When I grow up…

What your child’s dream is made of

Your child said what they want to be one day. Here’s what that dream is actually made of at primary school — the real skills underneath it, on the same map as everything else.

Pick a dream

Making & fixing

Engineer“I want to build things” Plumber“I want to be a plumber” Game maker“I want to make video games” Shop owner“I want to have my own shop” Chef“I love cooking”

Helping & caring

Doctor“I want to help people get better” Mum or Dad“I want to be a mum or dad” Teacher“I want to be a teacher” Firefighter“I want to be a firefighter”

Animals & nature

Vet“I want to help animals” Gardener“I want to grow things” Wildlife ranger“I want to save the animals”

Exploring & discovering

Astronaut“I want to be an astronaut” Pilot“I want to fly planes” Palaeontologist“I want to dig up dinosaurs” Marine biologist“I want to explore the ocean” Volcanologist“I love volcanoes” Archaeologist“I want to find ancient treasure” Scientist“I want to do experiments”

Stories & ideas

YouTuber“I want to make videos” Writer“I want to write books”

Sport & the body

Athlete“I want to play sport for a living”

“I don't know yet”The most common answer of all — and why it isn’t a problem

This isn’t career tracking, and it measures nothing about your child. It’s a way to see that a big dream is built from small, ordinary, learnable things — and that none of them are wasted if the dream changes.

Is your child’s dream missing? Tell us what they said →

Every dream shares the same seeds

On average, about 50% of each dream’s primary seeds also show up in the other dreams. Under every “when I grow up”, the same handful of things keep appearing — reading well, a feel for numbers, noticing patterns, and sticking with something hard.

How many of the 23 dreams need each seed:

Persisting When It's Hard10/23

Basic Body Needs6/23

Observing with simple equipment6/23

Breaking Tasks into Steps5/23

Drawing conclusions from evidence5/23

Listening to Others5/23

Planning a Task5/23

Recording Data5/23

Simple Calming Strategies5/23

Trying a New Approach5/23

Working Well in a Group5/23

Choosing measurement units4/23

Estimating by rounding4/23

Everyday Kindness and Care4/23

Whatever your seven-year-old says this week, most of what they’re building is the same — and it all keeps counting.

These pages are maps, not plans. They show what a dream is made of at primary school — they don’t say your child will or won’t do it, and they measure nothing about them. Explore together, follow what they love, and let the dream change as often as they like. Learning Map original · CC BY-SA 4.0