Defining Aspirations

 

Raising Aspirations - Our Definition

Aspiration:                                       

"The desire to achieve our potential"

Level of aspiration:                        

"What we perceive our potential to be"

Maximising aspiration:                  

"Ensuring that we are aware of our full potential...
AND can access opportunities to fulfil that potential...

AND have the desire to do so"  

This definition identifies the key steps needed to develop aspirations.  provide people with the opportunity to explore their own skills, provide opportunities to try new things and experience a wide variety of activities and finally help them to improve their self esteem and confidence so that they can take fully reach their potential.

In Norfolk a wide range of activities are helping people to achieve these things.  Many successful projects and activities provide these opportunities, many unaware that they are contributing to the growth of aspirations.  We need to help highlight this good practice and share it with others. 

We are moving in the right direction but there is still much to do.  We need to do more to provide support for parents, teachers and other key influencers to ensure that students entering secondary school maintain their aspirations.  We must continue to develop opportunities for independent Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) for all ages and we need to continue to inform, research and review the work on aspirations across the county, ensuring that good practice is shared.  To this end we have begun to look at the impact of other initiatives and activities on the overall picture of aspirations in Norfolk.  This includes work on Diplomas, Economic Growth and supporting development of key sector skills.  In addition we will be revisiting the aspirations strategy written in 2005 and developing a web site to enable people to share information and success.  Our activities will continue to support vulnerable people across the county.