From cakes and crafts to choreography and sport, pupils at a WNAT school explored a host of exciting career opportunities.

Children from Years 2 to 6 at West Lynn Primary took part in Apprentice Day, where they spent the day gaining in-depth, hands-on experience of a series of different professions. Choices on offer included baking, carpentry, art, sewing, crafts, jewellery making, teaching, and journalism, along with rugby, sports retail, and even musical theatre.

Assistant Headteacher Dan Ryan organised the annual event, as well as leading the carpentry group.

“Once the children have completed an application to their top three jobs, they complete a mini CV selling themselves to their chosen career,” he explained. “They are then allocated one of the activities where they spend the whole day learning from an expert in that field.

“Most of the activities are very practical, and the children get to have a hands-on approach with one of the careers.”

Among the activities on offer were building benches, baking cakes and biscuits, sewing bookmarks and an apron, and creating tie-dye shirts; while the theatre group choreographed a routine to ‘Circle of Life’, the West Norfolk Rugby Club put their apprentices through their sporting paces, and the budding journalists went in search of a scoop.

Staff, parents, and volunteers supported the event as ‘experts’, including Stephen Miller and Elizabeth Buckingham from the West Norfolk Rugby Club, and JD Sports Executive Rickey Devonish.

Mr Ryan added: “I think, in an area where children can struggle with aspirations and self-belief, days like Apprentice Day give them a taster of what they could be, and remind them of what they can achieve.

“Every child left with a smile on their face, and a sense of accomplishment.”