On Friday 21 September, Primary Futures visited Bury for a morning of broadening horizons and raising aspirations. Local volunteers, and local MP James Frith, joined the children of Chantlers Primary School to help them make the link between their lessons and their futures in what was a very successful event.
Phillip Barlow Headteacher of Chantlers Primary School said:
“The Primary Futures event had great impact on the children at Chantlers. It allowed them to think out of the box of the skills they use across the curriculum and how they might use these in future career choices. It was a fun and excellent way to engage children with wonderful volunteers who gave up their free time to inspire the children. An aspirational and inspirational project with huge impact on Children’s thinking about the future.”
The first part saw five volunteers, an electrician, higher officer for Home Office Border Control, BBC Bitesize editor, doctor and a business consultant who in his spare time works as a musician, participating in ‘What’s My Line?’. The children had to try and work out the jobs of the volunteers. It was an exciting activity with the school’s IT Manager doing a brilliant job compèring – accompanied by spotlights, music and a PowerPoint presentation to engage the children. The children asked some wonderful insightful and thought-provoking questions such as ‘Do you need be to work in a team?, ‘Do you use instruments?’, ‘Does your job need Geography?’ and ‘Do you use a computer in your job?’
Laughter often filled the hall with the children also asking the volunteers some amusing questions.
At the end of the activity James Frith, MP for Bury North and member of the Education Select Committee, gave great speech about being an MP. The children quizzed him about the skills he used in his job and what subjects he had studied at school. James was very impressed with the children’s questioning, including ‘Do you need to be resilient in your job?’, that he suggested to them that he could easy be in a secondary school.
For the second part of the morning twelve volunteers doing a diverse range jobs participated in a series of classroom chats. They brought along visual aids, including photographs and props, to spark conversation with the children. Children had the opportunity to speak to the volunteers an d ask them any questions about their jobs.
In addition to the volunteers local head teachers and council representatives attended to see first hand the Primary Futures event. Their attendance highlights Bury’s commitment to broadening horizons and raising aspirations of their children.
Lisa Kelsey-Wood, Electrician for the Property Department of The Guinness Partnership who took part in the ‘What’s my line?’, said:
“It’s an opportunity I wouldn’t miss, being able to tell my story and to encourage more females into the industry, also to encourage males too. The kids were brilliant, very enthusiastic, asking plenty of questions and getting involved with my little props.”
We hope this will be the first of many Primary Futures events for the children of Bury. If you’re either a volunteer or school from Bury and would like to get involved in this great initiative, please email enquires@inspiringthefuture.org