• School/College/Business: City Academy Norwich
• Topic: Breaking down stereotypes
• Gatsby Benchmark(s): 2, 3, 4 and 5
There have been numerous studies into the effects of stereotyping with young people and findings
have found that the effects can have implications on not only career decisions but also future
achievements. This is therefore something we are continually trying to break down.
During the Autumn Term, City Academy Norwich held a breaking stereotypes workshop with their
year 7 students. Volunteers were invited to an extended assembly during which the students were
asked to guess what their jobs were based purely on what they looked like; the volunteers were
dressed in normal working attire with none in a uniform.
Following the initial assumptions, the volunteers gave a brief overview of some of the tasks
associated with their role without disclosing their exact job. Students could then change their
guesses based on this before the jobs were revealed. Students were surprised at some of the jobs,
one volunteer for example was a young disabled female and many of the students thought that she
worked in beauty therapy but were really surprised to find out that she was a Senior Lawyer. Adding
another aspect to the workshop; all volunteers were from a local authority highlighting that one
organisation can have many different jobs within it.
