How are primary schools engaging in careers education to raise aspirations for STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) subjects?
Written by: Karina Khan
9 min read
KARINA KHAN, GATLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL, UK
This work was completed as part of SSAT’s Leadership Legacy Project.
Considering the role of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) in today’s society, this report focuses on the importance of careers education, starting in primary school. This project immerses children in STEAM learning while introducing careers linked to these fields, encouraging early reflection on aspirations ahead of secondary education. A rich, broad curriculum is essential to prepare pupils for an uncertain, fast-changing future. Embedding STEAM within this offer equips children with transferable skills and fosters curiosity, innovation and ambition. As the world rapidly evolves, educational leaders must adapt the system to meet future needs. According to the Department for Education’s ‘Labour market and skills projections: 2020 to 2035’ (2020), the UK expects significant growth in demand for professionals in STEM fields such as comput
Join us or sign in now to view the rest of this page
You're viewing this site as a guest, which only allows you to view a limited amount of content.
To view this page and get access to all our resources, join the Chartered College of Teaching (it's free for trainee teachers and half price for ECTs) or log in if you're already a member.
- Bandura A (1997) Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. New York: WH Freeman.
- Bourdieu P (1986) The forms of capital. In: Richardson J (ed) Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education. New York: Greenwood, pp. 241–258.
- Clements DH and Sarama J (2014) Learning and Teaching Early Math: The Learning Trajectories Approach, 2nd ed. New York: Routledge.
- Department for Education (DfE) (2020) Labour market and skills projections: 2020 to 2035.. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/labour-market-and-skills-projections-2020-to-2035 (accessed 10 July 2025).
- Drawing the Future (2018) Drawing the future: Exploring the career aspirations of primary school children from around the world. Education and Employers. Available at: www.educationandemployers.org/research/drawing-the-future (accessed 21 April 2025).
- Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (2019) A school’s guide to implementation. Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/implementation (accessed 10 July 2025).
- Henderson AT and Berla N (1994) A New Generation of Evidence: The Family is Critical to Student Achievement. Washington, DC: National Committee for Citizens in Education.
- Hoover-Dempsey KV, Walker JMT, Sandler HM et al. (2005) Why do parents become involved? Research findings and implications. The Elementary School Journal 106(2): 105–130.
- Kashefpakdel E, Rehill J and Hughes D (2020) What works? Career-related learning in primary schools. The Careers and Enterprise Company. Available at: www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/media/m42pwir3/what-works-in-primary.pdf (accessed 23 July 2025).
- Khan SR (2011) Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St Paul’s School. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
- Lareau A (2003) Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life. Berkeley: University of California Press.
- Pajares F (1996) Self-efficacy beliefs in academic settings. Review of Educational Research 66(4): 543–578.
- Schunk DH and Pajares F (2005) Competence perceptions and academic functioning. In: Elliot AJ and Dweck CS (eds) Handbook of Competence and Motivation. New York: Guilford Press, pp. 85–104.
- Sullivan A (2001) Cultural capital and educational attainment. Sociology 35(4): 893–912.
- Universities UK (nd) Jobs of the future. Available at: www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/what-we-do/policy-and-research/publications/jobs-future (accessed 21 April 2025).
- World Economic Forum (WEF) (2023) Future of jobs report 2023: Insight report. Available at: https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2023.pdf (accessed 21 April 2025).
- Yeager DS, Walton GM and Cohen GL (2011) Addressing achievement gaps with psychological interventions. Phi Delta Kappan 93(5): 62–65.
Please login to comment
0 Comments
Oldest
