About the organisation
A handy video guide to Founders4Schools:
Founders4Schools’ mission is simple but ambitious – we want to connect every student to the creators of the jobs of the future in their community. We believe that this will help increase their employability and also eradicate the skills gap in the UK.
To do that we’ve developed a free, nationwide service that empowers teachers to find and bring local business leaders of successfully growing businesses into their schools to inspire their students.
Doing so helps ensure that children are prepared for the jobs and aware of the sectors that will be relevant when they leave education. Whether it’s a careers fair attended by successful business leaders, or work discovery opportunities with inspiring role models, Founders4Schools can make a real difference.
Enterprise activity in schools
Founders4Schools makes it easy and quick for teachers to identify and invite inspirational role models to their schools, feature fast growing companies at careers fairs or arrange for visits to discover exciting work places.
Business leaders that are spearheading some of the most successful enterprises in the UK volunteer to visit local schools, speak to students about their career journeys and the jobs they are hiring for or invite the students to discover their work places.
The impact that we can have together is real:
- 96% of students felt inspired by the speakers with 94.6% saying they would be interested in attending an event like this again
- 54% of students want to find out more about business planning or technology skills after one event, compared with a national average of just 24% of students who hope to study STEM
- 100% of schools leads would recommend Founders4Schools
Supporting images, videos, audio
Founders4schools at UCL Academy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD0LKI8fMUw
Inspiring the next generation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrD5UyFfKGg
Founders4schools at Parliament: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVW3EubXIM0
Founders4schools and O2 UK Think Big: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuKn6ZMnwjc
Richard Branson reflects on F4S: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1zl7gj-cC0
Founders4schools at Ursuline High School: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBz1Y4NNtS0
Preparing our kids for the future (animation video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQqBb0F_GoI
Testimonials
Oliver Beach, Economics and Business teacher at Central Foundation Boys’ School who has been holding one event per term for his students and said after the second event:
“Setting up the event was a piece of cake and the calibre of speakers was outstanding! It’s all about raising aspirations and telling the children ‘they can’ if they put their mind to it. It is a great programme that has a big impact on students and lightens the teacher workload a little”
Harriet Carter from Rhyl Primary school commented:
“Founders4Schools run such an inspiring project. Children of all ages can relate to the message that the speakers bring and it provided a real life example of why school is important and the reasons for learning. Excellent!”
Bill Lord from Long Sutton Primary School said following his first role model event:
“I cannot recommend Founders4Schools highly enough. They are a charity and do not charge anything at all for bringing entrepreneurs to your school. It is obviously entirely dependent on business people to be prepared to give up time from their work and drive to schools to talk to children. I have to thank Denis, Tim and James for their time and the way in which they presented to the children.”
A Year 9 student from UCL Academy said following a Women in STEM role model talk at her school:
“It made me think about what you can do if you really want to and I didn’t know what STEM was before so it really opened my eyes”
Brent, a student at JFS School said after attending a role model event:
“I will look into my future a lot differently. I think it is very much about what jobs you can get and what university to go to but now I think seeing such amazing entrepreneurs with such incredible stories about what they have done, I will definitely look at my future in a very different way”
Contact information
Iria Pizania
Partnerships Manager
Iria.pizania@founders4schools.org.uk
