Start Small; Dream Big - Frequently Asked Questions
Start Small; Dream Big
Pilot FAQs
Questions related to the overall pilot
1. Who funds this pilot and how did it come about?
Useful document: Press release
The Careers & Enterprise Company has been awarded a £2.6million contract from the DfE to deliver a career-related learning programme at Primary level. The programme will target primary schools in the 55 Education Investment Areas (EIAs) that were announced in the levelling up white paper and will be delivered through CEC’s Careers Hub Network between November 2022 and Spring 2025.
CEC’s delivery model centres around the delivery of career-related learning training for teachers in primary schools, so that knowledge and skills are built locally for sustainability. The training will be delivered by CEC’s key sub-contractor, Teach First, and will support primary school teachers to design and implement a strategic careers programme that includes the implementation of careers in the curriculum, employer encounters and workplace visits.
The 23 areas that serve the 55 EIAs will be included in this fund and engaged in three distinct waves. The Careers Hubs and other trusted partners will be the convenors of eligible primary schools and the conduits for teacher access to the Teach First training. ImpactEd, the external evaluator, will work through the Hubs to measure the impact of the programme on children, teachers, parents and employers. It is hoped that as a result of this fund, primary aged children will have an increased awareness of career pathways, higher aspirations, a realistic view of the labour market and reduced stereotypical thinking.
2. Who are The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) and what is a Careers Hub?
The CEC was set up by government in 2015, with the mission to help every young person to find their best next step. They are the national body for careers education in England, supporting secondary schools, SEND institutions and colleges to deliver modern, 21st century careers education.
Careers Hubs bring together schools, colleges, employers, and apprenticeship providers in local areas across England. The goal is to make it easier for schools and colleges to improve how they prepare young people for their next steps. Careers Hubs drive progress against the Gatsby Benchmarks by enabling schools and colleges and their Careers Leaders to access training and support, and to collaborate in a focussed way, bringing together best practice and local labour market insight.
Hubs offer schools and colleges dedicated support from the local hub team and facilitate partnerships with key employers committed to improving careers across an area. For the first time, as part of this pilot, this a version of this support will be extended to primary schools. Find your Careers Hub here.
3. Who is Teach First and what is their involvement in the pilot?
Teach First is a charity that believes education is the most powerful tool to help a child fulfil their potential.
It’s an unfortunate fact that too many young people experiencing poverty don’t get the opportunities to thrive in school. They’re less likely to succeed in the classroom and when they leave, they’re more likely to end up out of work or further training. Since 2003, Teach First has been improving the life chances and choices for children experiencing poverty.
Teach First trains talented teachers and equips school leaders working in some of the poorest areas of the country – to give children with the fewest opportunities access to a great education. In this pilot, they are delivering six learning modules that provide primary teachers with the CPD and resources to embed careers-related learning in the classroom in order to improve pupils’ understanding of the world of work and implement a whole-school strategy for improving careers. This CPD will align with support provided by Career Hubs, facilitating structured engagement between employers and pupils, and also focus on increasing parental engagement in supporting children to think about their futures.
4. Who is ImpactEd and what is their involvement in the pilot?
ImpactEd is an independent evaluator that supports high-quality monitoring and evaluation in schools. ImpactEd is delivering the evaluation of the pilot.
5. Who will be my main point of contact throughout the pilot and how can I contact them?
Your main point of contact will be your local Careers Hub or alternative partner provided by the Hub.
Your Contact is the See it Be it in Sheffield team (seeitbeit@sheffield.gov.uk)
6. I don’t have any experience with career-related learning (CRL). Should I participate in this pilot?
It’s OK that you haven’t had any experience in CRL. Part of the purpose of this pilot is to upskill qualified primary school teachers with the skills and knowledge required to implement an effective CRL strategy in their schools. That is why such a big part of the pilot includes CPD training from Teach First.
7. I already have lots of experience with career-related learning (CRL). Should I participate in this pilot?
Yes, teachers and schools with prior experience of CRL will benefit from participating in the pilot. The CPD programme from Teach First has been designed to cater for schools with existing careers strategies as well those starting from scratch.
As part of this programme you will produce a careers strategy and accompanying action plans (which will include creating a vision for careers in your school, objectives you are aiming for and plans for how you will get there) and a comprehensive, outcomes based careers programme (a programme of events that all pupils in school will participate in). Even if you have versions of these in place at present, this programme will further strengthen them, so they are in line with evidence-based best practice.
In addition, the CPD content is broad, covering knowledge about what makes an effective careers strategy alongside primary-specific themes such as tackling early biases/stereotypes and parental engagement, and wider leadership development topics such as implementation using the EEF Implementation Cycle, how to engage with networks and sustain this for career-long development, and effective change management with a whole-school approach.
The modules provide participating Lead Teachers with a free leadership development opportunity that can even be seen as a steppingstone to the NPQs (National Professional Qualifications), while the wider pilot is an opportunity to be part of a ‘careers community’ through your local Careers Hub (or alternative provider). This is a great way to refine your practice by working alongside others and connecting with a wide range of people and organisations in the careers space who you may not have worked with before.
8. What is required of me as the Lead Teacher involved in the pilot?
Your CPD programme journey is illustrated in the diagram over the page. As Lead Teacher, you are required to:
· Enroll on the Teach First platform (Brightspace) within the agreed timeframe.
· Complete the online CPD modules within the agreed timeframe – there are 6 online modules which take between 3-7 hours to complete and 3 live, online seminars which are 90 minutes long. You should discuss with your Headteacher opportunities to have protected time to engage with this learning.
· Develop and/or adapt a school strategy to embed CRL in your context.
· Develop and/or adapt a comprehensive careers programme for your school.
· Develop and deliver a ‘priority project’ for your school – this is a short careers intervention you’ll deliver while you engage with the CPD. The project will link to objectives specific to your context and you’ll use it to promote CRL in school before implementing or refining your whole school strategy.
· Plan and deliver at least one employer encounter for pupils.
· Work closely with the Careers Hub/local partner during the pilot, for example through local communities of practice.
· Participate in the evaluation of the programme by issuing and completing baseline and endline impact surveys to teachers, pupils, parents and employers (within a given timeframe), so that the impact of the pilot can be accurately measured.
· Actively engage parents in the programme.
· Act as a champion for the programme with other schools and businesses.
Further specifics of these requirements can be found on your school’s Memorandum of Understanding, which will have been signed by the Headteacher on enrolling into the pilot.
9. Who else in my school needs to be involved?
When your school agreed for you to participate in the pilot, the Headteacher would have signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding). If you aren’t the Headteacher, we recommend you continue to keep your Headteacher (and other SLT members) updated on your involvement in the pilot.
For CRL to be successfully embedded across school, all teaching staff (as well as other support staff) should be involved, as they will be responsible for delivering elements of the careers programme you produce and for supporting the delivery of careers across the curriculum. If you are not the Headteacher, you will need to work closely with them and/or the Senior Leadership Team to get input into and sign off on the vision and objectives you generate as part of your careers strategy, as well as support in championing the initiative to the wider staffing community. You will also form a ‘careers team’ with people who can support you in the role of Lead Teacher for careers.
When you get to the point of participating in the evaluation, you will need to involve a member of SLT, pupils and parents (see evaluation section for more information).
When you get to the point of arranging your employer encounter(s), you may need to involve members of staff from across the school, depending on what type of activity you select and for which pupils.
10. What are the benefits of participating in this pilot?
The Start Small; Dream Big pilot will benefit everyone involved; here are some key benefits:
For your pupils
· Increased opportunities to engage impactfully with, and learn from, new and diverse employer role models, broadening pupils’ horizons.
· Opportunity to see a life beyond their lived experience, providing exposure to ideas they may not get elsewhere.
· Valuable opportunities to understand how the skills and knowledge they gain in school will be relevant throughout their life.
· Increased engagement and progress through the creation of innovative and relevant learning opportunities.
For the Lead Teacher
· Development of teaching through a programme of structured CPD.
· Support to enhance curriculum delivery and engagement, through the development and implementation of a localised, inclusive careers strategy.
· Increased confidence and knowledge of career-related learning, the local labour market and greater understanding of all available pathways open to pupils.
· Valuable opportunities to develop and sustain meaningful contact with employers to enhance the curriculum.
· Collaboration and support through engagement with the local network.
For your school
· Career-related learning and skills development will become embedded into curriculum teaching, leading to an enhanced curriculum, impacting on the learning outcomes for all.
· Addressing school priorities using career-related learning as a vehicle for school improvement.
· Increased aspiration and motivation levels for pupils.
· Increased engagement of parents in their child’s learning.
· Simple and effective ways to build or improve the quality of crucial connections with local and national employers.
· Better informed teaching staff e.g., increased confidence and understanding of the development of employability skills, the range of pathways open to young people and how to embed employer encounter impactfully into their teaching.
· Opportunity to be a part of an innovative national pilot of activity and research, influencing and shaping future policy decisions on primary career-related learning.
Questions related to the CPD training
11. What happens if I fall behind with the online modules?
Lead Teachers have a 12-month window to complete the CPD and begin to implement learning. While it is recommended that each module is completed before the next one is released, this isn’t compulsory so don’t worry if you fall behind a bit. However, learning is sequential, so you should complete the modules/seminars in order. This is especially important for seminars; pre-work for these is included in the previous module and attendance without this preparation will mean you won’t get the most out of the seminar sessions.
Because developing your strategy and careers programme happens in a step-by-step way throughout the programme, engaging regularly will make developing them a more manageable task. This is also true of developing and delivering your priority project.
Please speak to your local Hub/provider if you are concerned. We understand that it may be difficult to keep up with the programme at times during the year, and your Careers Hub Lead is there to support you. It’s important that you work closely with them to give yourself the best chance of successfully completing the programme, as well as with the network of others in your Hub who are completing the programme at the same time.
12. What happens if I can’t attend a seminar? Do I need to contact anyone?
Yes, you need to tell your Careers Hub/provider contact. Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to repeat the seminars due to pilot timelines and restrictions. A recording will be made available on Brightspace to support catch-up, but we strongly recommend attending live to gain full value from the CPD and interact with other Lead Teachers. See Start Small; Dream Big Engagement Policy for more information.
13. Who do I contact if I can’t access the online modules?
If you’re having trouble accessing our online learning platform, please raise a query with Teach First’s Contact Centre by filling out the contact form. The Contact Centre team will investigate and help to resolve any issues.
15. Looking at the number of hours the CPD will take, I haven’t been given enough time to do this. Should I withdraw and not start the CPD?
It is your responsibility as Lead Teacher to complete the online CPD modules within the agreed timeframe – there are 6 online modules which take 3-7 hours to complete and 3 live, online seminars which are each 90 minutes long. It is important to discuss with your Headteacher how you will ensure you have enough protected time to complete this course before you begin.
16. Is this CPD accredited?
The CPD is non-accredited training, however on completion you will receive a certificate in recognition of the number of hours dedicated to professional development you have undertaken. We recommend displaying your certificate in your school’s reception area to showcase your achievement and the commitment your school has made to improving careers provision over the long term.
17. How does this CPD fit within the ‘Start Small; Dream Big’ pilot?
The CPD training is one part of the Start Small; Dream Big pilot and can be viewed as a core delivery mechanism for achieving the aims of the pilot. You might find Questions 1 and 6 in the first section of this document useful.
18. We already have a careers strategy in my school – do I still need to do the CPD?
It is worth clarifying that this pilot focusses on whole-school careers strategies and careers programmes as distinct items. As part of Teach First’s CPD programme you will produce a careers strategy and accompanying action plans (which will include creating a vision for careers in your school, objectives you are aiming for and plans for how you will get there) and a comprehensive, outcomes based careers programme (a programme of events that all pupils in school will participate in). Even if you have versions of these in place at present, the CPD will help you further strengthen them, so they are in line with evidence-based best practice.
19. Who is the CPD aimed at?
The CPD is aimed at qualified primary teachers who are looking for a leadership development opportunity, or those with existing leadership responsibilities who wish to be supported to take a lead in CRL within their school.
20. Where do I go for support during the CPD?
If you require assistance with any aspect of the Teach First CPD such as online learning platforms or seminars, please raise a query with Teach First’s Contact Centre by filling out the contact form. The Contact Centre team will investigate and help to resolve any issues.
Your main point of contact will be your local Careers Hub or alternative partner provided by the Hub.
21. There’s a lot of movement of roles in my school at the moment and I may not be able to complete the CPD – what happens if I move roles during the year?
Technically there is nothing stopping you from continuing to participate in the CPD if your role changes, but we understand there may be concerns over your capacity. See Start Small; Dream Big engagement and adjustments policies for more information. Adjustment requests should be submitted using this MS Form Start Small; Dream Big Adjustment Request.
22. Where do I find the link and dates to my seminars?
Your seminar dates and individual joining link will be emailed to you in advance of the seminars by Teach First. We recommend whitelisting/ marking ‘safe’ the sender email address support@noreply-teachfirst.org.uk to ensure that you don’t miss any communications about your seminar.
Your Careers Hub Lead will also be notified of seminar dates for your Careers Hub so will be able to advise if you’re not sure which dates you’ve been allocated.
23. Where do I find the link to contact my Careers Hub or appointed local partner?
Your main point of contact will be your local Careers Hub or alternative partner provided by the Hub. All Careers Hub contacts can also be found here.
24. What should I do before I attend my first seminar?
There will be pre-seminar work to complete and this will be explained in the online module before the seminar. Please make sure you test your access to Zoom from whatever location you will be joining the seminar from.
25. Can I have access to a copy of the slides from seminars?
The slides will be available to you following the seminar as part of the catch-up recordings shared on Brightspace, though these are not designed to replicate the quality of engagement in the live session.
26. I need to report a change to my information, e.g., email address or job role. How do I do this?
Information about advising changes is available in the Adjustments Policy
27. I need to report a concern related to my capacity to continue to engage in the CPD. How do I do this?
See Start Small; Dream Big Engagement Policy and Adjustments Policy for information about capacity concerns.
28. Outside of the dedicated learning hours, will I be expected to self-study? What work needs to be completed in school?
Within the learning hours for each module, there is time to go away and complete activities (such as carrying out an audit) that will help you to produce your strategy and careers programme and deliver your priority project. Teach First does include lists of reading and references should you wish to carry out optional additional reading, but this is not compulsory.
Questions related to the evaluation
29. Where can I find all the information I need about participating in the standard evaluation of pilot?
There are two key documents for you to be aware of:
Privacy notice
Participant information sheet
- W3 Participant Information Sheet
30. Where can I find all the information I need about participating as a Research School?
There are two key documents for you to be aware of:
Privacy notice
Research School Participant information sheet*
- W3 Research Participant Information Sheet
*Please note this is different to the general participant information sheet.
31. I’m a research school – who will be my main point of contact throughout the pilot?
Your main point of contact for evaluation only throughout the pilot will be Danielle Jones at ImpactEd, our external evaluation partner. You can contact Danielle at school-support@impacted.org.uk for any support with the evaluation and ImpactEd platform.
32. I’m a research school – what additional activities do I need to undertake?
In order to evaluate the impact of the programme, ImpactEd will require you to complete and facilitate surveys from teachers, pupils, parents, and employers. You will be required to use the ImpactEd platform to participate in the surveys for the evaluation. In addition to surveys, ImpactEd will be collecting demographic characteristics data directly from your school’s information system. As a Research School, you may also be asked for Lead Teachers, and/or pupils and parents, to participate in focus group sessions. Timelines and dates for each aspect of the evaluation can be found in your Research School Participant Information Sheet.
33. I’m a research school – will my responses be shared with me?
Lead Teachers with access to the ImpactEd platform can view pupils’ responses to the pupil survey. Instructions on how to do this can be found in your Platform and Survey guidance, on slide 13 (Staff FAQs). This is only applicable to Research Schools.
34. What happens if I change jobs or schools?
See Start Small; Dream Big Engagement Policy for information about changing jobs/schools and the Adjustments Policy for information on how to advise of changes.
35. Will the evaluation report be shared with me?
The final pilot evaluation report will be made publicly available in 2025. Any aggregated interim analysis will be shared with your Careers Hub/Delivery Partner who can explore this with you through the usual forums (for example the local Community of Practice).