Futures & Innovation

We are currently undergoing the accreditation process for the Quality in Careers Standard through the Education Development Trust – we are committed to following the detailed process for this and undergoing an assessment day, at the end of process.  

Our Futures and Innovation programme has been substantially developed over the last few years. 

This includes: 

• Exploring other routes such as degree apprenticeships. Our 2024 Careers Fair included apprenticeship providers from many different sectors, and through the Southwark Schools’ Learning Partnership, we have been able to access events across schools relating to this. Interested students are also able to seek further advice from staff in this area.
• Work experience through our extensive Professional Skills course and work experience/voluntary service programme for IS (Year 12) students who complete this every Wednesday afternoon.
• All students have access to Unifrog, giving them expert and detailed advice for careers and higher education.  
• Our extensive programme of events, from a design workshop from Experience Haus for C1 (Year 9) to AI and Careers workshops for all IJ (Year 10) and IS (Year 12) students. 

 

• Our students are a key part of our events and have helped to plan a successful biennial Careers Fairs. 

• Our IJ (Year 10) students have become Southwark Schools’ Learning Partnership ambassadors. This year, they worked with other schools in this partnership to create an exciting and innovative AI-focused platform. 

• We have expanded our use of student voice, to inform our initiatives. Students are asked for feedback on the programme and focus groups have been consulted on new courses we are building.  
• Our Innovation Council, comprised of students from all year groups, meets several times every term to discuss Futures & Innovation initiatives, taking the lead in implementing their own ideas as well.

• We are fortunate to be located in Central London – many students have completed their placements in local organisations, such as the Harley Street Specialist Hospital, Queen’s College Preparatory School, Springer Nature and Sellar amongst many others. 
• Students have access to LMI through Unifrog lessons and information. 
• Further details about this may be provided – please get in contact with the Director of Futures and Innovation (Natasha Fenwick – nfenwick@qcl.org.uk) if you are interested in this. 

The College works in partnership with:  

• MyUniChoices – all IS (Year 12) students complete this, helping them with university choices. 

• Parents, carers, alumnae and further contacts who enrich the Careers Education and Guidance programme, provide work experience and other opportunities. 

• Queen’s College Preparatory School and Old Queen’s alumnae.  

• Southwark Schools’ Learning Partnership schools. 

• Morrisby Careers Testing and individual interviews for all IIJ (Year 11) students. 

• Companies and organisations including Marylebone Library, Re:Skinned, Sellar, Springer Nature and many others which can be found in the work experience planning documents.  

• The Girls Human Rights Festival and Hub – in the last year, a GHRH Hub has been established at Queen’s. As part of this, students have taken part in a Young Lawyers’ Symposium, a GHRH Awards Dinner, weekly meetings and assemblies (Prayers) and fundraising events such as the GHRH Film Night.

• Local primary schools have been invited into Queen’s for after-school sessions, with more planned in the near future.

From C3 (Year 7) to IIS (Year 13), all students complete Futures & Innovation lessons in PSHE through Unifrog, following the CDI framework:

C3 (Year 7):

• Exploring dream jobs
• What is a career?
• What is an entrepreneur?
• Work-life balance?
• Careers and the future

C2 (Year 8):

• What are my interests?
• Superhero CVs
• Challenges and rewards of work
• Creating the life you want

C1 (Year 9):

• What comes after school?
• Choosing what to study at KS4
• Take control of your career
• Managing your money
• The labour market

IJ (Year 10):

• Exploring employer profiles
• What career is best for me?
• Work experience
• Wellbeing in the workplace

IIJ (Year 11):

• Making choices post 16
• Apprenticeships vs higher education

IS (Year 12):

• Post 18 - choices
• Setting career goals
• How to network and be enterprising

IIS (Year 13):

• Personal branding: your CV and online profile
• The basics of interviews: in person and online

As well as following the framework above, our students take part in the following initiatives: 

• C3 (Year 7) pupils are a key part of our Girls Human Rights Hub and take part in an annual careers workshop as well as attending whole school events such as the biennial Careers Fair. From September 2026, they will also be taking part in the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, allowing them to learn important employment skills as well as a certificate from University College London. 
• Class 2 (Year 8) pupils take part in the Tycoon Enterprise Programme, within their Thrive lessons. Through this, they develop exciting business ideas and promotional videos, presenting these to staff and students.  
• All Class 1 (Year 9) pupils take part in an Experience Haus workshop, developing cross-curricular design and thinking skills, applying this to a ‘real-world’ scenario before presenting their ideas. After this, they apply their understanding from this workshop to the Samsung ‘Tech for Good’ competition, in follow-up lessons.
• I Juniors (Year 10) students are a key part of the Southwark Schools’ Learning Partnership (SSLP) Ambassador Programme and are invited to take in IPA’s Advertising Unlocked Day, as well as help with important events within Careers Week. From September 2026, IJ (Year 10) pupils will complete our exciting, bespoke interdisciplinary qualification ‘Future Frontiers’.
• II Junior (Year 11) students are given free access to the Morrisby Online Test and this also includes a one-to-one interview with a Morrisby advisor.  
• I Senior (Year 12) students are given free access to MyUniChoices followed by individual interviews and complete an ‘Introduction to Professional Skills’ course prior to starting their weekly work experience placements. They also have the opportunity to take part in Young Enterprise. 
• In their final year at Queen’s, II Senior (Year 13) students learn more about interview skills and finding the right job, preparing them for university and future employability.