Regional projects

Inspiring the Future is open to all schools but we also provide targeted support to those who need it most, usually on a project basis.

Inspiring Blackpool

Ensuring children in an area of low social mobility feel motivated about learning and their futures post-pandemic, and equipping teachers to run their own Primary Futures activities beyond the project.

Funded by the Blackpool Opportunity Area, Inspiring Blackpool (2021-22) provided focused support for 20 primary schools across the region to use Primary Futures, working closely with local business networks to engage local volunteers and employers.

A marine biologist, a scientist who works with deadly snakes, a production accountant for Coronation Street, and a paramedic were among over 80 volunteers taking part in activities, designed to embed careers-related learning into the curriculum and help children see the relevance of learning.

Volunteers helped promote the importance of skills learned at school in their jobs, enhancing an English and literacy drive, supporting STEM learning, and promoting maths-related jobs as part of World Maths Day. Other activities challenged children’s preconceptions of gender in jobs or supported Year 6 transitions, with a focus on gaining confidence and adapting to new environments to prepare for secondary school. 

Blackpool is one of the most disadvantaged areas in the UK and for the children at St John Vianney’s, seeing people from the town who have gone on to have brilliant jobs – people like Hannah and Stuart – who they can relate to, is inspiring.  

Damian Horton, Teacher, St John Vianney

Over 5000 children took part in a mix of virtual and in-person sessions. Key outcomes included children better understanding links between learning and the wider world, having an increased awareness of jobs following project activities, and improved self-perceptions in confidence, self-efficacy, and self-belief. 

One Vision: North East and Tees Valley

Showcasing sectors and unusual jobs to support young people to find pathways to a good career and make more informed decisions about their futures.

The North East is the region with the lowest percentage of young people in a sustained education, employment or training destination, after key stage 4 and key stage 5. 

Starting in September 2021, Inspiring the Future ran a six-month package of sector insight sessions as part of One Vision, a project run by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership and Tees Valley Combined Authority to tackle the challenges facing some of the region’s lowest-performing schools.

Each session focused on a particular sector such as games and digital; transport and logistics; energy; civil service; and health and social care. Using an interactive format, volunteers from a range of jobs – from a statistician to a subsea engineer – talked with students about their roles and pathways, bringing sectors and opportunities to life.

Sessions reached almost 600 GCSE students across 28 schools, including high numbers of pupil premium and SEND students. 80% of participants said the activity helped them think about their future. 

Recordings are now available on YouTube as an ongoing legacy resource.

Our Future: Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire

Helping foster a more positive attitude towards learning across primary schools and raising school standards in areas of social and economic disadvantage.

Launched in 2019 with a focus in Derby, Our Future connected teachers with workplace volunteers to help children see the link between curriculum learning and their futures. 

Following a successful first phase, the project was extended in September 2021 to include 52 schools across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, including Multi-Academy Trusts and two SEND schools.

Our Future was funded by the D2N2 Opportunity Area and run by Inspiring the Future in partnership with Learn by Design and dmh associates.

Key outcomes: Sept 2021-July 2022

Reaching over 9000 children, with 100% of teacher-respondents indicating the programme had a positive effect on children taking part:

  • Improvements in key skills such as confidence, speaking in front of the class, and aiming high
  • Advances in tackling gender stereotyping 
  • Positive impact on raising aspirations and broadening horizons

Our Future is building interpersonal skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, communication.

Deputy Head, Southwold Primary School

For schools:

  • Twinning partnerships including meeting with other teachers, building confidence and sharing best policies and practices 
  • Helping embed careers-related learning throughout schools  – in one case supporting an increased Ofsted leadership rating

This project helped transform our school curriculum and the way we think about leadership and project-based learning in the classroom. 

Head, Landau Forte Academy Moorhead