What do you want to be when you grow up?’ is a question that children are often asked, but how can they answer if they don’t know what their options are?
Staff at Little Manor Day Nursery in Adlington, Lancashire decided to invite parents into the setting to tell the children about their jobs. ‘We’re based in a tight-knit small town and frequently go into the community to visit the library, have a snack at the cafe or visit residents at the care home,’ says nursery manager Naomi Jones. ‘The fire brigade wanted to check our building so we asked if they’d bring a fire engine, which the children absolutely loved. They got to sit in the fire engine, try on uniform and talk to the firefighters. It made us think about other opportunities to explore jobs and we thought about all the parents we have with interesting professions. We were overwhelmed by how generous parents were.’
what they did
Children were able to explore a wide range of job roles, including:
- Property developer – the dad brought in some city council maps of new developments that are going to be built. The children were interested to look at them and to colour in the maps. ‘He talked about health and safety with the children and the importance of wearing a hard hat and hi-vis jacket when he is on building sites so people can see him when they are driving big machinery and he can stay safe,’ recalls Naomi. ‘He also spoke about the different trades people needed to build houses, and he linked that to Bob the Builder, which the children liked.’
- Physician associate – the medical professional spoke about how she works alongside doctors and helps people when they are unwell or hurt. She brought in X-rays for the children to look at and they discussed how it was like a photograph of bones inside a body. She told the children how X-rays can show if a bone is broken and she showed the children how to bandage up broken limbs. They then used their skills to wrap stuffed animals in bandages.
- Doctor – the doctor wore her uniform and talked about how it is important to keep healthy and how diet, exercise and drinking water contribute to that. ‘She brought in a stethoscope to show the children,’ says Naomi. ‘One of the staff members is pregnant, so the children were able to listen to the baby’s heartbeat, which was a nice moment for them all.’
- Police officer – ‘A lot of the time, police officers tend to be associated with dealing with bad guys and can be seen as scary, so it was good for a parent to be able to come in and challenge those stereotypes and talk about how they actually help us,’ says Naomi. ‘The children now know that they can go to the police if they need help.’ The dad wore his uniform, including personal radio, handcuffs and baton. He brought a police car with him and showed the children the flashing lights and siren, which they found very exciting.
- Chef – the nursery’s own chef spoke to the children about his work, what it entails and his experiences of working in restaurants. Some children were able to get hands-on and prepare home-made pizzas with him, including choosing which toppings they would like.
- Farmer – through talking to the farmer, the children learned that people grow the fruit and vegetables that they see in the supermarket, which helped their understanding of where our food comes from. They also learned about what is needed to grow crops – such as soil, water and sunlight – and how they are cared for and harvested by farmers.
- Early years practitioner – staff didn’t overlook their own important profession and spoke to children about childcare. ‘We helped children to put nappies on dolls, which tied in nicely with some of the children becoming big brothers and sisters,’ says Naomi.
their ethos
‘We’re trying to build a culture in the nursery that extends beyond getting ready for school and is more focused on getting ready for life,’ says Naomi.
‘We want this to be embraced throughout the nursery. It’s a small nursery with a small team and we’re a close family unit. The management team consider themselves role models for the staff, and staff development comes from us and then staff role-model for the children. Our focus is less on observing children rather than on observing ourselves and how we impact the children and their education. There is a lot of talk about being reflective, and for that you need to look at yourselves and what you can do to be better, because the children learn skills based on what they are surrounded by and seeing.’
what they gained
‘The children gained loads from the experience and were like sponges wanting to find out more,’ says Naomi. ‘Along with finding out about different career opportunities, there was lots of linked learning, such as healthy eating and finding out where food comes from.
‘The visits gave children the opportunity to develop the confidence to speak to unfamiliar adults, to listen and to ask questions. It was all about embracing cultural capital and learning from new experiences. Those children whose parents came in to speak were very excited and proud to have them at nursery and it helped us to strengthen our links with parents. We’re very grateful that they gave up their time for us.’
extension activities
Following the visits, staff observed children including concepts they had learned about in their play, such as wearing hard hats and taking part in building role play in the construction area.
‘Some children became very focused on pretending to cement blocks together,’ Naomi recalls. ‘In the dressing-up area, children were looking after each other and putting bandages on. One girl put a bandage on early in the morning and told people all day that she had hurt herself and needed the bandage on, because she recognised that it was to help them to heal and get better. They were able to keep the stethoscope so they could listen to each other’s heartbeats.’
Staff are considering inviting more parents to talk about their careers because the visits were such a success, and Little Manor’s sister nursery is going to run the initiative too. They are thinking of extending invites to the local college for students to speak to the children about their work aspirations.
Book corner
Peep Inside How a Fire Engine Works by Lara Bryan and Caroline Attia
Nee naw, nee naw! The fire engine is here to save the day. Peep into the cab, roll out the hoses and slide out the ladder to find out how it works.
Cops and Robbers by Allan Ahlberg
The robbers of London town plan a desperate crime one Christmas Eve, but meet their match in brave officer Pugh.
Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell and Helen Oxenbury
The story of a hardworking duck, who has the very bad luck of living with a lazy farmer.
The Cook and the King by Julia Donaldson and David Roberts
A deliciously funny cooking adventure about a hungry king ‘Who needed a cook like anything…’
When I Grow Up by Jon Hales and Paula Monteagudo
What do you want to be when you grow up? How about Alien Hunter? Or Master Ice Cream Taster?
Iggy Peck Architect by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts
When his teacher declares her dislike of architecture, Iggy faces a challenge. He loves building too much to give it up!
Ness the Nurse by Nick Sharratt
A fun counting book and rhyming story about the role of nurses.
