Necesidades y demandas

Throughout the interview period, students were asked about their aspirations and intentions for progression. The aim was to try to establish what these were for individual students and how their ideas were conceived, fostered and subject to change over time. This was considered a key part of the study, to help reflect upon the support and preparation the students were given towards achieving their goals as well as mitigating the problems they might pose and the risk of exclusion.

The students’ expressions of personal aspirations often contrasted with the

expectations of school staff. A further contrast was that their intentions for progression post-16 were not always consistent with their aspirations. Evidence of their intentions is, therefore, provided in addition to their aspirations and attention is also paid to some of the changes of aspiration and intentions that occurred during the interview period.

All the young people in this study expressed aspirations, except for one who was not interviewed. All of them appeared to be optimistic about the future and could identify career paths that appealed to them. The types of work to which they aspired are considered below. Whether their aspirations were realistic or achievable is

expressed, in the context of staff perceptions and what was known of the students’

ability levels. It was not in the scope of the study to determine or objectively

quantify “realism” or “achievability”, however.

Aspirations –the students’ aims

The occupations students identified covered a wide range of professional and skilled work areas. Accountancy was the desired professional route of one, whilst Student

3’s earliest wish was to go into midwifery. Skills-based occupations were the preferred route for most. Another wanted to do carpentry, whilst Student 4 knew that car finishing and spraying was his goal. Both maintained this throughout the interview period. Other choices included electrical or engineering work and plumbing, whilst careers in Sport and Art appealed to the final two. Student 9

wanted to go into motorsport and could express several aspects in which he might become engaged.

Although their wishes perhaps concurred with gender stereotypes regarding the occupations identified, there was no duplication of ideas, suggesting that these were

the students’ own thoughts rather than ones they had been led towards. Student 10

aspired to owning his own business in the future, “I was thinking about, like, if I do

well in college I could start like… thinking about starting my own business.”

School and teacher perceptions of student aspiration

There were differences between students’ expressions of aspirations and those of the school staff. As shown earlier in Vignette 6, Student 3, for example, felt that

teachers’ attitudes had had a negative impact on her aspirations. In contrast, Student 7 appeared to have been encouraged by the school to focus upon Art extensively, with extra support and lesson time to concentrate upon it, dropping another option,

perhaps at risk of detriment to the school’s performance data. She was strongly

motivated by Art and her father had been a graffiti artist. As will be shown later, however, this intervention ran counter to school policy which was to discourage students from changing options as far as possible.

In other cases, teachers’ perceptions concurred with the students’ intentions, if not their aspirations. For example, DH2 described how Student 10 was attending

college because, “…he couldn’t cope in school particularly well, so he has been

significantly reduced timetable and, “He was at college a lot… for some periods in

the day…” (DH2). She felt that this had been necessary to enable him to complete his schooling successfully. DH2 and SS2 agreed that the boy’s parents had been supportive and felt that their actions had therefore been justified. Student 10 apparently agreed and it clarified his intentions post-16. He understood his own

personal characteristics and how they influenced his decisions, “…’cause I like… I

like to do practical stuff, not, like, sitting in an office. That’s what frustrates me… sitting at a computer, doing paperwork and stuff…” He had no resentment towards the school in not being offered a Sixth Form place. On the contrary, a place at college appealed to him because of the course offered and, “Just the different

atmosphere… feels like I’ve been there for years and years…” Thus, it appeared

that where student aspiration concurred with the school’s assessment, it was more

likely that they would be supported.

How aspirations changed during the interview schedule

Students’ aspirations and intentions changed during the interview schedule, perhaps because of new ideas and experiences or input from support. As explained above,

Student 3’s case was complex and her aspiration changed along with the experiences, influences and support that surrounded her. Home and school life experiences also appeared to change Student 5’s thoughts. At interview point 3, he expected to achieve his plumbing ambition through a three day a week course at college. This expectation had been reduced to a ‘hope’ by point 4 as he felt that having gone through an exclusion, it might reduce his chance of achieving his place,

because of the conditions attached to offers. He had not been in contact with the college concerned at that stage, though, to confirm his assumption.

On the other hand, Student 1’s desire to go into accountancy, expressed throughout the interview period, was consistent and this was matched by many of the others. A change in life circumstances apparently had beneficial effects for Student 6. He explained that whilst his father had given up working as a pest control operative in a

friend’s business to look after him, it had provided him with the opportunity to take the work. When it was put to him that there may have been an unexpected benefit associated with this, Student 6 replied, “Yeah. Lucky… ‘cause I’ve had a job there since day one… (and) I’m positive. He said as soon I leave school, I’m going to

start working part-time with him…” Changes to aspirations and intentions were not always negative, therefore.

Realistic aspirations, or “pie in the sky”?

Regarding the realism behind the students’ aspirations, HOY2 referred to their thinking as being “pie in the sky” at times, rather than well thought through and

purposeful. Though it was not universally applicable, this had resonance for some. Student 1 was considered to be academically gifted enough to follow the EBacc route and accountancy was recognised by staff as an achievable goal. However, by point 4 of the interviews in May, it was clear that he still had a rudimentary view of what it entailed, “… I’m goingto like look for another job… but I will be asking banks, like cause accountancy is mainly to do with banks…” This exemplified a lack

of understanding that was apparent in others too. For his intended career in pest control, Student 6 explained that he needed a higher level of education, “…I’m not old enough… I have got to be 16 and I have to go to college to get a degree in it…”

Student 3 appeared to have researched and understood what was needed for a career in midwifery. On the other hand, she showed some naivety in the thought that her annual salary might range from £35-£85,000. Further, by interview point 3 her new aspiration to become a forensics officer was apparently driven by her love of a TV crime drama series, “… I want to become a forensics officer...”. Asked about the change, she explained it was due to, “Watching too much CSI!” The seriousness of the aspiration should perhaps be seen in the context of both the humour of her comment and her answer to a further question about what the future held, however, “… I don’t know really. I don’t really think about the future…”

In contrast, Student 4 appeared to know what skills and qualifications he needed for spraying and finishing cars and how the work that he wanted to do fitted into the environment in which he would be working. His knowledge had been built on a foundation of family and peer experiences. He also felt he knew where he was likely

to end up working, “Probably work in a garage… some people are doing the

mechanics, I’ll do the other bit…” The value of role models, family and reference

points in students’ decisions was exemplified in Student 7, who had been inspired by her father’s creative work and, as explained earlier, she intended to follow a similar route.

Student 2 had realised the possibility of achieving an apprenticeship by point 3 of the interviews and it appeared that this had inspired him. He had discussed his prospects at home and in school and knew the importance of English and Maths to achieving his goal. The inspiration had come from input at the college he intended to go to. The student recalled being told, “… ‘if you get an apprenticeship, which probably most of you will, within the time that you’re at college…’ he said, ‘…it’s

worthwhile showing that you want to work hard and if you’re good enough they’ll

just take you on’…” This, therefore, exemplified aspiration that appeared to be well thought through and achievable. Vignette 8, however, raises a question regarding a whose responsibility it is for challenging aspirations where these are thought to be unrealistic and whose interests need to be considered in providing support.

Vignette 8: Challenging aspirations with appropriate support.