We are delighted to announced that Sancton Wood School has been selected as a Finalist in the Independent School of the Year for Student Careers Programme category. This is the third year in a row that the school has been acknowledged in this way with previous awards for Prep School of the Year 2022 and Co-educational Independent School of the Year 2021.
We want our students to leave us inspired and confident, resilient young learners, ready to thrive. We offer a variety of programmes supporting our students in thinking about their aspirations and futures, working with partners such as InvestIN who deliver immersive career experiences, the Medic Portal and the Lawyer Portal.
This year we held our first ever Careers Convention. Drawing on the school’s network, we welcomed guest speakers from across a wide and varied range of professions. We were able to offer talks on 19 different career options from Artificial Intelligence to Medicine, Finance to Filmmaking. Keynote speeches from two inspirational speakers were also given.
Not only did the experts give context to how our students’ learning is practically applied in industry, but they were a huge source of inspiration for them when considering their own career paths. The students were highly engaged and asked brilliant questions. It was an incredible day and another step towards ensuring that our students are fully equipped, and ready to take on the next steps in their bright futures.
We are busy working on a Thriving Minds Symposium to take this to the next level, to stretch and challenge our brightest and most able students. It will give them the opportunity to broaden their knowledge with higher level thinking on the theme of ‘Creating mindsets for brighter futures’.
Lucy Hawkins will be hosting. She will give a keynote speech on curiosity, daring to think differently, asking questions, inspiration and how that has led to her successes in life. She will also offer one of a selection of six workshops from experts from our network across STEM, Sport, Art and Design and Creative Writing. Here students will hear inspirational talks and engage in practical activities.
Unlike our Careers Convention, these workshops will offer purpose and vision beyond the core metrics of a subject. They will use the subject matter to explore its impact and how it will develop and affect futures. Students will leave with an idea of what is needed beyond their good grades and work ethic to prepare them for the future. It is their mindset; determination, passion, enthusiasm and interpersonal skills that can make a difference.
We provide further opportunities for children who want to explore careers further, with the launch of our Holidays Opportunity Programme this year. We have pulled together specialist organisations from our network to offer programmes in wider subject areas, hands on work experience, immersive career experiences, exclusive advice and networking experiences.
