views of the jobs and the way we work.
- Develop understanding amongst children of the link between what they learn in school, skills and the world of work.
- Increase parental engagement in supporting children to think broadly about future careers.
In addition to the benefits offered to young people, teaching staff will receive free development of skills through a programme of structured CPD and support led by Teach First.
If you are interested in finding out more about this pilot, please register your expression of interest via this link so that you can attend one of three virtual information sessions.
The virtual sessions will take place on:
- Tuesday 6 February 16:00 – 16:30
- Wednesday 7 February 16:00 – 16:30
- Thursday 8February 16:00 – 16:30
We look forward to working with you on the new phase of this national pilot.
