CAREER RELATED LEARNING IN DERBY PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Our Future Derby – 2020-2021 Report

https://dmhassociates.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/OFD-Report-with-covers-020321-2-1.pdf

The Our Future Derby initiative is designed to enhance social mobility, improve gender equality and expand opportunities for primary school children in 32 primary schools across 7 of the most deprived Wards2 in Derby city. In March 2019, the Derby Opportunity Area Board3 commissioned Education and Employers4 to lead a consortium of
partners to co-design and deliver a new career-related learning (CRL) initiative in Derby primary schools. The work was undertaken between April 2019 – December 2020. The programme has recently been extended into Year 2 from 6thJanuary 2021 until 31st July 2021.

The Our Future Derby (OFD) programme aims to:
• Open children’s eyes to their future possibilities
• Enable teachers to link classroom learning for children with their future opportunities through bespoke CPD
sessions
• Engage local employers to widen children’s horizons
• Work with parents and carers to raise their children’s aspirations
• Develop children’s employability skills.

The programme adopts a personalised education and business links approach. CRL Champions in each school are identified and supported by Learn by Design and Education Employers to expand their learner support knowledge and expertise. The goal is to help them develop and sustain CRL teaching and learning activities involving other teaching staff in Derby primary schools now and in the future. A ‘menu offer’ of CRL activities is provided to schools to choose from. The activities involve teachers bringing the curriculum to life, working closely with volunteers from business. The Education and Employers ‘Primary Futures Portal’ offers a matching service between schools and their business links. The community engagement programme also reaches out to parents and carers.

Evaluation and Impact Assessment
The four aims of the Our Future Derby evaluation are:
• To assess the extent to which current CRL programme design and delivery are effective in achieving set
goals and key performance indicators.
• To assess the range of high-quality inputs, outputs and outcomes drawing on key findings from children,
teachers, parents and employer perspectives.
• To generate intelligence to inform sustainable CRL policies and practices across the city.
• To identify areas in which the CRL programme could be further improved in Year 2 and ensure the
approach remains sustainable and fit for purpose.

This Year 1 report (2019-2020) provides an overview of key findings including new approaches to virtual CRL
delivery.