Schoolchildren map out their future careers

Children at a Teesside primary school have been finding out about the various career paths they may wish to pursue in the future.

Youngsters aged 7 to 11 at Sunnyside Academy in Coulby Newham recently participated in the school’s third annual careers event which has been hailed as huge success.

A wide range of work sectors were represented at the day-long event including engineering, the NHS, the Police, the Fire Brigade, media, archaeology, music, creative industries, and hairdressing.

Jenni Donovan-Ritch, a special needs teacher at Sunnyside and lead for the Careers Fayre, said: “This is the third year that we have held a careers event and the aspirations of children have changed over time.

“Initially, a lot of children wanted to be YouTubers, influencers, or footballers but this year we found that engineering, architecture and creative industries were most popular,

“Consequently, we have tried to meet the demands of children and invite the career disciplines that they are interested in.

“The event has given our pupils the opportunity to talk with representatives from a wide range of careers and it will have given them inspiration to succeed in life.

“It is a great learning curve for them and will help them to decide which career paths they wish to pursue in the future.”

Sunnyside Academy is home to over 300 pupils between the age of three and 11. It is a mainstream school with provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), particularly those with visual and hearing impairments.

Julie Sutton, Headteacher of Sunnyside Academy, added: “The event was a huge success, and I would like to thank everyone for giving up their time to support our children.

“It’s important to encourage children at a young age to think about their future as it inspires learning and helps them achieve their goals.”

Sunnyside Academy is one of 10 primary schools under the umbrella of Ad Astra Academy Trust. The others are Barnard Grove, Brougham, West Park and West View in Hartlepool, Deaf Hill and Kelloe in Durham, Crooksbarn and Rosebrook in Stockton-on-Tees and Ayresome in Middlesbrough.

Click on the link below to access a short video of the Careers Fayre

Careers Fayre Video