St Charles Catholic Primary School in Spennymoor welcomed a range of special guests this week as part of activities designed to help pupils learn more about different careers and professional experiences.
The school extended its thanks to everyone who gave their time to speak with children and share insights into their working lives, helping pupils broaden their understanding of future career opportunities.
A highlight of the week came on Friday when Alan Strickland, MP for Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor, visited St Charles Catholic Primary School to talk to pupils about his role and responsibilities as a Member of Parliament.
During the visit, Alan met with the school council to learn about their achievements over the past year. He also toured the school, visiting classrooms and speaking with pupils about what they are learning and their experiences in school.
The visit concluded with a whole-school assembly, where the MP used banners to recreate the atmosphere of the House of Commons chamber. This gave pupils an engaging introduction to parliamentary life and helped them understand how discussions take place in Parliament.
Children were keen to take part, standing to ask questions in a similar way to Members of Parliament during debates. The assembly provided an opportunity for pupils to develop their confidence while learning more about public service and democracy.
Before the visit ended, members of the school’s social media team interviewed Alan, asking questions about topics including fake news, managing social media and the ban on social media for under-16s.
Headteacher, Lisa Thompson, said:
“We are incredibly grateful to all of the visitors who joined us this week to talk about their careers. We would particularly like to thank Alan Strickland for taking the time to visit our school, meet our pupils and share his experiences. The children enjoyed asking thoughtful questions and learning more about the role of a Member of Parliament.”
The visit formed part of the school’s ongoing commitment to providing enriching experiences that help pupils connect classroom learning with the wider world, while inspiring them to think about their own futures.
Hear from our Media Correspondents, Matilda and Willoughby
St Charles recently held a Careers Week. During the week, we had the pleasure of hosting several special guests who spoke to our children about their careers. These included a paediatric doctor, a nurse, a media production company, Go Well, a pilot, Sara Davies and our local MP, Alan Strickland.
Our medical visitors talked about why they chose careers caring for and helping others. They brought in medical equipment for our pupils to try, including their stethoscopes.
Paul from PER Productions brought along his cameras and explained how he got into filming and production. All classes had the opportunity to use his equipment and watch themselves on the big screen.
Our British Airways pilot, Ryan Kiveal, joined us on screen and shared his journey into aviation. We learnt lots of interesting facts and enjoyed seeing pictures from some of Ryan’s flights and the aircraft he has flown.
Sara Davies, entrepreneur, Dragon’s Den investor and former Strictly Come Dancing contestant, spoke to our pupils about her inspiring journey to becoming a successful businesswoman. She shared memories from her own school days and talked about how she now helps others achieve their dreams. Our pupils left feeling motivated and empowered by her valuable advice about future careers. Before she left, our social media team had the opportunity to meet Sara, discuss their role in school and take a quick photograph with our Year 6 pupils, who were able to ask her some questions.
On the final day of the week, we welcomed Alan Strickland, MP for Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor, who shared insights into his career and responsibilities as a Member of Parliament. During his visit, Alan met with our school council to learn about their achievements this year. He also toured the school, speaking with classes about their learning and hearing their views on school life.
The visit culminated in a whole-school assembly, where Alan brought banners to recreate the atmosphere of the House of Commons chamber, giving the children a genuine glimpse into parliamentary life. Pupils eagerly asked questions, standing to speak just like Members of Parliament.
Before departing, our social media team had the opportunity to ask him about fake news, using social media responsibly and the proposed social media ban for under-16s.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who took time out of their day to participate and inspire our pupils.
