A new project has launched to transform careers education for tens of thousands of students across England, by bringing the world of work into the everyday curriculum.
Pinewood Studios, the iconic film studio home to James Bond and the latest Star Wars movies, has collaborated with England’s careers education body and one of the largest academy trusts in the country, to design a new approach to careers education. The collaboration has produced new resources and lesson plans that demonstrate to students how relevant their maths lessons are for future careers.
Up to 14,000 young people across the 21 secondary schools run by the Academies Enterprise Trust will take part in maths lessons co-designed by their teachers and the team at Pinewood Studios. As well as giving pupils an insight into the types of jobs on offer in the creative industries, this new approach to careers education will put students’ lessons into the context of jobs and careers to support how they learn and understand the maths curriculum.
From September children in Year 7 will learn about statistical analysis by looking at how production companies commission a new series of a TV programme, interpreting social media data, audience analysis and viewing figures. For 12 and 13 year olds in Year 8, lessons cover ratio and proportion, and students learn about how production designers, art directors and prop makers make the magical worlds of their favourite movies come to life.
For older children, the Year 9 lessons incorporate the role of a commercial manager, focusing on revenue and occupancy rates at the studios, whereas Year 10s get to grips with dimensions and how to build a 3D set from a 2D technical drawing for an upcoming historical drama.
The project, brought together by the national body for careers education, The Careers & Enterprise Company, aims to bring the world of work to life, and make it part of the everyday classroom because “careers education should be a fundamental part of every young person’s journey through school.”
The resources are now being rolled out across the country, with hundreds more schools planning to use these lessons next year, as well as new English and Geography lessons being developed by companies and charities including Tesco and the National Trust.
In addition to this programme, Pinewood Studios also partner with The Careers & Enterprise Company to deliver enhanced support for young people living near the studios. As a ‘cornerstone employer’, they support the Buckinghamshire Careers Hub which brings together 37 schools and colleges to improve how they prepare their 40,000 students for the world of work.
They will also speak to more than 5,000 young people about opportunities in the creative industries, as part of their Set For More programme and host the Futures Festival in Spring 2022, which aims to be Europe’s largest careers fair for the screen industries, free to attend for up to 5,000 14-22 year olds.