Students across Years 7, 10 and 12 participated in numerous Careers and Higher Education activities during another packed Enrichment Week.

Work insight visits meant students from Years 10 and 12 were able to visit a number of workplaces across many career sectors. These included journalism at The Times; art curation at the Courtauld Gallery; law at the Supreme Court; consultancy with Analysys Mason; tech at Google; banking and finance at Deutsche Bank; design, engineering and architecture at AtkinsRéalis; film production at Pinewood Studios; health and business at the Wellington Hospital; languages with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and science and health at the Centre of the Cell at Queen Mary, University of London.

Students really appreciate the time and effort that goes into hosting them, which comes across in their comments and thanks to their hosts:

“Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us about your jobs in management consultancy at Analysys Mason, and letting us have the opportunity to create our own ideas to understand more about what your job is like. This whole experience was very interesting and useful for me to pick what career path I may take.”

Annika, Year 10

“Thank you so much for the wonderful and informative tour at Google today. I’m very grateful to be able to participate and learn and learn what happens behind the actual websites, I have learnt a lot about the workplace and the workers and the newly emerging AI.”

Luna, Year 10

Year 10 students completed their Morrisby psychometric profiling, which also gives suggestions for future study options and careers. Students can share the results with their parents and then discuss them in 1:1 meetings with Ms Wilberforce.

Once again pupils in Years 7 and 10 were challenged by 8billionideas to create and pitch new board games (Year 7) or identify a problem and devise a charity (Year 10), pitching their approach to their peers. Year 10 developed further oracy skills in their ‘Talk about Communication’ workshop, where they gained more confidence in public speaking. At both these activities we welcomed students from partner schools to join us.

Year 12s spent a whole day focused on their university applications and drafting their personal statements, supported by school staff and student recruitment personnel from the universities of Manchester and Birmingham. The highlight was a well-attended panel session of alumnae who shared advice and ‘what they wish they had known before they went to university’.

The annual Careers Convention offered Year 10 and 12 students nearly 30 different talks from documentary film making to veterinary practice, via publishing, the law, finance, subsea engineering and acting. The opportunity to ask questions was enthusiastically grasped, with many speakers commenting on how pertinent and focused the girls were. One of the most warmly received talks was from alumna Fiona Douglas-Home, who was at Channing just after the Second World War. Darcy G writes:

“I found Fiona’s talk fascinating and really engaging, not only was it amazing to hear about her experiences studying Art History all over Europe; in Florence and Paris, and her amazing career in archives at the National Gallery and even creating and running poetry festivals in medieval churches or her sitting room, Fiona also gave us all advice to always continue learning and pursuing what you love. Her wisdom and enthusiasm were magnetic and her insightful answers to all of our questions made the talk my favourite of the day.” 

We are extremely grateful to all our supporters – current and former parents, alumnae and some friends of the school – who enable these events to take place.