AIM HIGH – CAREER DAYS AT GROVE PRIMARY SCHOOL 24th May 2017
Grove Primary School held its 2nd Aim High Career Day on Wednesday 24th May 2017. The event was attended by 27 business guests representing a total of 14 different professions. Children and staff had a wonderful day learning about an array of exciting jobs Thank you to all our business guests for generously giving up their time to come and speak to our pupils and for going to a lot of trouble to make the sessions interesting and interactive. Our deepest gratitude goes to (in alphabetical order): Bob Beard/Debbie Jopson (College East), Donna Bidwell (Travel Counsellor), David Burwood and team (Coastguards), Helen Clements/Max Briggs (Morgan Siddall Construction), Jon Dunster (Oil Rig Worker), Fire Fighter Team, Tracy Garnier (Translator), Mary Hunt (Key Language Practitioner and Volunteer), James Paget Team (NHS), Dr Susan Mee (Social Historian), Suffolk Constabulary Team, Agnes Lillis (Actress and Theatre Director – Seagull Theatre), Stephen Wilson (Scenic Designer at Scenic Projects and Actor / Theatre Director for the Lowestoft Players) as well as Delphine Wood/Lorraine George from the Cats Protection Charity. Feedback from the children showed that the day had been particularly successful in: •
showing pupils the range of opportunities within professions they already knew about (Police, NHS)
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exposing children to jobs they did not know existed (Social Historian, Translator, Scenic Designer)
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making students aware of new ways of working (ie from home) associated with the development of new technologies and the positive impact this had on family life (Translator, Travel Counsellor)
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challenging gender stereotyping often associated with certain professions with a number of girls wanting to follow in their dad’s footsteps by working on an oil/gas rig or interested in pursuing a career in construction
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drawing pupils’ attention to the benefits and rewards associated with volunteering (Parents and Toddlers’ Group as well as Cats Protection)
In a lovely Thank You letter addressed to our visitors, the children wrote that they were particularly impressed by the number of guests who “were making a difference to the lives of others” (humans and animals) on a daily basis and who “didn’t always put themselves in front of other people!”. They said that “everybody enjoyed the day”, “it had taught them so much” and that “a lot of people had been inspired and were already thinking about their future”. Children also “thanked the guests for their hard work and the trouble they went through in order to organise the day” and that “they hoped to have another event like this very soon”. They also enviously commented on the “lovely food that was put out for the guests which looked delicious!”. Thank you to the House Captains for helping Mme Godet prepare for the day and for making delicious sausage rolls and trifles. Our deepest gratitude goes to the members of staff – and children – who recommended guests and to Mrs Hough for her assistance in ensuring guests, pupils and staff were well looked after on the day. Also a big thank you to our local Coop for providing refreshments for the event.