Latest News

Children took on the role of building surveyors as they set about improving their school’s car park.

Parking at Freshwaters Primary Academy, in School Lane, Harlow, needs improving and so Year 6 pupils were called on to give their ideas.

As part of Primary Futures Week, children were visited by professionals from a range of industries to open their eyes to the world of work.

James Johnson, from Archer Building Consultancy in Takeley, set them the challenge to help him to restructure the existing car park.

He said: “I spoke to the pupils about the work of a building surveyor, from looking at a site, measuring up, turning those measurements into computer models through to carrying out the actual works.

“I gave them the mission of measuring up and coming up with plans to make better use of the space.

“The work we have done with the children is actually going to happen, so they will see the improvements made to the car park and understand the process.”

Thousands of primary schools across England took part in Primary Futures Week, with volunteers visiting to talk about their jobs. The idea of the project, by the National Association of Head Teachers, is to raise the aspirations of young children and help them to understand the link between learning in school and the world of work.

Marios Solomonides, head of school, said: “This is about our children seeing there are lots of opportunities in the world of work. It’s not just about the roles they see in their world, such as teachers, actors and footballers.

“We want the children to see that what they are learning now will help them in their future careers. They need to take responsibility for what they are learning and know there is a real purpose to their education.

“A big part of our school improvement plan is to teach our children the value of work and money. We like to make these real-life links to our lessons.”

The school also welcomed in professionals from a bank and the army during the event.