The Future Leaders Programme supports young people aged 14-19 from disadvantaged and under-represented backgrounds to plan pathways to their ambitions, and develop the behaviours, skills and knowledge they need to fulfil their potential. 

It does this by supporting Future Leaders to develop a greater range of "possible selves" through new opportunities, experiences, and self-reflection. Achieving success and overcoming challenges helps nurture self-belief, making their desired options seem realistic and attainable. 

Our unique four-year programme combines coaching, subject-specific courses and student-led projects, enabling Future Leaders to map out what they need to achieve their goals and make informed education, career and life choices. 

Future Leaders: three core components

Coaching 

The Future Leaders coaching model draws on the latest evidence-led approaches to working with young people, and is delivered by experienced coaches. Our non-directive coaching approach underpins all elements of the Programme and gives young people increased agency and responsibility for their own outcomes, supporting them to develop their own solutions to challenges.

“The Villiers Park Programme made a real difference to the choices I made. My Coach, Dan, talked me through the different options and then helped me apply for my apprenticeship, as well as giving me tips on how to communicate and how to stand out. I was able to talk about the things I’d done with Villiers Park during my interviews. Villiers Park helped increase my confidence and my ability to speak to people.”

Subject and Skills Courses 

Future Leaders can access an extensive catalogue of self-directed courses through our online learning platform, LaunchPad. Facilitated sessions and workshops to develop key skills are delivered by experienced partners and subject specialists. Subject-specific courses enhance curriculum content, provide stretch and challenge, and develop academic skills to succeed in Higher Education. 

“Much more engaging than other courses I have been on. All the speakers were very informative and made me think about climate change and biodiversity in a different way. At first I was a bit sceptical about doing a presentation, but it was actually very interesting to conduct my own research, listen to what other people had discovered and understand what other people find important to them."

Leadership Challenge 

Designed and led by Future Leaders themselves, the Leadership Challenge enables young people to explore their interests and gives them responsibility for delivering a project which benefits their communities and peers. Their project provides opportunities for them to work in new environments and contexts, gain new experiences, and develop new ways of thinking about their possible futures. 

Future Leaders: a blended learning experience

Our blended model is modular and flexible, which means we can respond to the needs of individual young people, schools, colleges, higher education partners and programme sponsors, as well as potential future social distancing restrictions. Our online platform, Launchpad, has been developed with safeguarding, security and wellbeing of our young people in mind. 

Future Leaders: levelling up

Despite increasing numbers of students from low-income families going on to higher education, their life outcomes remain poorer than those of their peers. Covid-19 dealt a further blow, undoing years of work to close the attainment gap between young people from poorer backgrounds and their more privileged peers. Schools may now have reopened, but young people will live with the repercussions of this disruption to their education for decades to come. 

Social mobility is vital for a healthy society that meets the needs of all of its members. If we are to achieve this, the next generation of business and political leaders must be drawn from diverse backgrounds. It is only by empowering young people from all parts of society to succeed that we can hope to achieve this.

Future Leaders: the journey

SEE Future Leaders in action