The Girls Futures Report

Published in Autumn 2022 by the GDST, the Girls Futures Report holds fascinating insights into the opinions, motivations and aspirations of the students at GDST schools. You can read the entire report here.

83% of girls in senior school want to do a job that they enjoy, and two-thirds want to make a difference to society through their careers.

Schools must place the issues of economics in front of girls so they understand and concentrate on the importance of hard skills: their finances, careers, politics. But not because they must all become CEOs. Because we want them to have access to the networks and investment that allow them to live out their purpose. Unless they understand how economics works, they cannot make decisions about how to ensure the world becomes more equal. The politics of economics needs to be linked to the idea of a purpose-driven world.

Jude Kelly CBE,

founder of the WOW (Women of the World) Foundation.

Data drawn from nationally representative sample of 690 girls aged 14–18, in response to question ‘Which, if any, of the following do you want school to prepare you for?’

The girls we spoke to told us that they aspire to a type of leadership where measures of success are multidimensional and not necessarily reliant on traditional measures such as salary, prestige or power. Interviewees told us that girls at school today do not necessarily see those currently in positions of power as role models, citing values including honesty, integrity and resilience as qualities they believe leaders should possess.

Quote from the GDST Futures Report

Strong leadership is about human connection and understanding what drives individuals and communities to strive together with purpose. It’s no surprise that our young people will look to those with whom they already have established relationships to learn about leadership and seek to mimic what they see. It’s a real responsibility, then, that those of us who build relationships with young people are authentic in our leadership, modelling compassionate, values-based authority whenever we can.

Finally, how do we know which careers our own students here at WHS are interested in? We conducted a Dream Jobs survey to better understand the roles they would explore if the opportunities were limitless, as well as those not being considered, so that we can provide them with food for thought.

WIMBLEDON HIGH SCHOOL FUTURES

Watch this space for updates on the outcome of our survey and progress on all aspects of the Futures Programme…