IF you think primary school pupils are too young to consider their working lives, then think again. Education reporter Haydn Lewis spoke to children at a York primary school during their careers week.

THE days when the thorny topic of what you wanted to do when you left school was left to a hurried half- hour chat with a career adviser at the end of your days at secondary school are long gone.

These days, children are encouraged to open their minds to the possibilities of what they might want to do after school ends from an early age.

A project currently being carried out in York primary schools hopes to raise aspirations and encourages them to have their own careers events.

Haxby Road, Westfield, Derwent, Burton Green and Hob Moor schools have all signed up to the initiative being co-ordinated by City of York Council.

Steph Taylor, the council’s career-related learning consultant, said: “The scheme has been organised to target particularly areas of high deprivation, and works by going into schools and delivering lessons giving the children the idea of learning links between what they are doing at school and how this might benefit them outside the classroom.”

James Rourke, deputy head teacher at Haxby Road School, said: “Our careers, enterprise and higher aspirations week has tackled the potential problem of children dropping out of education early, making sure that they understand why it’s important to learn and try hard at school.

“Most careers work is usually associated with older pupils in secondary schools, but this week has aimed to tackle low aspirations early on in a child’s education so that our children can move on to secondary schools with an increased motivation and purpose to do well.”

To help address the issue the school worked with Connexions and NYBEP (North Yorkshire Business and Enterprise Partnership) to deliver a week of events, work placements, visits to universities, workshops, talks and lessons based around future aspirations and careers.

At the careers fair on Thursday, youngsters got the chance to chat to people from a variety of professions and organisations, including the police, the fire brigade, teachers, York’s two universities, Yorkshire Bank and the Archaeological Trust.

Year 6 pupils Bradley Martin and Sam Donaldson, both ten, and Chris Bleything, Rhys Benson and Brandon Ward, all 11, were among those taking part.

Brandon said he wanted to become a footballer or a golfer and the day made him think he might like to become a PE teacher as well.

He said: “I didn’t think it was going to be useful at all, but it’s been really useful. Usually these things do my head in, but today’s been really good.”

Bradley said: “I have always wanted to be a soldier, that is my dream, but I have thought today that I might also like to be a mechanic.”

Chris and Rhys said they went into the day wanting to be World Wrestling Federation wrestlers. They were told about a local boxing club that they want to visit.

Sam said: “I still want to be a footballer, and I heard about former England manager Steve McClaren, who used to go to school in York and he became a player and a manager.”