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On Thursday 16th June a convoy of Future Foundations’ facilitators set off from London to deliver a day of Leadership training at Marlborough College in Wiltshire.  The programme was one of our biggest Summer events, attended by over 225 Year 12 students from Marlborough College and nearby Swindon Academy.

The event was designed to develop participants’ leadership skills and team work, increase their confidence and and establish a clear vision for the Sixth Form. The programme was Course Directed by Simone Vincenzi and our Future Foundations coaches were Owen Bailey, Shane Franklin, Laina Pattni, CJ Sohal, Chloe Cousins, Ella Simms, Catherine Tilt, Mark Corbett, John Paul Metcalf, Jennifer Wilson and Madonna Masuka. The Operations Director for the day was Olivia Hildebrand.

The learning Objectives of the Leadership Day were:

  • Encourage students to take personal responsibility for their own learning, take academic and personal opportunities and highlight the benefits of doing so.
  • Help students identify life goals and work back through life stages that will take them there; challenging them to identify current achievement needed for future success and their part in it.
  • Challenge students to find innovative solutions to school and local issues or opportunities establishing a culture of creative, engaged and proactive Sixth Formers
  • Build the students’ confidence, initiative, teamwork, pro-activity and commitment towards their vision through working together on team building tasks.
  • Special topics sessions encouraging students to broaden their perspectives, gain new skills and consider leadership roles and projects inside school.
  • Prepare students for the transition from Lower to Upper Sixth, preparing them to build their personal profile and successfully present themselves to admissions tutors and employers in the future.

Nick Gordon

Head of Sixth Form Marlborough College

The team from Future Foundations lead students through a number of challenges with verve and enthusiasm. The structure of the day was cleverly paced and there was a good balance of energising exercises and cerebral activities. The event represents an important stage in the evolution of leadership within the College, building on the post IGCSE week, the L6th Leadership Forums and establishing a strong foundation for the pupils as they take on positions of responsibility and develop their profiles in the Upper Sixth.’

Teacher

Marlborough College

‘The presenters I saw were charismatic, organised, enthusiastic and pitched their sessions very well. They told their own stories which were engaging and very different from Malburians’ backgrounds. As many were in their mid-20’s they provided role models. Sessions were well paced and managed to make the most from simple tasks as the leadership/team work dynamic framing the exercises was well explained through discussion and example’.

The programme launched at 11am, with Course Director giving a brilliantly energetic motivational plenary focussed on the importance of taking risks and grasping opportunities when they arise. A student from Swindon Academy was quick to volunteer for a task which demonstrated the benefits of putting yourself out there!  Throughout the day our coaches worked with students in groups of 18, moving around the school and making use of both indoor and outdoor spaces (as much as the inclement British Summertime weather would allow) in the schools beautiful grounds.

In addition to learning about different styles of leadership and taking part in a series of experiential tasks to practice and self-assess their own approach to leadership students’ attended a Special Topics session of their choosing. These raged from ‘Interview Skills’ to ‘Creating a Community Project’ and ‘Creative Entrepreneurship’.

A high energy Human Shapes session was a big hit with participants and staff alike with teams demonstrating their entrepreneurial and creative spirit during a lucky break in the rain! The Future Foundations coaches challenged teams to contort themselves into bodily representations of ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Washing Machines’ and ‘A boy being chased down by a Great White Shark’ with one teacher observing the session describing it as a ‘great  shakedown of energy, fun, extraordinary in showing the radically different concepts emerging from the same expression’.

This lead into the final session of the day, the Sixth Form Challenge, which involved participants working in teams to identify issues and opportunities for positive change in their community and being challenge to create and present an innovative solution. Project ideas ranged from working more closely with the Kennet Trust to improve the levels of pollution in a local river to planning social events to encourage more interaction between Swindon Academy and Marlborough College students.

After attending the programme

Participants feel inspired to achieve their full potential

65%

Participants feel excited and energised about their future

70%

Participants feel committed to taking responsibility for their own future

96%

Participants would recommend Future Foundations

96%

Despite not having met previously, Malburians and Swindon Academy students worked well together with both sides enjoying the day and taking the opportunity to build relations between their two schools. The afternoon ended with participants setting themselves SMART goals for the future and committing to apply the skills and insight they had learnt over the course of the programme to their lives and learning.

‘I wasn’t very enthusiastic about going on this trip in the beginning because I thought it would bore me and have no significance to my education whatsoever. However, when I started participating in the activities I began to enjoy myself. It gave us a really hands on approach to leadership!’

Swindon Academy Participants Feedback

‘It was a great opportunity to interact with students from backgrounds different from our own. Marlborough College are connected with Swindon Academy and to have this interaction between our two schools was great.’

Swindon Academy Participants Feedback

‘The atmosphere on the bus home was really positive’

Director of Sixth Form, Swindon Academy

Chloe Cousins

Future Foundations Coach

After an empowering introduction from our wonderful course director Simoné Vincenzi, we broke into groups to investigate leadership styles and how they can be applied to their sixth form journeys. At FF we strive to strike a balance between content driven workshops and experiential sessions and activities. With this in mind, the day included analysing the differences between skills, attitudes, and resources before applying them in an exceptional game of human shapes! Thanks to an amazing team of coaches at Marlborough College the young people left engaged, empowered, energised and ready to begin applying their new leadership skills to their daily lives

Future Foundations hopes to return to Marlborough College in the Summer 2017, to build on the successes of this, our first Leadership programme at the school. If you are interested in bringing Future Foundations training to your school please contact alice@future-foundations.co.uk to explore how we can help your students to reach their full potential.

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