Dream Big, Explore Possibilities
At Sir Alexander Fleming Primary School and Nursery, we believe that every child should be encouraged to dream big, discover their talents and recognise the exciting possibilities available to them.
As part of The SAF Way – Shine, Achieve, Flourish, we are committed to broadening children’s horizons, challenging stereotypes and raising aspirations from the earliest years.
We want every child, regardless of their background or circumstances, to understand that their future is full of possibilities. Careers education in primary school is not about asking children to decide what they want to be when they grow up. It is about helping them discover their interests, recognise their strengths, develop essential life skills and understand the many different ways people contribute to society.
Careers Week 2026 – Exploring the World of Work
From Monday 22 June to Friday 26 June 2026, our Careers Week programme introduces children to a wide range of professions through inspiring visitors, assemblies, practical challenges and hands-on learning.
Each day focuses on a different area of working life:
Monday – Building and Making
Children discover careers in construction, engineering and design. Through building challenges, problem-solving and budgeting activities, they explore how creativity, teamwork and mathematical thinking help shape the world around us.
Tuesday – Jobs That Help
Children explore professions that support and protect others, including the police, healthcare workers and emergency services. Detective challenges, role play and discussions develop empathy, responsibility and problem-solving.
Wednesday – Science and Nature
Children investigate careers involving science, engineering, animals and the environment. Our animal rescue clinic activities encourage children to think like veterinary professionals, using evidence, teamwork and care to solve problems.
Thursday – Creativity and Media
Children discover how creativity, communication and storytelling shape careers in broadcasting, journalism, design and the arts. Activities include podcasts, interviews, artwork, articles and other creative media projects.
Friday – Business and Politics
Children explore how communities make decisions, manage money and plan for the future. Through an exciting town-planning challenge, they consider budgets, local facilities, environmental responsibility and the needs of different people.
Learning From Real People
A key part of our programme is giving children opportunities to meet people from different professions and hear about their experiences.
Our Careers Week includes planned contributions from professionals working in surveying, policing, engineering and apprenticeships, broadcasting and public life.
These encounters help children understand what different jobs involve, the skills people use and the many routes available into employment.
We particularly value opportunities to meet people from our local community, learn about apprenticeships and training, and discover that career pathways are rarely identical.
Our Careers Passport
Throughout Careers Week, children use their own Careers Passport to record their discoveries.
They explore unfamiliar jobs, research what different professions involve, identify interesting facts and reflect on whether particular careers appeal to them.
Most importantly, children are encouraged to think about their own interests and strengths:
- Do I enjoy helping people?
- Do I like building or fixing things?
- Am I creative?
- Do I enjoy investigating and solving problems?
- What new skills would I like to develop?
Our aim is not for every child to choose a career. It is for every child to recognise that they have strengths, that skills can be developed and that their ambitions can grow and change.
Challenging Stereotypes and Removing Barriers
We believe that no child should feel that a career is beyond their reach because of their background, gender, disability or circumstances.
Our careers education deliberately introduces children to a diverse range of professions, from practical trades and caring roles to science, technology, creative industries and community leadership.
We help pupils understand that there are different pathways into working life, including apprenticeships, further education, university, training and learning through employment.
Every profession has value, and every child has something valuable to contribute.
Developing Skills for the Future
Careers education is woven into our wider Personal Development Entitlement Curriculum.
Through classroom learning, educational visits, visitors, enrichment experiences, pupil leadership and practical challenges, children develop skills that will support them throughout their lives.
These include communication, teamwork, creativity, resilience, financial awareness, independence, decision-making and problem-solving.
Our ambition is for children to leave Sir Alexander Fleming not only with secure academic foundations, but also with the confidence to explore opportunities, embrace challenges and believe in their own potential.
At Sir Alexander Fleming, we do not expect children to have their futures planned. We give them the confidence, knowledge and experiences to know that their futures are full of possibilities.
Shine • Achieve • Flourish